Amaal Mallik: My fans would get depressed if I didn’t reply to them

Composer-singer Amaal Mallik had recently announced that he was unfollowing all fan clubs on social media. He wrote on Instagram: ‘I’m going to be unfollowing all my fan clubs here so that no one goes crazy thinking ‘DM kab accept hoga, follow kab karenge.’

When asked what him led to this decision, Mallik says, “I want my fans to pay attention to their studies, give their exams with utmost focus. It’s only when I stop replying to messages or stories and leave Insta that they go back to their normal lives. I have requested all of them to work towards their career and give more attention to their health than just waiting all day on social media for me to arrive.”

The musician says he had to take affirmative action to address the issue of depression amid his fans, many of whom were upset if he did not follow them. “I love them and fear them too, because without asking me they will literally wage a war if any ill is spoken about me on the internet. I realised that instead of focusing on their careers, the minute I post a story, even at 3am, people immediately reply to it. And I can’t reply to all, and I mean well but I’m only human. It becomes so much more important for me to see or follow back that it leads to days of depression for young kids as they spend time thinking why I followed a few and didn’t follow the others,” says the 30-year-old.

Mallik, who had recently lost his grandmother, admits his approach to social media has changed with time. “I used to be someone who would usually reply to almost everything that was spoken against me, with a lot of immediate angst because I used to feel terrible that people feel I’ve had it easy because of some family lineage… Not everything deserves a reply and everything doesn’t need to be told to idiots. But, if my fans are worried about anything, I always try to clear it out,” he shares, adding that he loves all his fans but needs to focus on his work and life, too. “I try to see every message, but at times I’m just not capable. I need to catch up with my own life because age is catching up. Hence I even take long breaks at times to abstain from using too much of social media, for 2-3 months in between,” he adds.

Instances of his fan clubs sparring with one another or other fandoms also upset Mallik, who wishes that people spread only love and positivity on social media. His message to fans is simple: “I just request every human being to be kind to each and every person you interact with. Never let anyone leave unhappy. I’ve learnt this lesson the hard way in life, after losing my near and dear ones. We all have to chill a little; we aren’t here forever, are we?”

Author tweets @bhagat_mallika

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