Director Imtiaz Ali’s new film, the biopic of the revolutionary Punjabi folk singer, Amar Singh Chamkila and his wife Amarjot Kaur starring Punjabi popstar Diljit Dosanjh and Parineeti Chopra is set to release on April 12.
The slain Punjabi folk singer, also known as ‘Elvis of Punjab’, shot to fame in the ’80s with his songs about illicit love, sexuality, drug use and domestic issues.
In 1988, 27-year-old Chamkila, his wife Amarjot Kaur (played by Parineeti in the film), and two more members of his band were killed mercilessly.
The upcoming Netflix original has already created a buzz with its mystical songs. Legendary music composer A R Rahman and lyricist Irshad Kamil along with singer Mohit Chauhan have come together and have managed to strike the right chords with the film’s album having six songs.
The four big names of film fraternity are collaborating nearly a decade after their last collaboration in Tamasha (2015) and Highway (2014) while Kamil has worked with Imtiaz Ali since his debut in 'Socha Na Tha' in 2005.
The album opens with 'Ishq Mitaye', a captivating anthem where Mohit Chauhan personifies the voice of Chamkila. The songs paint a brilliant imagery of Punjabi folk culture in 80s. The song 'Baaja' seems to be the clear winner in the album, opening gently with a Punjabi couplet and making a full-bodied shift to a spirited space with dhols and nagadas, reflecting the spirit of Punjab.
The film is being hailed as a comeback for Imtiaz Ali after two commercial-minded duds, as it marks a return to his roots as a filmmaker. The music of the film is expected to be a major highlight, with Rahman's compositions and Kamil's lyrics capturing the essence of Chamkila's life and music.
In a recent interview with Film Companion, Diljit Dosanjh talked about how he fully embraced Imtiaz Ali's creative direction throughout the film's production. Drawing a comparison between Chamkila and the iconic American figure, Elvis Presley, Dosanjh said, "He is a much bigger deal to us than Elvis.”
