12th May 2023 Mumbai: Armaan Malik, a singer, recently shared his experiences of witnessing “politics” in Bollywood and stated that he has chosen to distance himself from the industry for multiple reasons. According to Armaan, singers in Bollywood have come to terms with not receiving fair payment for their work, which he believes is unjust. Furthermore, he disclosed that singers are frequently replaced on projects for unclear reasons.
During his appearance on Raj Shamani’s podcast, Armaan revealed that he had been replaced on several occasions, which left him emotionally wounded. He recounted that during that time, he had a moment of realisation and decided to abandon the industry and concentrate on his own music. Following a period of detoxing in New Zealand, Armaan came to this decision.
Armaan expressed that he had undergone a difficult phase in his career where he was frequently replaced in Bollywood songs, leaving him feeling emotionally wounded. He began to question his abilities as a singer, which was a distressing experience for him.
While Armaan is confident in his singing abilities, he believes that certain circumstances and politics have led to him being replaced, which he finds unacceptable. Despite the fact that this still happens to him from time to time, he has learned to move on from it and focus on his future endeavours.
Armaan went on to reveal more concealed truths about the workings of Bollywood, stating that singers are not compensated for their contributions to movie songs. While he acknowledges that a passion for music can motivate artists, he also believes that financial compensation is an important factor to consider, as singing is a profession. Armaan expressed disbelief that this issue is not discussed more frequently and that it has become an accepted norm in the industry.
He noted that singers are expected to earn their income through live shows and that they are not paid for their studio recordings. He also revealed that even music composers are sometimes not paid for their work, as the streaming revenue goes to the record labels. Armaan believes that this is an issue that needs to be brought to light, as many people are unaware that their favourite artists are not being adequately compensated.
Despite being born into a family with a longstanding involvement in film music, Armaan refrained from publicly acknowledging this fact as he wanted to avoid being asked difficult questions.
Article By Tanya Chantola