Daboo with his wife Jyothi and sons Amaal and Armaan

Daboo Malik’s journey in the entertainment industry is one of survival against the odds. After a short stint in acting, he turned to music and delivered hits like Maine Dil Tujhko Diya and Tumko Na Bhool Paayenge. But with the rise of new-age sounds, he felt left behind. The loss of his father in 2006 pushed him further into despair, and he told his young sons, Amaal and Armaan, that he was done. Instead of restarting, he channelised his energy into preparing them for the future he couldn’t secure. Amaal and Armaan’s success as a composer and singer became the redemption he thought was lost.

Talking about his autobiography Never Too Late, Daboo shares, “I felt I was the right person to write it because I am not a so-called success story. I was the observer, who saw my father’s pain and then witnessed my brother’s rise and fall. Writing this lifted a huge weight off my chest.”

After composing for many years, there came a time when Daboo felt his music was becoming outdated. He recalls, “I was never the kind to push or fight for opportunities, so the fault was partly mine as well. However, I believe I was a progressive composer. I still remember the day songs like Dhoom Machale and Das Bahane released…I knew then the industry was changing and that I was history. In 2006, when I lost my father, I felt broken. During one such low moment, I came home, hugged my kids and told them…I am done. Amaal was 15 and Armaan 10, and they just saw their father crash. Instead of restarting, I chose to dedicate my energy to preparing my children because I knew deep down that they would succeed. And the rest, as they say, is history.”

Reflecting on that phase, he says, “My children have carried the pain and rejection I endured for nearly two decades. In hindsight, I feel they turned it into strength. For them, the greatest high is bringing a smile to my face.”

Life threw another curveball in March, when Amaal announced on social media that he had cut ties with his family, accusing his parents of favouring Armaan. Daboo admits, “What Amaal said was true, and I thank him for making me realize it. We put all our focus on Armaan. In the process, we forgot what we needed to do for Amaal. Jo mere saath nahi hua, woh humne literally force kiya Amaal ko ki Armaan ka haath pakad kar isko superstar banaye. When I heard his side, I realised ki parents se galti ho gayi.”

He adds, “It was hard for my wife to accept it because woh ek school teacher jaisi thi, bas yeh karna hai, yeh nahi. Usko laga woh kuchh galat kar hi nahi rahi. Par nahi, galti hui hai. I told Amaal, ‘Jab tu bada ho raha tha, main bada hua hi nahi. I was learning to be a father’. That is when he broke down. I told him jokingly that from being unnoticed to suddenly being targeted, he made me a star overnight. Honestly, his decision to write a post about his feelings was a good one, else it would not have been such an eye-opener for us. In the end, what happened brought the family closer.”

For long, there have been whispers of tension between Daboo and his elder brother, music composer-singer Anu Malik. Amaal even alleged that Anu sabotaged his father’s career. Daboo clarifies, “I told Amaal that the way he processed dinner table conversations came across as resentment. He cannot be the one to tell the story. I would not allow anybody to blame Anu, whether it is my own son or anyone else. If he worked harder and got a film, it doesn’t mean he shortchanged me. I got my share of opportunities. Blaming belittles my thought process, and I do not appreciate it.”

He adds, “In over 30 years, maybe once or twice, I voiced resentment towards my brother, saying, ‘You didn’t help me’. But I gold no grudges against anyone. Nobody can make anyone a star. Everyone has their own destiny and journey. If you are relevant, if your work connects, who can stop you?”

He continues, “The amount of love Anu has showered on me is unreal. Sometimes he surprises me with the kind of personal love he has for me. His love can be defined as even if I have a cold, and he finds out, he will shake up the world to help me. If we are always talking anti-Anu, the world should also know he has tremendous love for his younger brother.”

When asked why he hasn’t tried to bridge the gap between the two families, Daboo explains, “The gap couldn’t be bridged because there was a huge disparity in our success stories. For 25 years, Anu became alienated, not just from my children, but also from our parents. We were two parallel tracks, one a star, the other still struggling. The disconnect became so wide that my children couldn’t reach him anymore. He moved ahead in life, and we weren’t part of that journey. It wasn’t an inclusive success story. We watched from the sidelines, trying to make ends meet. But he wasn’t expected to carry the whole family on his shoulders. Sometimes so much water flows under the bridge that nothing can be done.”

Daboo Malik admits he is on a quest to achieve his “unrealised musical ambitions”. As sons Armaan and Amaal grow from strength to strength as singer and composer respectively, Malik says a fair share of introspection encouraged him to revisit his skills. “I was encouraged to launch my label because I understood that the kind of songs I had made [in the past], didn’t fit into [the mould] of commercial cinema. We recently made a song with Sunidhi [Chauhan], and it was shot at a place where I have spent my childhood. The song came from a personal space, and began to seem like a tribute to my father, and subsequently, my journey. I didn’t want to pitch it to another label and decided to take full onus. That is when I went through the legal process, and set up my label,” Malik tells mid-day, adding that he has a collection of 30 to 40 numbers that he is eager to share with listeners, through the platform.

The latest release, Doondhne Main Jo Chala, draws from his experiences to chronicle the journey of fathers. “It feels like yesterday that I was walking on the beach, holding my little sons, with dreams in my eyes. I was wavering between extreme moments of happiness and sadness. I am presenting this song with the hope that my silences are heard. I have poured my heart out.” 

If Armaan emerged to be among the most successful Indian singers to conquer international audiences with his track, Control, Amaal has been appeasing consumers of both, independent music, and commercial cinema. It is only fitting then that Malik Sr would turn to his sons to seek advice on listener tastes. “They both have the [ability] to [connect] with their fans. Often, they force me to create [tracks] with the tonality that they believe is relevant. They have an understanding of production [techniques] that are in demand, and have a finger on the listener’s pulse.”

While the father is happy to bow down to their suggestions when creating contemporary pieces, he prefers to call the shots when working on pure classical offerings. “When I am working on a song [that employs] the tabla and dholak, I make it pure and artistic. We are dabbling in all kinds of genres, including qawwali, and Marathi and Bengali music.” 

A fair share of his prime was spent playing by the rules of commercial cinema. “I fell into the trap,” he says of the decade when composers didn’t enjoy sufficient liberty to introduce variety. “We had to compete with, and abide by all that was happening at the time. Even while creating remixes, like we did in Maine Dil Tujhko Diya, we had to be restrained while being experimental.”

But the current lot, he says, is uninhibited when approaching their craft. “They are free-spirited. When we are in the studio with multiple artistes, we notice that no singer tries to prove a point [by underplaying the other]. Each one simply tries to listen to the notes, and respond to them. One can see that the process is more enjoyable now.” 

In the pipeline for Malik is another classical song with Chauhan, and a single with Armaan. “The latter is crucial since it marks my first independent single with my son. It will be picturised on him. The family is also contemplating creating a song with Armaan, Amaal and me.”