Singer Arijit Singh, who is currently on tour in the UK, recently responded to a fan who asked him to sing the protest song, Aar Kobe, which he wrote for Kolkata’s RG Kar, rape and murder victim. Taking to Instagram, an account, rahul__roy983, posted the video from one of Arijit’s recent shows. (Also Read | Arijit Singh’s ‘Perfect’ collaboration with Ed Sheeran in London concert wasn’t on your 2024 bingo card. Watch)
Arijit pauses show, responds to fan
In the video, Arijit sang Ramta Jogi song from Taal, when he received the request. He then paused his song and replied, “This is not the place, people haven’t come here to protest. Ya? They have come here to listen to me. That’s my job, right? That is my heart, that one you are saying. Not the right time, right place.”
He continued, “If you really feel about it, go. Go to Kolkata. Yes. Gather some people, a lot of Bengalis are here. Go on the street. Ya? That song is not monetised. It will never be monetised. It is not copyright. Anybody can use it.” Arijit then resumed singing the track before pausing again and telling the fan, “That song is not monetised. It will never be monetised… Anybody can use it.” The words on the video read, “Arijit Singh gets annoyed when a fan requested him to play Aar Kobe a protest song he created after the events in Kolkata.”
Arijit has several concerts across the UK.
Arijit released Aar Kobe last year
The singer released Aar Kobe on his official YouTube channel on August 28. Besides singing the track, Arijit is credited as the lyricist and music composer. The song is dedicated to the victim as well as all “women who face the horrors of gender-based violence”, according to the official description.
“This song is a cry for justice, a lament for the countless women who suffer in silence, and a demand for change…Our song echoes the voices of doctors across the country, who tirelessly serve despite the dangers they face. This is not simply a protest song—it is a call to action. It is a reminder that our fight for women’s safety and dignity is far from over. As we sing, we remember the tireless efforts of those on the frontlines—our doctors, our journalists and our students who deserve not just our respect but our protection,” it read.
The postgraduate trainee woman doctor was raped and murdered in the seminar hall of Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9, following which a Kolkata Police civic volunteer was arrested.
