Best way to handle trolls? Ignore them!: Social media star and singer Armaan Malik ups his game

Your first memory of being on stage...?

Singing Nanha Munna Rahi Hoon at the school annual day when I was four.

One object of fashion that you are obsessed with...?

My jackets! I love wearing jackets and I hardly throw out the old ones. The count has gone way over 100 now!

The sexiest thing about you is…?

I think I have a really cute Adam’s apple.

One habit of yours you want to get rid of...?

I zone out in the middle of conversations, even interviews. People might be talking to me, but the inner me might be chilling with a guitar on some remote island. I want to change that.

If you could invite four celebrities (alive or dead) for dinner, who would they be?

Michael Jackson, Justin Bieber, Arijit Singh and Ed Sheeran. We will have the most amazing post-dinner jam session!

A regular Sunday at your home while growing up:

I would always look forward to the Sundays because it was the day my mom cooked the lunch. She is a Telugu and would whip up an elaborate South Indian platter replete with lip smacking sambars and rasams. I am not too fond of brinjals, but she there is this particular dish she makes with it that I absolutely love.

Three things not many people know about you...?

That my favourite song to sing in the shower is Humein Tumse Pyaar Kitna, my guitar goes everywhere with me and I often doze off with my lenses on.

You are very close to your brother (Amaal Mallik). What is the best and worst thing about growing up with a brother...?

The best thing about having a brother is that you can talk about girls and share everything (not the girls of course!) with him. The worst thing about having a brother is also that…you end up sharing everything, sometimes even your clothes! I HATE sharing my clothes!

One habit of yours while growing up that you are embarrassed of today...?

I used to lie a lot. I would often do something wrong and put all the blame on Amaal and he would get a thrashing! I am that shaitaan brother!

The best thing about your generation of singers is...?

We are exposed to a wide range of music and that helps us create versatility in our work. Also, we are all friends and have healthy competition that motivates us to do better.

Apart from your dad (Daboo Malik) and your uncle (Annu Malik), your grandfather, Sardar Malik, was a renowned composer as well. What is your favourite memory with him?

On weekends, dada (grandpa), Amaal and I would have these small pizza parties at our house where he would often play various ragas on the keyboard. I was fascinated by the way he fused Western music with Indian classical.I sang the first few notes of my life in front of him and with him. Our family is full of music composers. But from the very beginning he knew that I would become a singer.

You’ve got an army of 3.3 million followers on Instagram, who call themselves ‘Armaanians’. But compliments aside, how do you deal with trolls?

I think the best way to handle trolls is to simply ignore them. My mantra is #scrollthetroll!

Follow @ananya1281 on Twitter

From HT Brunch, April 15, 2018

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