Arijit Singh, India’s top playback singer, never got tangled up with the glamour and celebrity world of wealth or fame. Singh lives in his hometown village despite an estimated net worth of over ₹400 crore, far from the vibrancy of Mumbai. His children go to a local school, an option that ties to his long history of simplicity and devotion to a grounded lifestyle.
Singh’s rise from reality show contestant to one of Bollywood’s most coveted voices is nothing short of extraordinary. But unlike many of his peers, he has actively shunned the trappings of celebrity culture. His choice of a very quiet life in his hometown is evidence of his willing for his roots, and his desire to protect his family from all of the dangers that stardom may bring. It is a trait that Singh calls "humility." Fans frequently observe that a man of such enormous success and privilege should not spend so much as his life on excesses and happiness, living unassumingly, choosing instead for normalcy.
His choice to keep his children in a nearby school, rather than elite institutions of learning, signifies his values -- education rooted both in a society of community and simplicity alone. His retirement from active singing was a surprise to the music establishment and his millions of fans. For many, it was hard to wrap one’s head around the prospect of leaving a career at its peak.
And yet Singh’s personal choices of lifestyle suggest something—the former has a history of making family, peace and personal fulfillment more important than dogged fame. Arijit Singh’s story is also an illustration that real success is not solely a matter of riches or fame, but being able to stay true and rooted. His low status in the face of great riches explains why his retirement (while shocking) seems harmonious with the values he had previously been leading his life on.
