Anu Malik

Anu Malik is one of the composers who shaped the sound of Bollywood music in the 1990s and early 2000s. The son of Hindi film music director Sardar Malik, he made his debut in the late 1970s when his father brought him in to help complete the soundtrack of Hunterwali 77. While Malik enjoyed bouts of success during the ’80s—earning his first full-fledged OST with Poonam (1981), a Filmfare Award nomination for Sohni Mahiwal (1984) and a major assignment with Manmohan Desai’s Mard (1985)—it was in the following decade that he became a household name. Malik’s soulful score for Mahesh Bhatt’s 1993 TV film Phir Teri Kahani Yaad Aayee signalled a change in fortunes. Soon after, his soundtrack for Abbas-Mustan’s Baazigar dominated the airwaves and earned him the first of his two Filmfare Awards. More than a dozen nominations would follow, as his East-meets-West sonic template—emerging alongside India’s economic liberalisation—resonated strongly with a new generation of listeners. He enjoyed a sustained run of success from the mid 1990s to the mid 2000s, with chart-dominating soundtracks for films including Main Khiladi Tu Anari (1994), Vijaypath (1994), Akele Hum Akele Tum (1995), Ishq (1997), Virasat (1997), Fiza (2000), Josh (2000), Mujhe Kucch Kehna Hai (2001), Asoka (2001) and the Filmfare Award-winning Main Hoon Na (2004). His compositions balanced exuberance with melody, making him a favourite of filmmakers across styles, from Abbas-Mustan (Soldier, 1998; Baadshah, 1999) and Mahesh Bhatt (Naaraaz, 1994; Duplicate, 1998) to David Dhawan (Judwaa, 1997; Haseena Maan Jaayegi, 1999). Among Malik’s most acclaimed collaborations were those with JP Dutta. Beginning with Border (1997), which featured the enduring patriotic ballad “Sandese Aate Hain”, the partnership continued with Refugee (2000), for which Malik won the National Film Award for Best Music Direction in 2001. That same year, his work reached international audiences when “Chamma Chamma” (China Gate, 1998) featured in Baz Luhrmann’s Moulin Rouge! (2001), and “Chunari Chunari” (Biwi No.1, 1999) appeared in Mira Nair’s Monsoon Wedding (2001). In interviews, Malik has cited R.D. Burman as a key influence, describing himself as “the biggest fan”. He completed Burman’s posthumous soundtracks for Ghatak (1996) and Gang (2000). Like Burman, he has also occasionally sung on his own compositions, including the popular “Julie Julie” from Jeete Hain Shaan Se (1988). Alongside his film work, Malik maintained a parallel career in pop, scoring Alisha Chinai’s debut album Jadoo (1985) and releasing several projects as a lead artist in the 1990s. From this repertoire, the monsoon-themed “Baarish” (1997) remains a cult favourite. Though his output slowed from the 2010s onwards—with Dum Laga Ke Haisha (2015) among his more prominent later works—Malik has remained visible to younger audiences through his role as a judge on television singing competitions such as Indian Idol. His long career has not been without scrutiny, including debates around musical influence and broader industry conversations during the #MeToo movement. Even as his release frequency has tapered off, the continued revival of his ’90s chartbusters in the 2020s points to the enduring appeal of his catalogue, from Baazigar’s “Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein” (2021) to reworkings tied to Main Khiladi Tu Anari (2023), Duplicate (2024) and Soldier (2025).