Music composer Amaal Mallik has spoken openly about the truth hidden behind the glamour of the Bollywood music industry. Audiences usually listen to superhit songs and assume that the artists who create them enjoy equal success and wealth. However Amaal says the reality is very different. He revealed that composers in the Hindi film industry are neither paid fairly for their work nor always given proper credit. Furthermore he claims he has been removed from several films for raising his voice. His statement has sparked a new debate about discrimination within the industry the royalty system and artists’ rights. Amaal Mallik shares the sad reality of Bollywood According to Amaal Malik music composers in Bollywood are often forced to give up the rights to their songs. He explained that while songs generate huge profits for music labels composers receive only limited payment. He also revealed that it took him 16 years to buy a car after becoming a composer. Speaking to Pinkvilla Amaal cited the example of the song “Suraj Dooba Hai” from the film Roy saying “The song earned Rs 60–70 crore but I got nothing except the publishing rights which are negligible—not even close to Rs 1 crore.” South earns 5 times more money than Bollywood Amaal further compared Bollywood with South Indian cinema saying “In the South there are composers who retain their rights and earn Rs 10–15 crore. In Hindi cinema composers earn only Rs 2–3 crore and give up everything.” He believes that financial strength empowers artists to think independently and make better decisions. Amaal Malik reveals about credit politics Amaal also spoke openly about the politics surrounding credit in the industry. He explained that there was a time when composers’ names were not even revealed. He shared that he personally struggled to get his name officially recognized and claimed that he was dropped from several projects for speaking out for rights and recognition. According to him challenging the system is not easy but remaining silent is even more difficult.