Andhra Pradesh chainsaw attack: Amaal Mallik says cinema alone can’t be blamed for violence, ‘look at songs too’

Amaal Mallik has offered up two of his own chartbusters, Kar Gayi Chull and Rom Rom Romantic, as evidence in the growing argument over whether Indian cinema is fuelling real-world violence. The singer-composer says that if films are going to be blamed, songs deserve the same scrutiny, and his own catalogue is no exception.

In a detailed post on X, Amaal questioned why the backlash has focused only on blood-soaked, A-rated films while item numbers escape criticism. Alongside his own tracks, he listed Beedi Jalaile, Pink Lips, Chikni Chameli and Munni Badnaam. He asked why such songs are celebrated and featured on reality shows if films are being held responsible.

He also pointed to content made outside the film industry. Amaal mentioned rap tracks on YouTube and Instagram, particularly from north India, that glorify murder, power and aggression. He said some of these songs describe women as “items,” and that parents play them around their children and encourage them to dance along.

Amaal made clear he was not excusing the attack. He called it horrifying and wrong, and said it deserves serious discussion. He added that it would be a mistake to assume a single film, song or filmmaker was to blame. He argued that a person’s actions are shaped by many things: family values, upbringing, the political climate of their state, and how they think and react.

He said he has enjoyed films such as Animal, Kabir Singh, Dhurandhar and KGF, though some scenes bothered him. His point was that a film is a story, and viewers do not need to copy what they see on screen.

Before writing his own post, Amaal reshared a tweet by Sandeep Reddy Vanga.

His full statement read, "Iunderstand why people are concerned. Films and music can influence young people, and some kids copy what they see. Filmmakers should think about how they show violence. But cinema alone cannot be blamed for someone’s actions. Family values, upbringing, the political climate in different states, and the way each person thinks and reacts all matter. People’s experiences and trauma can affect them too. Everyone has good and bad in them, but none of this excuses violence.

I would never support anyone going into a school, college or any other place to kill someone with a chainsaw. It is horrifying and completely wrong.The attack in Andhra Pradesh deserves a serious discussion, but we should not assume that one film, song or filmmaker caused it. I have enjoyed Animal, Kabir Singh, Dhurandhar, KGF and many other films, but I have also had problems with some scenes. A film is a story, and we should know that we do not have to copy everything we see. Many people work together to make a film. These are recent examples too.

If social media and today’s moral policing had existed in the 70s, 80s and 90s, people would have found plenty to criticise in films from those years as well. Age ratings should be followed. Parents should not bring infants to films rated -A. We can take the influence of films seriously while also expecting viewers to understand the difference between a story and real life. If we criticise films, we should be fair and look at songs too. Ban songs like Kar Gayi Chull, Rom Rom Romantic (both my songs), Beedi Jalaile, Pink Lips and Chikni Chameli, Munni Badnaam, why are they celebrated and used on reality shows ??

There are also so many songs and content pieces outside of films, specially rap music available on YouTube and Instagram, especially from the northern belt, about murder, power and aggression. Some songs call women “items” or talk about picking up girls. Parents play these songs around their children and encourage them to dance to them. It’s an art form, and we all can go right or wrong sometimes, but it’s a bloody imaginative space. If you are getting so influcned by a film you’re the fool. If every film, song or show with violence or questionable content is blamed for people’s actions, then ban Pushpa, KGF, Latent and other comedy shows Why don’t we all become the moral police and ban everything? Cinema can influence people, but it is not the only reason someone commits a crime.

How the debate began

The argument started after a chainsaw attack in Andhra Pradesh’s Anantapur district injured a 15-year-old and another student. Social media users soon began asking whether recent violent, A-rated releases are making such brutality seem normal. Filmmakers Ram Gopal Varma and Sandeep Reddy Vanga have already rejected that idea.

About Amaal

Amaal is the son of composer Daboo Malik and the nephew of Anu Malik. He debuted as a Bollywood composer with Jai Ho (2014) and broke through a year later with Sooraj Dooba Hai from Roy. His later credits include Airlift, Kapoor and Sons, MS Dhoni: The Untold Story, Kabir Singh and Vedaa, and he often sings on his own soundtracks. He recently announced he is taking a year off from film music.