Composer and singer Amaal Mallik has shared his thoughts on how musicians are treated in Bollywood. In a recent conversation with Mirchi Plus, Amaal mentioned that while Shah Rukh Khan does not interfere with the work of composers, Akshay Kumar and Salman Khan are more hands-on.

He pointed out that it is the newer actors who seem to be confused and trapped. According to Amaal, if an actor dislikes a specific song, they have the authority to have it removed from the film entirely. He also disclosed that there are significant communication barriers between directors and composers.

“Working with senior actors is straightforward because they understand what music resonates with them. Shah Rukh is less involved in the music process; he leaves that to the director and only listens briefly. Akshay sir puts in 100% effort into his music, and Salman Khan does too. However, with Akshay, there is a willingness to experiment; he is not confined to his era,” he explained.
The singer further added, “The newer actors are lost; they don’t know who to connect with. There isn’t a specific name, but it applies to all new actors. They are filled with self-doubt, which hinders their ability to produce quality work.

They are extremely confused. It’s like a vegetable market for them – they want to take all the songs. They should sit and listen to them with their management team at night. It’s all just a crowd; the fewer people involved in music decisions, the better it is.”

He went on to say, “If at night, the lead actor finds the composer’s song irrelevant, if someone says it’s not good, they can contact the label and request to ‘remove him’. They might choose another song instead. Sometimes we only find out that our song was not included after the movie is released.”

Amaal Malik also discussed the hierarchy within the music industry. “The music composer is at the bottom. Above them is the music label. Then there’s the producer, who has four supervisors to provide guidance. Following that is the executive producer from the production team.

“The hero, heroine, their teams, and the choreographer are currently in discussions with the film’s director,” he disclosed.

Amaal added, “The composer has been kept at such a distance from the director; there are numerous barriers between us. Directors are also unable to navigate this situation. The intermediaries simply won’t allow it to occur. Until you reach the level of Pritam da or Rahman sir, this is the reality. No one can predict which song will be chosen for the film.”