Singer-composer Amaal Mallik has alleged that 'rival elements' within the Hindi film industry are orchestrating a 'paid PR' campaign to undermine the reception of his new song 'Yeh Awarapan', the title track from the upcoming film Awarapan 2. The composer made the claim in a detailed note shared on Instagram, urging listeners to experience the music emotionally rather than through the lens of industry politics or streaming numbers.

What Amaal Mallik Said

In his post, Mallik expressed gratitude for what he described as an overwhelming response to the melody, while taking direct aim at those he believes are working against the film. He wrote: 'There is a huge paid PR being run by rival elements of the film industry that don't want the film or soundtrack to do well. My answer to all of them is simple — Please save your funds for your next films, who knows what happens tomorrow.'

He added that those who fear paid PR campaigns are the ones who have never earned genuine audience love, and signed off by asking listeners who feel the emotion in #YehAwarapan to simply let the song heal them — without worrying about numbers or external noise.

The Awarapan Legacy Debate

Mallik also addressed comparisons with the original Awarapan soundtrack, clarifying that the first film's beloved album — featuring tracks such as 'Toh Phir Aao', 'Tera Mera Rishta', 'Maula Maula', and 'Mahiya' — was not an original composition but a curated set of adaptations. He noted that those songs originally belonged to artists including Mustafa Zahid, Rafaqat Ali Khan, and Annie, and were reimagined for Bollywood by composer Pritam.

'So that ends the debate of it being an original album, it's well adapted by Pritam and that's the whole truth,' Mallik wrote, adding that neither he nor the makers of Awarapan 2 intend to recreate or overshadow that legacy. 'We can't do what Mustafa Zahid did, and we don't even wish to touch his legacy and spoil it,' he said.

About the Track and the Film

The song 'Yeh Awarapan' is composed by Amaal Mallik, written by Rashmi Virag, and sung by Arijit Singh — marking Singh's return to recording after a brief hiatus. The track serves as the title song for Awarapan 2, starring Emraan Hashmi. The original Awarapan (released in 2007) underperformed at the box office but developed a strong cult following, largely on the strength of its soundtrack.

Industry Context

Allegations of coordinated PR campaigns to sabotage rival releases are not new to Bollywood, though they are rarely made this publicly or with this level of specificity. Mallik, who appeared on Bigg Boss 19, has a history of speaking candidly about industry dynamics. His comments arrive at a time when streaming numbers and social media metrics have become primary benchmarks of a song's success — a trend he explicitly pushed back against in his post. Notably, Awarapan 2's soundtrack enters a competitive mid-2025 release window, which may partly explain the heightened sensitivity around first-week reception.

Whether the campaign Mallik describes materially affects listener behaviour remains to be seen. What is clear is that the composer is betting on emotional resonance over algorithmic momentum — a stance that will be tested as the film's release approaches.