Composer-singer Amaal Mallik, who recently worked his magic on the docu-series First Act, expresses a deep-seated passion for crafting what he terms “good music,” regardless of its destination, be it independent or for films. He says, “The love I’ve received for my latest release, Mohabbat, feels akin to a film song launch. My fans appreciate my film music, yet they equally embrace me as the face of independent music.”

The 33-year-old delineates the contrasting experiences between composing for films and embarking on solo projects, noting the broader audience reach associated with film music. “Bollywood has always been on top, but recently I’d say 30% of the audience gravitates towards indie music, but still the lion’s share belongs to film music.”

He also emphasises that crafting independent music carries a profound sense of fulfilment. “Commercial has become my middle name, and I wear it proudly. However, film music and doing solo tracks are different and they bring more audience to you and your music, but creating independent music for any artiste is more soul-satisfying,” says the composer-singer.

Mallik also accentuates the diminishing distinction between film and non-film music, acknowledging “the discovery of more than 400-500 talents through platforms like YouTube and streaming services in 2023”. “Today, it is all about making music and putting it out because it has stopped mattering where and what project the song was associated with. If it was good, it was reaching the listener,” he ends.