Amaal Mallik Reacts To Tanishk Bagchi Over Rs 8 Lakh Saiyaara Royalty Claim

MUMBAI — Music composer Amaal Mallik has publicly reacted to fellow composer Tanishk Bagchi’s recent claims regarding an Rs 8 lakh royalty payment for the song 'Saiyaara'. In his reaction, Mallik highlighted the ongoing financial struggles of music creators, acknowledging lyricist Javed Akhtar's historic fight for artists' royalties, and revealed that his own earnings stand at a salary of Rs 75,000 to Rs 1.5 lakh per song.

The debate was sparked after Tanishk Bagchi claimed that an Rs 8 lakh royalty payment for the 'Saiyaara' title track felt "like peanuts," alleging that he was yet to receive the amount. In response, Aditya Chopra's production house, Yash Raj Films, issued a clarification denying any wrongdoing. The production house stated that it has paid every collaborator their due as per contract, and that royalties for the song were distributed equally among its three composers.

Sharing his thoughts on social media, Mallik suggested that the music industry is only now addressing royalty issues that he had raised a decade ago. Sharing a selfie with a brief note, Mallik wrote, "People in the music industry waking up 10 years too late. Where were you in 2015 when I was fighting the system alone."

Although Mallik did not explicitly name Bagchi or the film in his post, he suggested that the industry is finally acknowledging a problem he says he fought against years ago.

Mallik also addressed the compensation structure for music composers in the Hindi film industry, stating that he receives a salary of Rs 75,000 to Rs 1.5 lakh after completing a song. He credited veteran lyricist Javed Akhtar for fighting "very hard" to secure royalty rights for artists and creators.

The exchange highlights the ongoing conversations, financial disparities, and the struggle for fair royalty payments for artists and creators in the Bollywood music industry.