New paths or burnout break? Celebrities who chose to pause - Arijit Singh to Zakir Khan

When the world saw them at their happiest and seemingly at the peak of their careers, several celebrities shocked fans by choosing a different path, announcing a break from work or just putting a pause.

The latest addition to this list is singer Arijit Singh, who has announced his retirement from playback singing. Before him, stand-up comedian Zakir Khan revealed that he would be going on a long break to take care of his health issues.

As Arijit announces his decision to step away from playback singing, here’s a look at celebrities who surprised the world with their unexpected choices.

Arijit Singh has announced his retirement from playback singing. However, this does not mean he will stop making music altogether. On Tuesday (Jan 27), the singer shared that he will no longer be taking on new playback singing assignments. When fans asked him about the reason behind this decision, the singer said that he got bored and needed to do some other music.

Zakir Khan, one of India’s most-loved stand-up comedians, has announced that he will be taking a break from work due to health struggles. He revealed that he may remain on a break until 2028–29, or even 2030. In an interview, Zakir also shared that he is dealing with a genetic illness.

During an interview with Gulf News, Zakir shared how relentless work has taken a toll on his health, revealing that certain genetic illnesses run in his family.

“I need to take care of my health. There are certain genetic illnesses in my family that tend to surface after a particular age. On top of that, I’ve damaged my body myself, sleeping for just two hours and then going on to meet thousands of people. Because the moment you land in a city, you immediately start meeting people,” Zakir said.

Popular Indian singer Neha Kakkar recently announced that she's taking a break from ‘responsibilities, relationships, and work.'

“Time to take a break from responsibilities, relationships, work and everything I can think of right now. Not sure if I’ll be back or not. Thank you,” Neha wrote in a post shared on Instagram stories. However, she deleted the post quickly, leaving everyone confused.

Zaira Wasim earned widespread praise for her performances in films like Dangal and The Sky Is Pink. When she made her debut with Aamir Khan's film, she was considered a prodigy, becoming one of the most promising young actors in the industry. However, the actress shocked everyone when she announced her decision to quit acting in 2019, citing her religious beliefs as the reason.