Eight years after his three-track debut in Yay Ho!Amaal Mallik is ready to release the single, ‘Chalo Theek Hai’composed, sung and even performed in the music video by him.
“Most young singers go nasal, gimmicky or try to sound like Arijit Singh or Atif Aslam,” says Amaal Mallik of his latest song ‘Chalo Theek Hai’
Amaal has scored more than 70 film and non-film songs and is ready to make songs for Dharma Productions, a solo film for another banner and more singles. His discography includes all songs in MS Dhoni: the untold storyand saina and all originals in it airlift and Norwegian† His compositions have graced films such as Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety, Badrinath Ki Dulhania, Kapoor & Sons, Azhar, Roy and others.
Excerpts from an interview:
Your new video,’Chalo Theek HaiEven show your acting skills. As a composer, singer, lyricist, music producer et aldo we see you trying that too?
†laughs) No no! I only occasionally act in a single – this is my home production, produced by papa (composer Daboo Malik). For me, music is my life.
Humming it in is your trademark of sorts, found in so many of your songs.
I like to do things like that instead of instrumental interludes. In many cases, they sound more appealing.
You make a lot of non-movie singles like this one. What attracts you to them?
I work here independently – I am also signed to Sony Music. There is total freedom and no time constraints because I can make any song I like and then put a story around it. In front of ‘Chalo Theek Hai‘, my friend of many years, Krish Trivedi, wrote the story. I’ve come up with two lines for my next single, and Krish has already told me he’ll write a story around it.
Most of your non-movie songs have a definite ’90s ‘movie-ness’ to them. In the 1990s, Indipop was very different from movie songs. Today’s movie songs often resemble Indipop.
You’re right. Cinematicism is in my music! I think the pop sound came in like a rebel back then. Today, both forms co-exist, and a certain percentage of those pop-like songs do very well. Personally, I don’t like to define things so sharply, but I’d like the older generation to connect with my songs like a rake back to what they loved, which had a higher lyrical and musical value.
Pop music is largely based on sound, but I also prefer the importance of lyrics. My treatment here is reminiscent of the Synth Pop that prevailed in the 1980s. That sound, whether it be the late Bappi (Lahiri)–da‘s or disco et al returns!
My main assistants are two teenagers, who are quite compromised in Hindi. Whether they understand songs like my ‘Roke Na Ruke Naina‘ from Barinath Ki Dulhania is something I like to study! I have my brother Armaan Malik and my father at home, and can only check both barometers at home! So I would like my music to appeal to a wider spectrum of listeners.
You talked about freedom in making singles. What happens in movies?
In movies, it can be a completely different ball game! I can be asked for a “hit” song when I only know how to make one good song! Besides, it’s rare filmmakers like Amole Gupte who have the patience to sit with me for the songs of saina† I also did the background score. In front of ‘Kaun Tujhe‘ in MS Dhoni…Manoj Muntashir wrote the mukhda to my tune, and I made the tune to his antara† But it was Neeraj Pandey who patiently worked with us on the music – for two months.
However, in some cases I don’t even know who is directing the movie! Or a song is needed the next day after a phone call! I’ve done things like that too. There are also instances where I’ve told a director I can make a better tune than what he liked on lyrics that have been adopted, but he was adamant!
You took a break. Why was it necessary since, unlike him, you had only been working for four years?
It was in 2018, after doing about 70 songs, that I felt I no longer wanted to get stuck in work I wasn’t proud of. There were all the factors I mentioned. Internally I was unhappy. I had been following this frenzied pace for four years and realized that people wanted my name with their song, but not necessarily good music. All this started to affect my health as well. After two or three years I came back with a few singles and got the same love!
You also did five re-creations. Why do them at all if you want to be proud of your work?
I only did five of the many offered! And then I knew I could add a little bit of myself, like adjusting the antara, and the filmmakers knew I would accept doing them on my terms. Of this, ‘kya yehi pyar hai‘ from rocky was to go in originally Sanjuc, and Raju-sir (Rajkumar Hirani) found what I had done. But after we cracked the song, the space for the love story in the movie narrowed and the song rights went back to the owners. It was then used in the recent movie, hurdan†
Making tunes is a God-gifted art and cannot be taught. How much calculation will be added later?
I don’t count! I was educated at Trinity College, but I never forced myself to sit on the piano and play a tune. For example, a tune may come on while sitting or driving. What can be learned are things like playing instruments or film music. But a song that will connect is like catching the right fish among billions swimming in the sea! Yes, the text to be calculated. And then I can adapt part of a tune to the right words. Director Sandeep Vanga loved ‘Yeh aaina‘ so much so that he refused to change a note, but Irshad Kamil-sir’s words were so good it took me a few days to adjust some of my tune for it!
How do you choose your male songs as brother Armaan’s or someone else’s?
Armaan is a global superstar! But he’ll understand if I don’t hire him. On the other hand, correct pronunciation is a problem with most young singers, but Armaan is clear with his Hindi as was the older generation. Nowadays most young singers go nasal, gimmicky or try to sound like Arijit Singh or Atif Aslam. But Armaan is original. He is 26 and has remarkable maturity for his age, although his voice still opens up.
I have a general habit of sending my composition to a singer about 10 days in advance and asking him to start living the song. However, there are so many problems. Some singers have the voice and tenor right, but not to understand my composition. Then it’s my job to work on it – it may have taken me a long time to make the song, so I can’t expect them to deliver in a few hours. Or nowadays music companies, like the fashion in the West, have a certain group of singers with them and they ask me to compose for them. Then I have to jam with those artists. Also, every singer has his power and range, as Arijit Singh can sing very high. So the song defines the singer.
From the time of AR Rahman, different voices are tried for a song. Many overdub an already recorded track. Do you also follow this practice?
No, I must have only done that two or three times. I make it a point to call the singer and tell him or her we’ll work together another time if I need to change. I don’t jump and overdub without their knowledge.
Also Read: Dua Lipa’s hit song ‘Levitating’ gets Indian remix by Amaal Mallik featuring Sukriti and Prakriti Kakar
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