Gunjan Chaudhary
Ever since Arijit Singh announced his retirement from playback singing, a serious debate has erupted in the Indian film industry over singers’ remuneration and royalties. Now, the country’s first Indian Idol winner, Abhijeet Sawant, has added his voice to the discussion, making some startling revelations about how singers are treated in the music business. In a recent interview, Abhijeet claimed that singers are often pressured to sing for free, denied royalties, and paid amounts that are not enough to sustain a livelihood.
Abhijeet Sawant
Abhijeet Sawant Made Shocking Claims
The 44-year-old singer, who won Indian Idol Season 1, spoke to Pentarise Studios about the realities of playback singing. When asked about fees paid to singers for film songs, Abhijeet initially hesitated before opening up. He said, “People don’t want singers to become big stars through a film. That’s why they are given a fixed amount. Musicians still don’t get royalties for the music in films.”
Abhijeet Sawant
Highlighting the contrast between India and the West, Abhijeet added that singers in Bollywood rarely benefit financially once a song becomes successful. Abhijeet Sawant cited veteran composer Biddu as an example to explain how royalties work internationally. “Biddu worked on ‘Lafzon Mein Keh Na Sakoon’ and also did some songs in the West. He gets so much royalty from just two songs that he can live his entire life on that money. We don’t even get enough money to make a living,” Abhijeet said.
Abhijeet Sawant
Supporting this claim, a report revealed that Biddu still earns £60,000–£70,000 per month in royalties, an amount that would translate to approximately ₹74–84 lakh per month in today’s market. Abhijeet, who earns more from live stage shows than from film playback, admitted that singers themselves sometimes contribute to this system.
Abhijeet Sawant
He explained, “The industry has created such a system. Singers are greedy for opportunities. If a big star lip-syncs to your song, you can use that song your entire life. Sometimes singers don’t even want money because they just want to sing or work with a particular producer.” He added bluntly, “We accept whatever amount we get, because if we don’t, someone else will. Singers are exploited a lot.”
