Amaal Mallik Says Famous Surname Became a Disadvantage in Music Industry

Composer reveals he was repeatedly removed from jobs after people discovered his family background

Music composer Amaal Mallik has opened up about the lesser-known struggles of his early career, revealing that his well-known family name often worked against him rather than in his favour. The composer, who recently appeared on Bigg Boss 19, spoke candidly in an interview about facing discrimination in the music industry because of his surname.

Amaal said he struggled for nearly a decade, from the age of 15 to 25, despite coming from a musical family. Recalling his early days, he shared that he took up any work he could find—ranging from assistant roles to running hard drives for post-production—just to earn a living and gain industry exposure.

“At 15, I was out on the road trying to become an assistant or even a runner. I would carry hard disks for post-production work—anything that earned me some money and helped me move forward,” he said.

The composer revealed that his surname often led to mistrust. “Wherever I got a job as an assistant, the moment they found out I was a Mallik, they would remove me,” Amaal said. He explained that there was a perception that he might misuse access to music or leverage his background unfairly. “There was this notion that because I came from a particular family, I might sell out their music. So it actually worked against me and my brother Armaan Mallik,” he added.

He emphasised that having a recognised name did not mean opportunities were handed to him easily. “It’s not like everything was served to us on a platter just because of our surname,” Amaal said.

Amaal Mallik made his debut as a music composer with Jai Ho and later gained recognition with tracks such as Sooraj Dooba Hain. Over the years, he has composed music for several popular films including Airlift, Baaghi, Kapoor & Sons, Azhar and Badrinath Ki Dulhania.

Recently, Amaal was seen on Bigg Boss 19, where he often made headlines for his outspoken nature. Despite facing criticism for his behaviour in the house, he enjoyed strong fan support and reached the finale before being evicted in fifth place.