Arijit Singh introduced me to Pritam da: Aarvan

Young singer Aarvan, earlier known as Dev Arijit, shares a strong musical connection with Arijit Singh, not by blood, but through roots and rhythm. Both are from Murshidabad in West Bengal and it was Singh who introduced him to Pritam in Mumbai, just like he himself had once started with the composer. Growing up in Berhampore, close to Arijit’s Jiaganj, Aarvan took to Indian classical music after Class 10 and also played in an alt-rock band in Murshidabad. That’s when he met Singh, went on to assist him, joined his live band and toured the world.

He moved to Mumbai in 2013 and joined Pritam’s core team. His big break came when he recorded the scratch of ‘Ram Ji Aake Bhala Karenge’, for Akshay Kumar’s upcoming horror-comedy ‘Bhoot Bangla’ and it ended up being used in the final version. Working on a project linked to Priyadarshan and Akshay is a big moment for someone who’s mostly worked behind the scenes.

Even before this breakthrough, Aarvan had made his mark in Bengali cinema with tracks like ‘Rajar Raja’ from ‘Khadaan’ and ‘Bidroher Gaan’ from ‘Adamya’. Today, however, he is widely recognised as the voice behind the trending ‘Ram Ji Aake Bhala Karenge’. In a chat with ‘Millennium Post’, the young singer talks about his journey, his learnings from Arijit Singh and his ambition to lend his voice for leading stars across the film industry.

The first track, ‘Ram Ji Aake Bhala Karenge’, from Akshay Kumar-starrer ‘Bhoot Bangla’ is viral and also courted controversy. Being a part of Pritam’s core team, how did you end up being the key voice of the film?

Being part of Pritam da’s team, one of my main roles is singing scratch versions when we present a song. In the case of ‘Ram Ji Aake Bhala Karenge’, I originally sang the scratch. They were looking for a distinct voice texture and style and I gave it my best. Everyone felt it suited the track, so they kept my voice in the final version. I’ve spent years learning, doing scratches and understanding how songs are built while working with Pritam da and the team. So, this feels like I have achieved a milestone.

Why have you changed your name from Dev Arijit to Aarvan?

My actual name is Arijit Dev. Initially, I performed under the name ‘Dev Arijit’ as my artist identity. However, in 2025, I switched to Aarvan for better uniqueness and internet searchability. I also wanted to avoid the confusion of listeners because there’s ‘Arijit’ in my name. I belong to a small town called Berhampore, Murshidabad. I had an alt-rock band in Murshidabad. During that time, I met Arijit Singh, who introduced me to Pritam da. I moved to Mumbai in 2013 and that’s how my journey really began.

Both Arijit Singh and you hail from Murshidabad in West Bengal. Arijit was a crucial part of Pritam’s music team early in his career. Today, Arijit is a global name. Do you follow his career closely and do you share a close bond with him?

Yes, we both come from Murshidabad in Bengal and that connection is special to me. In fact, I assisted Arijit Singh and was part of his live band, touring with him around the world. I’ve learned so much from him, musically and beyond and I truly consider him one of my gurus. I do follow his career closely, and his journey from our Jiaganj to being a global name is truly inspiring.

Arijit Singh has announced his retirement from playback singing now.

I believe this is his step towards exploring even greater creative horizons. I think he’s pursuing the things he’s always wanted to do. So, this step away from playback singing is simply him focusing on other aspects of his creativity. In the end, I think we’ll see him shine in new ways.

With Arijit Singh retiring from playback, do you see yourself taking his place in the future?

Not at all. Arijit Singh is Arijit Singh. There’s no taking his place… He’s one of the finest the industry has ever seen. My focus is different… I’m committed to making more music, including independent songs that reflect my own thoughts and style, while continuing playback singing as well. For me, it’s about growing and expressing myself through different avenues of music.

How do you plan to take your career forward?

The plan is to keep working on more great compositions where I can lend my voice. As a singer, my dream is to sing for all my matinee idols and the great superstars of our industry.

Ray of Controversy

‘Ram Ji Aake Bhala Karenge’ has found its audience, but many in Bengal aren’t happy with the way the music of Satyajit Ray's cult classic ‘Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne’ has been utilised. Do you think this ‘tribute’ is justified?

I completely understand why people in Bengal feel strongly. The music of ‘Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne’ is iconic and anything tied to Satyajit Ray carries deep cultural weight. That said, compositionally and scale-wise, both songs are different. The only real similarity is the use of the word ‘Bhoot’ at the end, which ties into ‘Bhoot Bangla’. If we go deeper into the composition, Satyajit Ray’s song ‘Bhooter Raja Dilo Bor’ from the film ‘Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne’ has an ‘antara’ that begins with a major scale progression, ‘Ga Ma Pa’, ‘Pa Ma Ga’ with ‘Shuddha Ga’. In contrast, our song is composed on a minor scale using ‘Komal Ga’, with a melodic phrase like ‘Re Re Ga’, ‘Ga Re Sa’. Composition-wise, the songs are completely different.

I feel the intention here was never to disrespect the original work but to pay tribute to something that has been such an important part of our cinematic and musical heritage. When a classic inspires new interpretations, reactions can be mixed and that’s natural.

Of course, the original created by Satyajit Ray will always remain timeless and untouchable in its own space. Having said that, we all know that today’s generation listens to global music like K-pop and many may not have heard this beautiful classic by Satyajit Ray if our song encourages younger audiences to discover that legendary track, which would truly make it a tribute.