Amar Singh Chamkila: All you need to know about 'Elvis Presley of Punjab'

A day after the death anniversary of Sidhu Moose Wala, Imtiaz Ali's next film will remind audiences of another young singer who was gunned down at the age of 27. 

Chamkila, a Netflix original starring Diljit Dosanjh and Parineeti Chopra, will tell the untold story of Punjab's first rockstar, Amar Singh Chamkila. He rose to fame in the 1980s after emerging from poverty, only to be assassinated minutes before his performance in Mehsampur, Punjab.

The upcoming film's teaser was released on Tuesday. It began with a crowd gathered in front of a stage as the performer was introduced by a narrator. Calling him ‘Jawan dilon ki muskaan, aur buzurgo ki shaan (The smile of youngsters and the pride of seniors), the ‘greatest singer of his time’ is called on stage.

Diljit, who looked different without his turban, entered holding an ektara and greeted the audience. While Parineeti and Diljit have sung songs in the film, maestro AR Rahman composed the music.
 

In a statement about his film, Imtiaz said, “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. The film follows the crazed popularity of Chamkila’s daring songs that society could neither ignore nor swallow.”

Diljit Dosanjh said that playing Amar Singh Chamkila was one of the most difficult experiences of his life. 

“It has been a pleasure to work with Parineeti and the entire team that has worked extremely hard to bring this beautiful story to life. To be able to sing to Rahman sir’s exemplary music was a meditative experience and I hope I have been able to do justice to his vision. Thank you Imtiaz bhajee for believing in me for this role,” he added.

"It is a privilege to play Amarjot, Chamkila's singing partner and wife in this incredible film," Parineeti, who opted out of Ranbir Kapoor-Sandeep Reddy's Animal for Chamkila, said. 

Sharing the screen with Diljit has been a tremendously enriching experience. For me, singing is a passion, and working with the legendary AR Rahman has been a long-awaited dream, she said.

Who was Amar Singh Chamkila?

Amar Singh Chamkila was born on July 21, 1960, in Dugri, a village near Ludhiana. His real name was Dhani Ram. He was the youngest child of Kartar Kaur and Hari Singh Sandila and aspired to be an electrician before working in a Ludhiana cloth mill.

He began performing in the early 1980s and moved from band to band in search of equal pay and recognition. He formed his own band, Chamkila, and invited singer Amarjot to perform duets with him. 

Chamkila wrote his own songs, the majority of which were suggestive but also made commentaries on extramarital affairs, alcohol, and drug use. The couple quickly gained popularity not only in Punjab but also among Punjabis living in other countries.

However, their story ended on March 8, 1988, when a gang of motorcyclists gunned down both Chamkila and Amarjot. Two other members of their band were also killed in the assassination. However, the case was never solved and no arrests were made. It was claimed that the killings were carried out by Sikh militants.

Chamkila, the highest-selling artist of his era, is still regarded as one of the best live-stage performers Punjab has ever produced. 

According to reports, Amit Trivedi once called Chamkila "a legend, the Elvis of Punjab," and British Indian musician Panjabi MC cited him as one of his musical influences.

Before Imtiaz Ali’s Chamkila, Diljit Dosanjh also starred in Jodi, a film based on the love story of Amar Singh and Amarjot Kaur. It was released earlier this month to a positive response. Filmmaker Kabir Singh Chowdhry also made a mockumentary Mehsampur in 2018 based on Chamkila’s life.