Amaal Mallik reveals how his surname worked against him in early career

Music

Music composer and Amaal Mallik, who recently emerged as a finalist on Bigg Boss 19, opened up about the lesser-known struggles that shaped his journey in the film industry.

Despite belonging to a well-known musical family, Amaal revealed that his surname often became a hurdle rather than an advantage during his formative years.

Also Read: Bigg Boss 19 opens new doors for Amaal Mallik as acting offers pour in from the South

Music My Surname Worked Against Me

In a candid interview with Pinkvilla, Amaal spoke about facing prejudice because of his family background. He shared that while working as an assistant early in his career, he was often removed from jobs once people discovered his surname.

“Wherever I got a job as an assistant, the moment they found out that my surname was Mallik, they would remove me from the job… ‘Oh, he’s from that family, he might sell out our music,’ or whatever,” Amaal revealed, adding that there was a constant sense of suspicion around him.

He further said that this bias also affected his brother, singer Armaan Malik. “So it actually worked against me and my brother,” Amaal noted, explaining how assumptions about legacy often overshadowed their individual talent and hard work.

Music A Decade of Struggle That Built Resilience

Reflecting on his early years, Amaal described the decade between the ages of 15 and 25 as the most difficult yet transformative phase of his life. He recalled facing repeated challenges, obstacles, and rejection during that time.

“From the age of 15 to 25, what I saw in 10 years… all those struggles, all those difficulties, all those obstacles happened at the earliest stages of my life,” he said. Rather than viewing it negatively, Amaal believes those early hardships helped him build emotional strength, discipline, and clarity about his craft.

Also Read: Bigg Boss 19: Amaal Mallik responds to Tanya Mittal fans, says….

Music Hustling Behind the Scenes Before Recognition

Contrary to popular belief, Amaal stressed that he was never handed opportunities easily. As a teenager, he worked behind the scenes as an assistant and even took up runner jobs, carrying hard disks for post-production work just to earn money and stay connected to the industry.

These experiences, he says, taught him humility and perseverance, reinforcing the idea that legacy alone does not guarantee success. According to Amaal, proving oneself consistently is essential, regardless of background.

On the professional front, Amaal Mallik was recently seen as a contestant on Bigg Boss 19, where he finished among the top five finalists. The season was eventually won by actor Gaurav Khanna.

Read More

Latest

MAD Solutions & IRTH Strike Pan-Arab Development & Production Strategic Partnership – Venice

Cairo-based film and talent group MAD Solutions has announced a strategic partnership with Egyptian author, screenwriter and producer Haitham Dabbour’s pan-Arab drama development and production company IRTH. The partnership will bring their complementary strengths together to develop, package and support film, TV drama and other entertainment projects from across the Arab world for regional and

Meet the Generation17 Young Leaders: The Story of Soumya Dabriwal

Soumya Dabriwal is a member of Generation17, a Samsung and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) partnership empowering young people who are contributing to the Global Goals. Since 2020, the initiative has supported Young Leaders worldwide with Samsung Galaxy technology, mentorship, and networking opportunities to amplify their stories and solutions. Soumya Dabriwal was 21, volunteering as

TCL P80 and P80 Pro arrive with OLED displays, dual cameras, and 45W charging

ⓘ TCL The TCL P80 and TCL P80 Pro are available in only two colors The TCL P80 Ultra is joined by the cheaper P80 and P80 Pro, which also have OLED displays. However, their more affordable price tags come with tradeoffs such as the lack of a telephoto camera and fewer OS upgrades. Alongside

Shenzhen July Live Music Picks

Music ...

Newsletter

Don't miss

MAD Solutions & IRTH Strike Pan-Arab Development & Production Strategic Partnership – Venice

Cairo-based film and talent group MAD Solutions has announced a strategic partnership with Egyptian author, screenwriter and producer Haitham Dabbour’s pan-Arab drama development and production company IRTH. The partnership will bring their complementary strengths together to develop, package and support film, TV drama and other entertainment projects from across the Arab world for regional and

Meet the Generation17 Young Leaders: The Story of Soumya Dabriwal

Soumya Dabriwal is a member of Generation17, a Samsung and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) partnership empowering young people who are contributing to the Global Goals. Since 2020, the initiative has supported Young Leaders worldwide with Samsung Galaxy technology, mentorship, and networking opportunities to amplify their stories and solutions. Soumya Dabriwal was 21, volunteering as

TCL P80 and P80 Pro arrive with OLED displays, dual cameras, and 45W charging

ⓘ TCL The TCL P80 and TCL P80 Pro are available in only two colors The TCL P80 Ultra is joined by the cheaper P80 and P80 Pro, which also have OLED displays. However, their more affordable price tags come with tradeoffs such as the lack of a telephoto camera and fewer OS upgrades. Alongside

Shenzhen July Live Music Picks

Music ...

Jux – Kipepeo Ft Mbosso

MusicDOWNLOAD MP3 SONG...

Bright young business brains bring ideas to life

Friday 17 July, 2026 Young Cumbrian entrepreneurs showed off their innovative business ideas, from AI virtual assistants to African food, at two celebration events this week. Fifteen young people from Furness and West Cumbria aged 14 to 25 were selected to take part in the Positive Enterprise programme back in January...

No, no, no — business travel is not dead. It’s still moving, and rather well at that

Par Bruno COURTIN Published on 7 Aug 2026 - Updated on 7 Aug 2026 3 min reading time According to forecasts from GBTA, the world's leading organisation representing business travel stakeholders, global business travel spending is set to hit a record $1.71 trillion in 2026, while the number of trips is expected to reach 1.84

How AI is changing the business analyst role for the better

By offering the ability to automate routine note-taking, requirements gathering, and data analysis tasks, AI is helping to make the decisive human side of this key business-IT role more impactful. AI’s impact has been felt across nearly every industry, and its rise has already started to alter several roles in tech, including that of the