Amaal Malik composed 'Salamat' when he was 17

Music composer Amaal Malik says his song "Salamat", which he composed when he was 17, was actually suggested by filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt for the film "Sarbjit".

"I had made this tune when I was 17 years old. Mahesh Bhatt heard this song five years ago, and he wanted it to become the first song of 'Sarbjit'. So, I ran to the studio to sing it out in front of Bhushan Kumar and Bhatt and in no time the song was completed," Amaal, 24, said in a statement.

"I hope my song is loved by the masses as it touches their hearts and hits the right emotional chord." he added.

Amaal made his Hindi film debut as a composer with superstar Salman Khan's "Jai Ho". He has also composed music for "Baaghi" and "Azhar" which are up for release soon.

"Salamat" is the first song in "Sarbjit" and has been sung by Arijit Singh and Tulsi Kumar.

"Sarbjit" is based on the life Sarabjit Singh, an Indian farmer who was convicted of charges of terrorism and spying in Pakistan and was sentenced to death. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan will be seen essaying the role of Dalbir Kaur Singh in the film while Randeep Hooda plays the title role.

The film is set to release on May 20.