As the conversation around music royalties continues to dominate the Indian music industry, composer Amaal Mallik has added a new dimension to the debate with a cryptic social media post. Although he made no direct reference to the ongoing Saiyaara royalty controversy involving composer Tanishk Bagchi and Yash Raj Films (YRF), his message has sparked fresh discussions about the long-standing struggle of music composers for fair recognition and compensation.
On July 18, coinciding with the first anniversary of the blockbuster Saiyaara, composer Tanishk Bagchi had shared a lengthy note on social media addressing the issue of royalty payments for the film's title track. The post drew significant attention before YRF issued its response, following which Bagchi deleted his statement.
Amid the ongoing discourse, Amaal Mallik took to social media to share a photograph of himself along with a pointed caption. It read, "People in the music industry waking up 10 years too late. Where were you in 2015 when I was fighting the system alone :)." While the composer refrained from mentioning Saiyaara, Tanishk Bagchi, or YRF, many social media users interpreted the post as a reminder of his long-standing advocacy for the rights of composers and creators within the music industry.
People in the music industry waking up 10 years too late 🤯🤷🏻♂️
Where were you in 2015 when I was fighting the system alone :) pic.twitter.com/x8bjPxT7Lx
— Amaal Mallik (@AmaalMallik) July 19, 2026
Earlier in March, Amaal Mallik had spoken at length about the disparity in the royalty system for composers in India. During an interview with Zoom, he recalled receiving what he described as "peanuts" for composing the music of the 2015 film Roy, starring Ranbir Kapoor, Jacqueline Fernandez, and Arjun Rampal, despite the soundtrack becoming immensely popular.
Speaking about the evolution of music royalties in India, Amaal had said, "There is royalty system implemented from 2020. Javed Akhtar sahab fought very hard for it. Actor feels that if they are standing in a song so the song will be a hit. That is only 50% true. The rest 50% credit goes to lyric writer, music composer, director and then last comes to singer. Singers are important, but they are not the creators of the song. These four pillars of the sound are all needing rights of the song. Music producers don't have right to their songs but in the west that category also has rights to the song."
He had further highlighted the imbalance in royalty distribution, explaining that while songs generate substantial revenue, creators often receive only a small share. "In India, singers have publishing rights, like I will get Rs 20 lakh per year for ‘Sooraj Dooba Hain’ but that song has earned Rs 100 crore. So, there is a disparity. So, 95% share of the song goes to the label. Now, that song is not mine anymore. The label can do anything, they can remix it if they want. I can't do anything about it but pray that they credit me. If you see the global share of royalties, 95% from that will go to the label and the rest of the team will share from the remaining 5%."
Although Amaal Mallik has not directly commented on the Saiyaara controversy, his latest post has reignited the conversation around the rights of composers, lyricists, and other creators, underscoring that the debate over equitable royalty distribution has been brewing in the industry for years.
More Pages: Saiyaara Box Office Collection , Saiyaara Movie Review
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