Ed Sheeran on Tollywood, Bollywood: No One Makes Movies Like That

British singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran has joined forces with India’s musical sensation Arijit Singh for their latest track, Sapphire, which has quickly captivated Indian audiences. Released on June 5, the song marks a unique cross-cultural collaboration and features Ed Sheeran singing in Punjabi, much to the delight of fans.

In a heartfelt Instagram post, Ed Sheeran revealed the origin of his admiration for Arijit Singh. The Grammy-winning artist shared that he became a fan after watching the Bollywood film Aashiqui 2 and hearing the hit song Tum Hi Ho. “I was spellbound by his voice, the song, the scene in the movie,” Ed wrote. “I checked him out and got in touch, and said whenever you wanna sing together, I’m down.”

However, some Indian fans were sceptical about his claim, with one user commenting, “Bro, in no world did you watch Aashiqui 2.” Ed responded candidly, “Why not? I watch loads of Bollywood and Tollywood movies; no one makes movies like that. I love it.”

The collaboration between the two artists began when Ed shared an early version of Sapphire 2019 with Arijit during a surprise meeting at Arijit Singh’s concert in London. Arijit immediately contributed creative ideas for the vocals and instrumentation, leading to the final version of Sapphire.

The track is the third release from Ed Sheeran’s upcoming album, Play, following Old Phone and Azizam. Sapphire has been praised for its emotional depth and fusion of Western and Indian musical influences.

This collaboration not only celebrates musical synergy across borders but also showcases Ed Sheeran’s genuine appreciation for Indian cinema and music, both Bollywood and Tollywood.