Musicians Armaan Malik, 28, and Amaal Mallik, 33, have given plenty of hit chartbusters together. The love for music took root in them in childhood, reveals their mother Jyothi Malik. A former teacher, Jyothi quit her job to support her sons’ musical aspirations.

“I’ve taught in big schools in Mumbai, but when my kids needed me, I dedicated myself to taking them for their various music classes and recordings, as both of them started working very early. So, managing them and their careers took over my teaching profession,” says Jyothi, who grew up in Hyderabad and Kolkata, and since her father had a transferable government job, had a chance to experience life in several different cities before settling to study in Mumbai.

Admitting that she had no qualms about choosing kids over career, Jyothi shares that Armaan and Amaal’s childhood gave her some of her most heartwarming memories. “When Amaal was four, he showed great interest in playing the piano since my father-in-law used to teach music. Musical sittings, too, would take place at home. Even as children his age got into sports, Amaal wanted to spend as much time as possible with the piano,” she recalls.

Talking about Armaan, she reveals that as a baby, he would sing himself to sleep. “It reached a point that my father-in-law said, ‘Ye toh abhi se sur me gaata hai’. When he was around three, he sang Nanha Munna Rahi Hoon at his preschool, and we decided to enrol him in singing classes,” she says.

Asked if the boys were naughty while growing up, Jyothi laughs, “Amaal was naughty as a kid, but Armaan was slyly naughty. He would push Amaal’s milk glass, spill it and then pretend to cry as if Amaal hit him, and get Amaal into trouble. I remember this very funny incident when their dad (Dabboo Malik) was performing at a show in Nepal at a casino and Armaan went missing. We had to shut the venue doors and search for him. We found Armaan under a roulette table, playing with the colourful pills!”

Her unwavering determination serves as constant inspiration. Her never-say-die attitude motivates me to strive for excellence in everything I do. If there’s one trait of my mother’s that I aspire to emulate, it’s her strength. I admire her ability to remain unshakeable in the face of adversity. One quality I’ve inherited from my mother is her persistence. She’s an incredibly driven woman.

I am the male version of her; she’s taught me to be rebellious. She is a risk-taker, and never gives up. So, perseverance is something my mother taught me. Without her, we wouldn’t be so close to the realities of life or understood how to take obstacles head on. She is the backbone of this family and the anchor for all three of us, Armaan, me and dad. Without mum there is no ‘hum’.

They are as different as chalk and cheese, but when brothers Amaal Mallik and Armaan Malik come together, they create magic with their compositions and vocal chords. They complement each other perfectly - if Amaal is the heart, younger sibling Armaan is the brain. The former is impulsive, while the latter is thoughtful, but both have been brought up to speak their minds. Rather than basking in the success after bagging Filmfare Awards this year, they were back to work the next day. But not without dedicating their achievement to their father, Daboo Malik.

Amaal says, “I became a music director because I never saw my father get the success he deserved. I have seen the phase when directors and producers didn't answer his calls at the time he needed work. A lot of people tried to duck my father and us, but we have climbed our way up without any recommendations. My father's failures inspired me the most and still drive me. He worked for 10 years, but wasn't invited to award functions, forget being nominated. So winning even one trophy is a high for our family. The award is for him. We were never considered a part of the industry, but now it has opened its arms to us.“

Since they started young, did the industry have apprehensions about their capabilities? Armaan replies, “They didn't take us seriously because of our age. However, now the perception has changed.“ Was it an obvious career choice for the boys to pursue music since it runs deep in the family? “I was into sports, especially football, but back then, you couldn't make a career in it,“ says Amaal.

While Armaan started singing at five, his sibling went to music classes since the age of eight. Amaal says, “The direction was given by our parents, but the choice of pursuing music as a profession was ours.“ Armaan expresses, “I was certain that I would either pursue singing or start my own restaurant. We love food. After our studio session, we devour dal makhani, butter chicken and butter naan.“

The young singer also hopes that Indian singers get their due on the international platform. “We don't enjoy even one per cent of the popularity of our international counterparts, and we don't become global icons. I want to lead the pack in the process of making Indian singers bigger than actors internationally,“ says Armaan, who is in talks with global artistes for collaborations.

Quiz them about how it is to work together and Armaan replies, “It's tougher to work with Amaal as the brother equation comes in between. We fight like any other siblings and have creative differences. I work harder when I am singing for him as he is a taskmaster.“ Amaal seconds his brother, “I am a horror to work with for any singer. At first, no one will like to work with me, but it changes once the song releases. I don't have to rope in Armaan for every song just because he is my brother. There have been times when I have replaced him with another singer. We don't have a war over it at home.“

Ask them who is the better bathroom singer between the two and Armaan replies, “Amaal sings more than me in the bathroom.“ The latter quips, “Yes, I kill it in the shower. But seriously speaking, Armaan can deliver a hit song even in a bathroom. There are times when I feel that the reverb is so good that I take a mic and record Armaan there itself.“

And what's their dinner table conversation like? Amaal says, “We don't sit at the dinner table, we sit on each other's head. We are the worst people to deal with because we are like four friends trapped in one place. We are sanskaari for outsiders, par ghar mein sab ek doosre par chillate hain.“ Armaan adds, “It's mayhem when we are together. You could make a biopic on us.“

The brothers are good-looking and successful. They are at an age, when it is easy to fall in love. Armaan states, “Both of us are romantics at heart, but there is no scope for a relationship to flourish due to the space we are in.“

Amaal adds, “I am single but not ready to mingle. My priority is to deliver good music. The minute anything comes in between that, I let go. Even if my parents were to come in between my music and me, I would leave this house and move out (laughs). My connection to music is of utmost importance, everything else is just an obstacle.“

PARENTS SPEAK:

DABOO MALIK
The success they have seen shows maturity and stems from an experience of pain and agony. I never wanted them to come across as a duo, as I have seen lot of bitterness when jodis break up. So, I insisted that they retain their individual identities. However, family is important, too. I told Amaal that if your younger brother is talented, you must support him, though Armaan is not the kind to be dependent on anyone. I have seen that in the film industry, when one member of a family becomes big, he believes that he is the blue-eyed boy and no one else from his family can become a celebrity. But if there is a spark that you see in another member of the family, you have to lend your credibility and success to help him flourish.

JYOTHI MALIK
A decade of hard work that they've put in has paid off. When other children were busy partying and enjoying, my kids were working hard. They started working at a very young age to fulfill their dad's dreams. So, everything that we wished and dreamt for my husband, we are getting it through Amaal and Armaan. I always tell them that nothing succeeds like success and nothing fails like failure, so they should keep themselves grounded and continue working hard.