When Arijit Singh first broke onto the scene with Tum Hi Ho from Aashiqui 2 in 2013, it felt like the voice of a generation had arrived overnight. A hauntingly emotional ballad wrapped in raw vulnerability, it wasn’t just a chartbuster—it was a cultural event. That track didn’t just introduce Arijit Singh to the masses; it embedded him in the DNA of Bollywood romance. More than a decade later, Singh is the undisputed titan of Hindi playback music, having built a catalog of hits that read like the emotional diary of modern India.
Fast forward to 2025, and another name is quietly drawing comparisons—not for mimicry, but for a shared origin story and a similar emotional resonance. Faheem Abdullah, the singer-songwriter from Kashmir, isn’t trying to be the next Arijit, but his trajectory is echoing that same rare blend of timing, talent, and musical gravitas. His debut in the musical film Songs of Paradise, where he co-composed and sang the standout track Saiyaara, launched him into public consciousness almost overnight. Much like Arijit’s entry, it wasn’t just a song—it was a moment. There was something unmistakably intimate about Faheem’s voice, something that didn’t feel manufactured for mainstream success yet resonated just as powerfully.
Both artists didn’t just debut with a single—they debuted with a feeling. And both arrived wrapped in the emotional world of musical cinema, setting a tone for their careers that feels cinematic in itself. But where Arijit leaned into Bollywood’s vast romantic landscape, Faheem’s canvas is painted with indie textures, Sufi undercurrents, and a poetic rawness that reflects his Kashmiri roots. His album Lost & Found felt like a diary set to music, while songs like Ishq blurred the line between traditional lyricism and modern storytelling.
Arijit Singh’s voice has long been the one you hear when love begins or ends. Faheem Abdullah, still in the early days of his arc, is carving out something different—maybe quieter, maybe more layered—but no less evocative. Both began their journeys with a song that became more than a hit. And both remind us that sometimes, the right voice at the right moment can do more than just top charts. It can stop time.