In a fresh debate over artist recognition in Bollywood, music composer and singer Amaal Mallik has publicly called out Salman Khan Films (SKF). The controversy ignited after the production house shared a social media post celebrating the 11th anniversary of the 2015 film Hero, highlighting the hit track “Main Hoon Hero Tera” without crediting its creators.
Here is everything you need to know about the credit omission row, Amaal Mallik’s fiery response, and how his brother Armaan Malik stepped in to defend him against online trolls.
The Spark: Hero 11th Anniversary Post
The 2015 romantic action film Hero, starring Sooraj Pancholi and Athiya Shetty, recently marked its 11th anniversary. To celebrate, the official Instagram page of Salman Khan Films posted a video featuring Salman Khan singing the movie’s beloved title track, “Main Hoon Hero Tera.”
However, the celebratory post conspicuously left out the names of the song’s original creators: music composer Amaal Mallik and lyricist Kumaar.
View this post on Instagram
Amaal Mallik’s Reaction: “You Guys Screwed Up”
Noticing the omission, Amaal Mallik took directly to the comments section of the SKF post to express his frustration. He slammed the social media team for their lack of basic professional courtesy, highlighting the immense effort that goes into creating a hit track.
“Whoever is handling the page or the social media of @skfilmsofficial, I love the audacity you have shown by leaving out the composer & the lyricist of the song lol! It doesn’t look nice that a song that is created with the pain, blood, sweat and tears of a music composer & his lyric writer, is celebrated without the creators being respected or even mentioned.” — Amaal Mallik
Mallik explicitly asked the team not to delete his comment so that Salman Khan himself could see it. He added, “Learn to do the basics otherwise delete this page. Don’t delete my comment, let Salman sir see it as well so that he knows you guys screwed up.”
Clarification Regarding Salman Khan
In a subsequent Instagram Story, Amaal clarified that his anger was not directed at Salman Khan personally, but rather at his production banner, PR, and the social media teams responsible for the oversight. Following the public callout, SKF quietly edited the post to include Amaal’s account.
Also Read: Rise and Fall Season 2: Virender Sehwag Replaces Ashneer Grover as Host
Armaan Malik Defends His Brother Against Trolls
The controversy soon spilled over to X (formerly Twitter), where some netizens labeled the Mallik brothers “ungrateful,” citing the fact that Salman Khan had played a major role in launching their Bollywood careers.
Singer Armaan Malik, who originally sang the official version of “Main Hoon Hero Tera,” quickly stepped in to shut down the trolls. He emphasized that demanding rightful credit does not equate to a lack of gratitude.
Armaan responded sharply to a critic:
“Please go create an original song, write it or sing it, then watch your name be conveniently left out where it belongs. I’d be curious to hear how that feels 🙂 Don’t talk about gratitude. I’ve always been grateful for my beginnings, but I also know how hard it has been to reach where I’ve reached.”
Please go create an original song, write it or sing it, then watch your name be conveniently left out where it belongs. I’d be curious to hear how that feels 🙂
Don’t talk about gratitude. I’ve always been grateful for my beginnings, but I also know how hard it has been to reach where I’ve reached. If we don’t fight for our right, no one will.
— Armaan Malik (@ArmaanMalik22) September 12, 2026
He further noted that he was genuinely fighting for his brother and the lyricist because, without their foundational work, the song would be “nothing”.
The Bigger Picture: The Fight for Music Credits
This incident has once again sparked a much-needed conversation about the systemic marginalization of music creators in the Indian film industry. In his stories, Amaal highlighted that the fight for proper musical credits has been an ongoing struggle for over four to five decades.
The outburst also comes on the heels of Amaal announcing a temporary break from composing film music until next year, citing a need to focus on his physical and mental health.
Disclaimer: This article is based on recent social media developments and public statements made by the artists involved.
About the Author
