TALENTED singer and composer Amaal Mallik has made an impressive musical mark with a series of successful songs that have delighted fans around the world. One of the admirers is Shivani Patel from Ahmedabad in India.
Eastern Eye caught up with the super fan to find out more...
What connected you to Amaal?
One of my friends made me hear Naina from Khoobsurat, where I first got to know about him. When Sooraj Dooba Hai released, I started connecting to his music and knew he is the one who I wanted to support every day of my life.
What made you become a true super fan?
I believe in him and his music. His music has sutured the parts of my past, freed me from the broken relationships, healed me and promised to be with me forever. This inexplicable connection with his music made me his super fan.
Tell us about something super you have done for Amaal...
I’ve travelled to different cities to attend his concerts. I’ve celebrated his birthdays with poor kids, by visiting old age homes or organising blood donation camps. I’ve sent him handmade gifts and planted a sapling with every song he composes. I always try my best to make him feel loved, motivated and positive.
What has been your most memorable moment?
He has given me so many beautiful memories, which I will cherish all my life. This one time when I was in London for my Masters, he had a concert in Ahmedabad. When he came to know my mum was there, he met her with so much warmth and respect. I am forever grateful.
What is the thing you most love about Amaal?
He is one of the most genuine, supportive and generous people I know. He is very hard-working and always thankful. In this era of recreations, he is trying his best to bring back original music.
Which quality in him do you most relate to?
We are very honest and fearless. We would go out of our way to do something for the people we love.
What is your favourite song of his?
His music is such a blessing in my life that it is very difficult to choose one, but if I have to, it is Main Rahoon Ya Na Rahoon.
Why do you love being a super fan?
I get to tell him every single day how much I love him and his music. The best version I could ever be is being an Amaalian. I have been blessed with some beautiful friendships and the Amaalian family who very sweetly call me Boss Patel, which is thanks to Amaal Mallik.
Forum brings UK and Chinese film professionals together to explore collaborations.
Emerging British-Asian talent gain mentorship and international exposure.
Small-scale dramas, kids’ shows, and adapting popular formats were the projects everyone was talking about.
Telling stories that feel real to their culture, yet can connect with anyone, is what makes them work worldwide.
Meeting three times a year keeps the UK and China talking, creating opportunities that last beyond one event.
The theatre was packed for the Third Shanghai–London Screen Industry Forum. Between panels and workshops, filmmakers, producers and executives discussed ideas and business cards and it felt more than just a summit. British-Asian filmmakers were meeting and greeting the Chinese industry in an attempt to explore genuine possibilities of working in China’s film market.
UK China film collaborations take off as Third Shanghai London Forum connects British Asian filmmakers with Chinese studios Instagram/ukchinafilm
What makes the forum important for British-Asian filmmakers?
For filmmakers whose films explore identity and belonging, this is a chance to show their work on an international stage, meet Chinese directors, talk co-productions and break cultural walls that normally feel unscalable. “It’s invaluable,” Abid Khan said after a panel, “because you can’t create globally if you don’t talk globally.”
And it’s not just established names. Young filmmakers were all around, pitching ideas and learning on the go. The forum gave them a chance to get noticed with mentoring, workshops, and live pitch sessions.
Which projects are catching international attention?
Micro-dramas are trending. Roy Lu of Linmon International says vertical content for apps is “where it’s at.” They’ve done US, Canada, Australia and next stop, Europe. YouTube is back in focus too, thanks to Rosemary Reed of POW TV Studios. Short attention spans and three-minute hits, she’s ready.
Children’s and sports shows are another hotspot. Jiella Esmat of 8Lions is developing Touch Grass, a football-themed children’s show. The logic is simple: sports and kids content unite families, like global glue.
Then there’s format adaptation. Lu also talked about Nothing But 30, a Chinese series with 7 billion streams. The plan is for an english version in London. Not a straight translation, but a cultural transformation. “‘30’ in London isn’t just words,” Lu says. “It’s a new story.”
Jason Zhang of Stellar Pictures says international audiences respond when culture isn’t just a background prop. Lanterns, flowers, rituals, they’re part of the plot. Cedric Behrel from Trinity CineAsia adds: you need context. Western audiences don’t know Journey to the West, so co-production helps them understand without diluting the story.
Economic sense matters too. Roy Lu stresses: pick your market, make it financially viable. Esmat likens ideal co-productions to a marriage: “Multicultural teams naturally think about what works globally and what doesn’t.”
The UK-China Film Collab’s Future Talent Programme is taking on eight students or recent grads this year. They’re getting the backstage access to international filmmaking that few ever see, including mentorship, festival organising and hands-on experience. Alumni are landing real jobs: accredited festival journalists, Beijing producers, curators at The National Gallery.
Adrian Wootton OBE reminded everyone: “We exist through partnerships, networks, and collaboration.” Yin Xin from Shanghai Media Group noted that tri-annual gathering: London, Shanghai, Hong Kong create an “intensive concentration” of ideas.
Actor-director Zhang Luyi said it best: cultural exchange isn’t telling your story to someone, it’s creating stories together.
The Shanghai-London Screen Industry Forum is no longer just a talking shop. It’s a launchpad, a bridge. And for British-Asian filmmakers and emerging talent, it’s a chance to turn ideas into reality.
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