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Bollywood Composers Face Unfair Pay & Lost Credits
3 Feb
Summary
- Composer earned nothing from a hit song that grossed crores.
- South Indian composers earn more while retaining rights.
- Composer was dropped from dozens of films for speaking out.
Amaal Mallik, a composer-singer, has brought significant attention to the persistent problems of unfair remuneration and credit in the Hindi film music industry. He detailed how artists are often underpaid despite creating commercially successful music.
Mallik recounted that his hit song 'Sooraj Dooba Hai' generated between Rs. 60-70 crore for the label, yet he received almost nothing, retaining only negligible publishing rights. He contrasted this with composers in South Indian film industries who reportedly earn Rs. 10-15 crore while retaining music rights, a stark difference from Bollywood where composers earn Rs. 2-3 crore and relinquish all rights.
He also criticized the industry's rigid structure and lack of transparency in crediting, noting that even lyricists have had to publicly demand proper attribution. Mallik shared his personal experience of creative opacity, including rejected songs without explanation and a past court case. He stated that his decision to speak out resulted in him being dropped from 40 to 45 films over the last five years.
