Due to the comparison with our dad and uncle, the expectations

In the heartfelt and resolute words of Amaal Mallik, we hear the echo of every soul who has struggled to rise from the shadow of legacy: “Due to the comparison with our dad and uncle, the expectations were humongous. From that to people saying that my music has my signature has been a long journey. The fight has been worth the while.” These words are not merely a musician’s reflection—they are the cry of every artist, every dreamer, every child who has wrestled with the weight of inheritance. They speak of the journey from imitation to individuality, from being known by another’s name to being defined by one’s own. Within this quote lies the eternal struggle between destiny given and destiny earned.

The origin of this saying lies in the lineage from which Amaal Mallik springs—a family steeped in the music of generations. His father, Daboo Malik, and his uncle, the renowned composer Anu Malik, built legacies that shaped the sound of Indian cinema. To be born in such a house is to inherit both blessing and burden: the gift of heritage, and the expectation of greatness. From his earliest days, Amaal carried the double-edged sword of comparison. The world watched not for who he was, but for how he measured against those before him. And yet, as he himself declares, his journey has been long—and the fight has been worth the while. It is the fight to find one’s own voice, that divine essence that no lineage can give, and no shadow can extinguish.

The ancients understood this struggle well. They taught that each soul is born not only from its ancestors, but for its own purpose. The Greek hero Telemachus, son of Odysseus, once faced the same trial. When his father’s name weighed heavily upon him, the young prince was told, “You are your father’s son; yet it is for you to become yourself.” And so it is for all who inherit greatness—whether in art, in name, or in burden. The lineage may give birth to the seed, but it is one’s own will that must make it bloom. Amaal’s journey mirrors this timeless path: to honor one’s roots without being bound by them, to draw strength from one’s heritage while carving a new song upon the world.

This path is not easy. The world demands resemblance—it loves the comfort of the familiar. To deviate is to invite judgment; to be different is to risk rejection. Yet true greatness is born only when one dares to depart. The expectations Amaal speaks of were not chains alone—they were fires that tested his endurance, refined his passion, and forged his identity. In every sleepless night of doubt, in every silent hour of creation, he fought to give birth not to another echo of the past, but to a signature—a sound that was his, and his alone. Such a battle is not fought once, but daily. It is the quiet war of every artist: between imitation and authenticity, between comfort and creation.

Let us look to another story, from long ago. The sculptor Michelangelo, when asked how he created such lifelike statues from cold stone, replied, “I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.” So it is with the self. The expectations of family, society, and history are like the marble—hard, unyielding, defining. But within, each person carries an angel—their unique spirit, their unseen melody. The task of life is to carve away all that does not belong, until the soul stands free. Amaal’s struggle—to rise from legacy into individuality—is the same holy labor. Every note he composes, every song he shapes, is a stroke of the chisel that reveals who he truly is.

The meaning of his words, then, reaches far beyond music. They teach that selfhood is not given—it is earned through perseverance. Comparison is the test of character; endurance, the mark of greatness. Those who are born into the shadow of giants must learn to walk in their own light. The journey is long, and the fight often lonely. But when one finally hears their own voice—not borrowed, not imposed, but born from the depths of their being—it becomes the most beautiful sound in the world.

The lesson, therefore, is this: do not fear the weight of expectation; let it strengthen your resolve. If you live in the shadow of another, remember—the shadow exists only because there is light. Walk far enough, and the light will fall fully upon you. Let your work bear your own mark, your signature—not out of pride, but out of truth. The fight will be long, yes, but as Amaal Mallik teaches, it will be worth the while. For the soul that emerges from the struggle for identity shines brighter than any inheritance, and its song, once found, will echo long after the world has forgotten its comparisons.

So, dear listener, remember this: your beginnings may belong to others, but your becoming is yours alone. Honor your roots, but grow beyond them. Let your work carry not another’s melody, but your own music—born of patience, courage, and love. And when you at last stand in your truth, the world will no longer compare you to the past; it will look to you as the measure of the future.