Amaal Mallik takes a break from music, says no new film songs till next year

Music composer Amaal Mallik is stepping away temporarily from film music and will not compose any new film songs till next year. In a note shared on X on August 27, the 36-year-old said that he needed time to focus on his health and take a break for his mind, body, soul and overall physical healing.

Mallik said some old unreleased film songs would still arrive soon, though he added that he was unsure about the future of a few smaller-budget films because such projects do not get screens easily. He asked people not to pester him for more updates and said he would return after recovering. In separate Instagram posts, he also addressed the music and film industry at length.

In his note on X, Mallik said he was "all good" but wanted to do what was best for his health and his heart. "Need a break for my mind, body, soul and overall physical healing. Need to rise, recuperate and bounce back soon with a heart full of melodies for you all my dearest #Amaalians (sic)," he wrote.

He clarified that he would not be composing any new film songs till next year and added, "PS - No more film music till next year, old unreleased film songs will arrive soon if the films even end up releasing, as they are smaller budget movies with good intent and such people don't get screens easily so don't know the future of those projects Please request you not to pester me any further. Will update as I get to know (sic)."

Mallik also wrote that his journey had taken him far from music to cinema and that he was now walking back towards music. He signed off by asking to be bid farewell for now and said he would be back, ending the note with "The Creator of #YehAwarapan (sic)".

On Instagram Stories, Mallik shared a photograph from the hospital in which he was seen lying on a bed. He captioned it, "Too much Awarapan leads to this only (sic)."

The song from Awarapan 2 was sung by Arijit Singh, who had announced his retirement from playback singing in January this year.

In another Instagram post, Amaal addressed the music and film industry and said he was not in any kind of race with anyone. He wrote that he had never needed marketing budgets to manufacture his identity and said people knew his music because they had lived their lives through it. "That's a privilege money cannot purchase!" he added.

He also wrote, "Whatever my song maybe to you to me it's PURE, it is HONEST, it's VULNERABLE YET POWERFUL (sic)." Mallik went on to say, "Get one thing straight - MY SONGS are my BABIES, and TRUST me when I say I'm a DANGEROUS DAD (sic)." He asked people to read that "again & again" and said the song was like an infant delivered just three weeks ago, adding that people should not mess with anyone's children, especially not his.

Mallik said this was the best he could create with complete conviction and added that his father had been "blown away" and had tears in his eyes. He urged others to focus on originals and build their own legacy instead of measuring themselves against him.

He ended that post with the line, "People leave this world on four shoulders; I will leave on four songs."

Earlier comments on the industry

In an earlier long note on X, Mallik had accused unnamed powerful figures in the film and music industry of pushing him out of more than 60 projects. He said such politics had kept his music away from films for almost eight years. He also said he had walked away from 20 films because he found those working setups beneath him.

Mallik apologised to fans and said the loss was not just his but theirs too. He added that he was ready to continue with independent music even if film songs did not come to him. He said he had been trying his best for the past eight years, with sincerity and on respectful terms and conditions of working, but claimed that this had not worked in the industry.

He also alleged that his refusal to hide "the truth about this place and its workings" had led to threats to him and his family. Mallik said the problem was not just labels and had gone beyond that into what he called "a mixed syndicate of egoistic humans". Without naming anyone, he said he would do so someday and accused people in the industry of playing "award-worthy politics".

His post also came after recent comments about the hurdles he faced while working on Mere Dholna 3.0 for Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3. In an interview with Pinkvilla, Mallik said composers are often not given full freedom to choose singers. He said he wanted Sonu Nigam for the track, while people from marketing teams and management suggested names such as Arijit Singh and Vishal Mishra.

Mallik also said composers can be replaced if their choices do not suit production teams or music labels. He said Sonu Nigam eventually recorded the song in about 45 minutes after arriving from a show in the US. Mallik recalled his frustration at seeing "someone as legendary as Sonu Nigam" being made to prove himself. He also spoke about earnings and said Sooraj Dooba Hai brought substantial revenue to the label while his own share was limited to publishing rights.

The 35-year-old composer made his Bollywood debut with Salman Khan's Jai Ho in 2014 and found wider fame with Sooraj Dooba Hai from Roy the following year. He has since composed for Hero, Airlift, Kapoor & Sons, MS Dhoni: The Untold Story, Kabir Singh and Vedaa, and has also sung in several of his own soundtracks.

Mallik is the son of composer Daboo Malik and the nephew of Anu Malik. He also emerged as one of the finalists of Bigg Boss 19.