Composer-singer Amaal Malik has once again highlighted the long-standing issues plaguing the Hindi film music industry, especially the lack of proper remuneration, ownership and credit for composers and lyricists. In a candid interview with IHNS, Amaal talked at length about how artists are facing losses despite making commercially successful music.
Amaal Malik exposes the harsh economics of Bollywood music: “‘Sooraj Dooba Hai’ made Rs 60-70 crore, I got almost nothing”
Considering one of their biggest hits, ‘The sun has set’ from music 2014 RoyAmaal revealed a huge imbalance between the revenue earned and the amount musicians actually receive. “It made Rs 60-70 crore for the label, and I didn’t get anything except the publishing rights, which are negligible, not even close to Rs 1 crore,” he said. Emphasizing why ownership matters, he said, “I want to make money to help people. That can only happen if I have the rights or similar rights. Film music doesn’t give you that.”
Opening up about her personal journey, Amaal revealed how financial stability came late despite years of success. “Sixteen years later, I bought a car just for myself. I’ve never done anything for myself, it’s always been for the people around me.” He also highlighted the disparity between regional industries and Bollywood and said, “There are composers in the South who earn Rs 10-15 crore while retaining the rights. In Hindi cinema, composers get Rs 2-3 crore and they give up everything.”
Amal questioned the industry’s rigid structures, saying, “Everyone works in a straight line. No one asks why things can’t be structured differently or why credits can’t be more fair.” He emphasized that credit integrity is of great importance to him, adding, “Nobody can ever say that I refused to give them credit in my songs.”
Comparing Bollywood with global practices, he said, “In the West, crediting systems are much more transparent. Here, even the names of lyricists disappear.” He recalled how lyricists were forced to protest publicly: “Lyricists like Amitabh Bhattacharya, Kausar Munir and Manoj Muntashir had to make a video to demand proper credit.” He further added, “He questioned why a musician could be credited on one label but not another.”
Amaal also talked about creative opaqueness and professional failures. He said, “You give 15-16 options, you and 10 other musicians put your heart into it, and then the songs are rejected without explanation. There is no transparency.” Recalling a bitter experience, he said, “There was a time when I was working on a film with someone, and by the evening we were fighting a court case. I won’t take anyone’s name, but that’s how it works.”
Revealing the cost of speaking out, Amaal concluded, “In the last five years, I was dropped from 40 to 45 films,” while insisting, “Even when I was not visible, my music lived on.”
