Film director Imtiaz Ali claims he hired actor-singer Diljit Dosanjh for ‘Amar Singh Chamkila’ to “save money”. Imtiaz, Diljit, Parineeti Chopra, and the film’s music director, AR Rahman, discuss their experiences working on the Netflix film, which is based on the story of murdered Punjabi musician Amar Singh Chamkila.
Imtiaz says, “In this movie, we are not hiring one person for one job. I am saving money by casting an actor who is also a singer.” Diljit, popular for his Punjabi songs, essays the titular role of Amar Singh Chamkila in the movie. Talking about his movie, the film director also says, “The thrill of this film is in its music.”
AR Rahman, who worked on the film’s music, described Diljit as a “superstar” and Parineeti as an “understated” singer. He claims in the video that Diljit is a superstar. Parineeti is subtle but extremely skilled as a singer.”
The music composer explains how he made live singing possible for Diljit and Parineeti, saying, “We formed a whole band for them. So, they were literally singing live music on the set. I called background musicians, including Dholak and everything, for jamming with them for almost 3–4 days, and then we found a way to record them all live.”
Since the release of ‘Amar Singh Chamkila’ on Netflix, Diljit has been praised for fully immersing himself in the skin of his onscreen persona. When asked about the renowned vocalist he brought to life on screen, he replies, “Chamkila was a master; he was a scientist.”
“This film revolves around music, and music is God for me. This film has brought me closer to God. I always felt Chamkila was on set,” adds Diljit.
Parineeti Chopra, who plays Amar Singh Chamkila’s wife, Amarjot Kaur, discusses her experience singing live for the film. She says, “It is very high scale. To sing at that scale takes a lot, and to act along with it is one of the most challenging things that I have ever done.”
Singer Mohit Chauhan makes a cameo appearance in “Amar Singh Chamkila.” Anjum Batra and Apinderdeep Singh also star in the film.
