Chamkila: A bright star gone too soon
What does Amar Singh Chamkila have in common with Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, and Kurt Cobain? All of them belong to what is popularly known as the 27 Club, which is an informal list of mostly popular musicians, artists, actors, and other celebrities, all of whom died at the age of 27. Writer-producer-director Imtiaz Ali and his co-writer Sajid Ali have woven a non-linear narrative to chronicle the life and death of the singer in the eponymous Amar Singh Chamkila (2024). As far as biographical movies from the Hindifilm industry go, this one is unique in its approach. They seek to tell the tale of the singer from the points of view of the people who knew him. And in doing so, they paint the picture of a flawed man who made mistakes and experienced extreme highs and lows in his small, yet exemplary life.
Who was Amar Singh Chamkila?
Born Dhani Ram on July 21, 1960, Amar Singh Chamkila was a Punjabi singer. He was a live stage performer whose high-pitched vocals, suggestive lyrics, and unique compositions catapulted him to such heights that he performed 366 shows in 365 days. Throughout his career, he partnered with multiple female vocalists for his performances before meeting and marrying Amarjot Kaur. His rising popularity resulted in him getting multiple threats from Sikh militants. On March 8, 1988, both Chamkila and Amarjot were gunned down in broad daylight. Two other members of the entourage were also fatally wounded in the shootout. The case remains unsolved to date.Â
Dosanjh is a natural. Parineeti shines
Diljit Dosanjh is perhaps the only actor who could have played this character. Chamkila is constantly either humming, singing or doing both; being a singer himself, Dosanjh is very comfortable in those scenes. He also has the ability to control the live stage and that aspect translates on the screen as Chamkila does his live shows. He lends the character a youthful innocence and a cocky assurance. He is charming, endearing, frustrating, and wholly human. This is a character Dosanjh deeply relates to, as is evidenced by the fact that this is the second time he is playing Chamkila, the first time in the Punjabi film Jodi (2023).
Shoutout to Anjum Batra as Kesar Singh Tiki, and Apinderdeep Singh as Swarn Singh Sivia; two of the primary supporting characters, each brings sincerity and conviction to their parts.
The star of the show, for me, was Parineeti Chopra. She is a quiet, shy woman who has a mind of her own. She has the strength in her to make and stand by her decisions, without making it a big deal. Chopra matches Dosanjh’s energy and vocals in the live performances. Together, the two have sung a total of 15 songs for the movie. She conveys her love, anger, determination, fear, and objections solely through her eyes. She is the life of this movie. She needs to do more movies.
Composers for all seasons
The Imtiaz Ali-A.R. Rahman-Irshad Kamil trio gave us the incredible music albumRockstar. Chamkila belongs to a whole different genre of music, but the trio still weaves magic. The movie begins with Baaja, which is a quick rundown of who Chamkila was and the impact he had on people. WhenNaram Kaalja began, I was a little surprised because it appeared to break the narrative, but as the song progressed, I fell in love with the message and the song. With Ishq Mitaye, we feel the flutters of blossoming love. My favorite of the lot, however, is the poignant Vida Karo. This is an album that grows on you.
Technically sound storytelling
For a non-linear narrative to be coherent, good editing is vital. Editor Aarti Bajaj goes a step beyond as she seamlessly transitions between real footage and the reel narrative. Be it the random words that pop up on the screen, the comic-book panels, the split screens, or the time skips, Bajaj handles it all. The casting by Mukesh Chhabra is so spot on that some side characters look identical to their real-life counterparts. Trupti Chavan’s art direction, Sohini Mondal’s set decorations, and Sheetal Sharma’s costumes build Chamkila’s world convincingly.
The artist, the art, and the audience
Even though the story is set in the 1980s, the issues raised are pertinent even today. This movie explores the responsibilities of the artist who creates the content and the audience that consumes it. What is the purpose of entertainment? Who decides what is good entertainment and what is not? Is art subject to moral policing? If the audience demands something of the artist, is the artist responsible for delivering it? Is a creation separate from the creator or an extension of them? What is the intent behind a creation? These are complex questions and Imtiaz Ali does not attempt to answer them. But he does ask us to look closely at our own biases about the relationship between the artist, the art, and the audience.
What I found jarring, however, were the animated scenes that pop up as though we are reading a comic book. I found this a risky tactic that perhaps only works in movies that have been adapted from a comic book. Even though the transition to these scenes was done well, I did not care for this narrative style. It felt gimmicky.
Overall, this is a beautiful film that deserves a watch. After a couple of downers like Jab Harry Met Sejal and Love Aaj Kal (2020) Imtiaz Ali delivers with Amar Singh Chamkila.
The movie is streaming on Netflix.
Diljith Dosanjh is performing in the U.S. with his Aura tour, May 10 through June 21. He will be in the Bay Area on June 20 and 21 at the Chase Center in San Francisco.
