Diljit delivers a delectable act in this tragic musical biopic
Jis wajah se chamka woh, uss wajah se tapka woh — these words from the introductory song of Amar Singh Chamkila ,a biopic on one of the most famous singers in Punjab, pretty much sets the premise of what’s going to unfold next. Returning to direction after four years, Imtiaz Ali picks the minutest of details from the singer’s life and presents flawless storytelling. The film takes you through the late singer’s rise and fall, soaring success and brutal criticism and reasons that led to his untimely death. Not digressing while showing varied aspects of Chamkila’s life, Ali is focused on showing us who Amar Singh Chamkila — also known as the ‘Elvis Presley of Punjab’ — was in real life.
Casting Diljit Dosanjh works not only for linguistic reasons, but also because the actor-singer hails from the same state, and must have grown up knowing about Chamkila’s music. The way Dosanjh imbibes the late singer’s mannerisms, physical traits and singing style is as close as it gets to reality. Dosanjh even lets go of his turban to look like Chamkila, and delivers a delectable performance.
On the other hand, Parineeti as Amarjot is decent but she gets overshadowed by star power that Dosanjh carries. The film opens with Chamkila, and Amarjot, being shot dead in Mehsampur as they arrive for a performance.
Through a non-linear narrative, we are shown flashbacks of how a struggling singer became an instant sensation, and despite his brash lyrics, his cassettes would sell like a hot cake. Watch out for several heartwarming moments in the film where you realise that whether out in open or behind the closed doors, Chamkila’s music always had takers. Written by Ali and his brother Sajid, the film has some powerful and thoughtprovoking dialogues. Also, there is no attempt to keep Chamkila’s vulnerable aspects away from us. I loved how Ali didn’t try to do any image correction for Chamkila throughout this biopic. He presents the singer in his purest and most naive form. If you are fluent in Punjabi, you’ll love every single time Dosanjh takes the stage and sings a new number, as you’ll be able to understand the puns in his famous frivolous songs.
Ali has enhanced the experience by adding another layer of 2D animation to certain visuals. Another highlight is its music, composed by AR Rahman, with lyrics from Irshad Kamil. Tracks like Ishq Mitaye, Vida Karo and Naram Kaalja are some outstanding numbers that you can listen to over and over again.
Watch Amar Singh Chamkila for its honesty, spunk and outstanding music. It’s nothing short of attending a live concert, and Diljit, Imtiaz and AR Rahman are a trio that you can’t get enough of. The film is now streaming on Netflix.