~* Ruling Hearts Forever~* Asher Magic continues~ FAK AT 16 *~ - Page 17

Making music for music's sake

Young composer Amaal Mallik is not out to prove a point, just wants to enjoy the process

Bryan Durham

Amaal Mallik's 23 and already is quite in demand with actors, producers and directors in Bollywood. Surprisingly, for someone who belongs to family of generations of music-makers, humility comes easily to him.

And that humility shows in the way he works as well. He says he has learned that "anyone can get you any idea", so he tries to "fit every idea into the process" when he's working with people.

"Music isn't a way to prove my point," he says, "I want to enjoy what I'm making". And he does make different kinds of music " everything from jazz to EDM to Indian classical pieces.

Starting from scratch

And he started enjoying himself at quite a young age, too! At around age 10, a family friend gave him a music toy, which he "started banging on". "Mom noticed", he chuckles, "Dad (Daboo Malik) was happy, too. He wanted me to get into music completely. I was enrolled into piano class."

The piano is one instrument he still enjoys playing the most. He had three tutors who mentored him in everything from Western Classical to Jazz and other genres. "But my grandfather (Sardaar Malik) was the only person I trained in Indian classical."

Initially, the process of making background music fascinated him, he says. "I really loved Salim-Sulaiman, Sandeep Chowta and Amar Mohile's work. I still believe that a background score has the power to really lift a film."

"At 16, I went to Dad after making a proper tune for the first time. He supposed that I was still learning the ropes and reckoned that I hadn't gotten around to composing yet. I think it was natural...in my blood."

So, Amaal observed. He checked out commercial compositions. He learned on an individual level, started looking at films in general and he says he believes he's "grown in the last seven years", working on his music.

This is now!

With a number of young composers topping charts and being part of soundtracks these days, is the intense pressure to succeed too intimidating a prospect? He muses, "Now, whoever gets you a good tune is on. So if you have five or six composers and that one good song happens, it changes your life. In fact, your entire life can ride on one song. I mean, just look at how well Tune Maari Entriyaan (Gunday) did. These days, one great song can recover the entire film's revenue. People go to theatres to see songs. A lot of us are being listened to and there are open offers. All you have to do is try for one situation and deliver."

Too many cooks?

So the multi-composer trend works? He feels, "There's more pressure to give it your best shot, as sometimes it's the only shot you get as a newcomer. A Jodhaa Akbar would need just one composer for an entire film. Most commercial films these day will give everyone a job they're good at. But compartmentalising isn't great. Consider this: people don't go to Mithoon or Ankit (Tiwari) and say, Give me a dance track. Give me a Baby Doll'. That said, having five people working on a soundtrack can make things go haywire. So, give it your 100%. Also, having only one person on the OST also means the whole album sounds the same. Having several gives you very different flavours."

Do connection matter?

Ask him if being a star kid helped him get a foot in the door and he avers, "I have friends in the industry. And till a point, it is good. And sometimes, it doesn't work. Ninety per cent of the time, the people I joined or worked with didn't know whose kid I was. But it can't be hidden and they knew at some point that it didn't matter."

He has no qualms to admitting that Salman Khan is a friend. "One day, he just asked dad, What are your kids doing? Ask them to come play for me'." It's something that one does to the point of rishta, he says but,"If you don't have the goods to deliver, you're done for. In the end, your work speaks for itself."

Quick and Khoobsurat

The track Naina was a last-minute inclusion in Khoobsurat. But it made enough noise to be heard for its own merits. His producer, Rhea Kapoor was happy. He says, "When we cracked this song, it was something everybody loved. Naina sounded so new, I believe, because Armaan sung it beautifully as did Sona. And even if I had not made the song, I think if and when I heard it, I would still loved it. Tell him it sounds nothing like the typical Kumaar lyric and Amaal laughs. "He's an item club guru. And yet people forget he did (Jo Maangi Thi) Duaa from Shanghai."

Machines over melodies?

Electronic music is everywhere and are more en vogue than melodies now. Point that out and he's all like, "That's stereotypical. If something works, we want to follow it. Ninety-five percent of the audience wants to listen to EDM. Youngsters as well as 30-year-olds like and enjoy EDM. Twenty-five percent follow all EDM genres and it all sounds insane (in a good way, we imagine!)."

Fast forward

Upcoming projects include Sunny Leone-starrer Leela, Vikramjeet Singh's Roy, the official Hero remake starring Sooraj Pancholi, Madhur Bhandarkar's Calendar Girls, Milap Zaveri's Mastizaade and come 2015, Pulkit Samrat-Yaami Gautam-starrer Junooniyat.

Armaan forever?

His kid brother Armaan has featured in all his tracks so far, but he insists, "There's no compulsion. He usually sings my scratches. We take the decision to retain his voice or use another. If his voice doesn't fit the track, I won't use it. If it lifts my track, I will never let it get replaced. Eventually, the person deserves the song and songs deserves the singer.