| Amar Singh Chamkila | |
|---|---|
 Official release poster | |
| Directed by | Imtiaz Ali |
| Written by | Imtiaz Ali Sajid Ali |
| Produced by | Imtiaz Ali Mohit Choudhary |
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | Sylvester Fonseca |
| Edited by | Aarti Bajaj |
| Music by | A. R. Rahman |
Production companies |
|
| Distributed by | Netflix |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 146 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Hindi |
Amar Singh Chamkila is a 2024 Indian Hindi-language biographical drama film based on the life of musician Amar Singh Chamkila. It is directed, produced and co-written by Imtiaz Ali. The film stars Diljit Dosanjh in the titular role, with Parineeti Chopra as his wife, Amarjot.[1][2][3]
The film's music is composed by A. R. Rahman, with lyrics written by Irshad Kamil. Principal photography began in December 2022 and ended in March 2023. The film premiered at Mumbai on 8 April 2024, and released on Netflix on 12 April 2024.[4]
Plot[edit]
A humble singer's brash lyrics ignite fame and fury across Punjab as he grapples with soaring success and brutal criticism before his untimely death.
Cast[edit]
- Diljit Dosanjh as Amar Singh Chamkila
- Parineeti Chopra as Amarjot Kaur
- Apinderdeep Singh as Swarn Sivia
- Nisha Bano as Sonia
- Rahul Mittra as DSP Bhatti
- Anjum Batra as Tiki
- Udaybir Sandhu as Jitender Jinda
- Sahiba Bali as Chamkila
- Apinderdeep Singh as Swarn Sivia
- Tushar Dutt as Dhakkan
- Robbie Johal as Kikar
- Pavneet Singh as Babbu
- Anuraag Arora as Dalbir Singh
- Jasmeet Singh Bhatia as Constable
- Pranav Vashisht as Pamma
- Kull Sidhu as Gurmel Kaur
- Ankit Sagar as Kashmiri Lal
- Anjali Sharma as Amarjot's sister
- Mohit Chauhan (special appearance)
- Kumud Mishra (special appearance)
Production[edit]
Development[edit]
Imtiaz Ali announced the film under his banner Window Seat Films. Known for modern relationship dramas such as Jab We Met (2007), Love Aaj Kal (2009), Rockstar (2011) and Tamasha (2015).[5] The film follows the journey of Punjab's original rockstar of the masses, Amar Singh Chamkila, who was assassinated at a young age.[6] Ali termed the film "a unique journey" for him and further added, "Shooting for Chamkila felt like a very different experience as a filmmaker. The film follows the crazed popularity of Chamkila's daring songs that society could neither ignore nor swallow. It helped me reconnect with a different side of myself."[5][7]
The film was initially titled Chamkila and was later changed to Amar Singh Chamkila.[8] Parineeti Chopra and Diljit Dosanjh have sung a total of 15 songs for the film. On this, Chopra stated, "One of the main reasons I did this film was because I was getting to sing some 15 songs for it."[9] The film marks Ali's return as a director after four years, and his films to not release in theatres.[7]
Casting[edit]
Diljit Dosanjh was cast to play the titular role of Amar Singh Chamkila. Dosanjh said, "Playing Amar Singh Chamkila has been one of the most challenging experiences of my life."[11]
Parineeti Chopra was cast as Chamkila's second wife, Amarjot Kaur. Chopra left Sandeep Reddy Vanga's Animal, to be a part of the project, due to schedule conflicts. Chopra stated, "It's one of the most exciting films that I've ever worked on."[12][13] For her role in the film, Chopra gained 15 kilos.[14]
On casting Dosanjh and Chopra, Ali stated: "I could not have asked for better actors than the immensely talented Diljit Dosanjh and Parineeti Chopra to play in this film, especially since it involves some live singing."[7] Later, filmmaker Rahul Mittra was cast in a pivotal role by Ali.[15]
Filming[edit]
The principal photography was started in December 2022.[16] Set primarily in Punjab, the film was shot at real locations throughout the state. Both Chopra and Dosanjh completed the shooting in March 2023, and the filming was wrapped up by the end of March.[17][18] Shooting locations in Punjab including Sangrur, Ludhiana and Mehsampur. A portion has also been shot in Mumbai.[19]
Soundtrack[edit]
The film's soundtrack is composed by A. R. Rahman, with lyrics written by Irshad Kamil. The first song, "Ishq Mitaye" was released on 29 February 2024.[20] The second song, "Naram Kaalja" was released on 14 March 2024.[21] The soundtrack received positive reviews and response from the critics.[22][23]
