‘Amar Singh Chamkila’ is a Hindi biopic movie. It depicts the real-life story of Chamkila, a well-known Indian musician from Punjab. Interestingly, his stage name Chamkila (चमकीला) means “Shiny” in Punjabi and Hindi.

During his short but successful singing career, Chamkila produced and supplied all kinds of Punjabi songs as per the demands generated by his listeners. Therefore, his earthy music ruled the hearts of his dedicated fans. Thanks to his avid listeners, he was the highest record-selling artist in Punjab in the 1980s. However, Chamkila (21st July 1960 to 8th March 1988) did not live long enough to enjoy his musical success.

‘Amar Singh Chamkila’ Shines Like A Brave & Dazzling Singing Superstar

Synopsis: Amar Singh Chamkila (2024) Movie

Chamkila (Diljit Dosanjh) – 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. So, it follows the life of pop star duo Amar Singh Chamkila (Diljit Dosanjh) and Amarjot Kaur (Parineeti Chopra), whose songs that were social commentaries or devotionals became massive hits in the 1980s.

Trailer: Amar Singh Chamkila (2024) Movie

Official Trailer – Amar Singh Chamkila (2024) Hindi Film – Netflix | YouTube.

Spoiler Free Review: Amar Singh Chamkila (2024) Movie

The introduction

While watching this film, we wondered, why popular and successful singers often meet tragic ends in Punjab. Not so long ago, we reviewed ‘Chamak (S1/2023) Series’ from Punjab, which seems to be loosely inspired by the true tale of Amar Singh Chamkila. Both of them share a similar opening scene, where the artists are shot dead by unknown assailants in a public place with so many eyewitnesses. Yet, their killers remain untraceable.

In the past, we have read about tragic incidents, in which famous Punjabi artists like Amar Singh Chamkila and Sidhu Moosewala were killed in the Punjab state. While Chamkila was gunned down in 1988, Sidhu was murdered recently in 2022. In this film, we discover that Chamkila faces persistent intimidation from influential figures who insist that he refrain from performing songs that are considered vulgar and indecent songs. Despite the warnings, he defiantly persists and ultimately suffers the gravest consequences. However, that is only one piece of the intricate mystery surrounding his gruesome murder.

The basic storyline/plotline

This biographical film primarily focuses on his meteoric rise and the heartbreaking end of the singer – Chamkila. Hailing from a humble socio-economic (Dalit-Chamar) backdrop, Chamkila became a celebrated Punjabi singer.

Predominantly Punjabi language singer, his songs were rooted in the social and cultural milieu of the rural Punjab. Through his exceptional originality, artistic creativity, musical prowess, and relentless efforts, he not only triumphed over entrenched caste biases but also challenged and dismantled various societal conventions. For an ordinary person like Chamkila, his survival and income generation are the central focus.

The ability to reflect on ethical principles is not accessible to everyone. Survival is the main priority for some people.

The complex issues of vulgarity and their social impact did not even cross his mind. A person belonging to poor sections of society was devoid of the privilege to contemplate moral principles and ethical dilemmas. It seems that he was a common man, who was simply trying to harness his musical talents to entertain his fans and make some decent money for himself and his family.

"Who decides what should people listen to?"

We loved the direction and acting

Both the writers – Imtiaz Ali and Sajid Ali have captured the true essence of Punjab in the troubled period of the 1980s with their smart and insightful script. Therefore, in a way, the latest film written and directed by Imtiaz Ali poses quite a few burning questions about the social-culture milieu, public demand, artistic freedom, censorship, cancel culture, threats, violence, killings, etc. One wonders, how growing intolerance affects artists’ creativity. We think the film director Imtiaz Ali has artfully blended the real life and reel life of Chamkila, by mixing the documentary (original photos & videos) style with the biography film. The movie has been edited masterfully too. In addition, the use of animation also did not seem out of place.

While playing the protagonist ‘Chamkila’, the lead actor Diljit Dosanjh has breathed life into his complex life. We could easily empathize and sympathize with the life story of ‘Chamkila’. His natural acting made us fall in love with ‘Chamkila’. We saw the lead actor Diljit Dosanjh in the ‘Crew‘ (2024) Hindi comedy film, a couple of weeks ago. Now in complete contrast, in this serious role, Diljit has excelled. His acting has been captivating. The ensemble cast led by Parineeti Chopra (Amarjot Kaur), Apinderdeep Singh (Swarn Sivia), Anjum Batra (Kesar Tikki), Nisha Bano (Surinder Sonia), Rahul Mittra (DSP Bhatti), etc. have played their part well too.

A.R. Rehman’s Punjabi musical scores are top class

Also, what can we say about the musical genius A. R. Rehman? Once again, he has presented us with timeless Punjabi music with an earthy appeal. Irshad Kamil has written the evocative lyrics of these Punjabi songs. And we think he has done a wonderful job. The village life of Punjab has been realistically portrayed in the film and the songs. We have shared our top three songs from this film below. Don’t forget to check them out.

This Hindi movie marks the fourth collaboration between Imtiaz Ali, A.R. Rahman, and Irshad Kamil following their work on Rockstar, Highway, and Tamasha.

This film does an amazing balancing act

We liked its script, but it seems this filmi-story got a few things wrong. For example, it highlighted the differences between the families of the two wives of Chamkila, but it seems incorrect, based on the news reports. Despite the hiccups, it seems that the family members of Chamkila have appreciated this biographical film, as it is closer to reality.

Then the ongoing raging debate about artistic freedom has been subtly mentioned in the film. In this film, the writing and singing of vulgar lyrics have been attributed to the tastes and preferences of the listeners. We are sure there were a lot of complex issues but, the film avoids most of them and gives us an easy narrative. However, given the complexities of social, religious, political and commercial realities associated with Chamkila’s case, the director has avoided the controversies. Plus, by his balancing acts, the writers and director has put the onus on the viewers to think about the contentious issues.

The conclusion

For those who possess a reflective mindset like ours, the similarities between real life and the modern world are apparent in this well-made film. Therefore, it is easy to see that the storyline of this biographical film resonates with the real-life issues of enforced censorship and cancel culture. The harsh realities of life exist not only in India but also in many other countries. But, you can watch his thoughtful biopic and enjoy this interesting and thoughtful Hindi movie. It makes you feel and think about Chamkila and artistic freedom for creativity.

Rating: Amar Singh Chamkila (2024) Movie

FM Rating

4.00/5

FM Rating – Amar Singh Chamkila (2024) Movie

Poster: Amar Singh Chamkila (2024) Movie

Key Details: Amar Singh Chamkila (2024) Movie

Genre	Biography, Drama, Music, Romance
Original language	Hindi (& Punjabi) languages
Duration	2 hours 26 minutes
Writers	Imtiaz Ali & Sajid Ali
Film Director	Imtiaz Ali
Music Director	A. R. Rehman
Cast	Diljit Dosanjh (Amar Singh Chamkila), Parineeti Chopra (Amarjot Kaur), Apinderdeep Singh (Swarn Sivia), Anjum Batra (Kesar Tikki), Nisha Bano (Surinder Sonia), Rahul Mittra (DSP Bhatti), Tushar Dutt (Takkan), Robbie Johal (Kikkar), Pavneet Singh (Babbu), etc.
Network	Netflix