Imtiaz Ali’s ‘Amar Singh Chamkila’ is a beautifully made biopic that showcases a man as well as morality
- Trinity Auditorium
- Apr 12, 2024
- 1 min read
The film features Diljit Dosanjh and Parineeti Chopra. It narrates the story of a controversial artist and raises important questions about censorship.
In Amar Singh Chamkila, Imtiaz Ali gives us two films for the price of one. The first – more obvious – narrative follows the shape of a biopic, the life and times of the “Elvis of Punjab”, played by Diljit Dosanjh. That nickname, as we come to see, isn’t just about the massive popularity Chamkila enjoyed in his lifetime. This is the 1980s, and he outsells Amitabh Bachchan in a live show. But here’s the other layer. Just like Elvis was accused of corrupting young America with dance moves resembling those of a male striptease artist and songs whose erotic energy was even wilder, Chamkila was frequently hauled up by cultural gatekeepers for his sexually charged lyrics. Irshad Kamil, who outdoes himself in the soundtrack, writes these words for Chamkila’s detractors: “ganda sa banda hai / social darinda hai”! The rise and fall of a musician who brought joy to the masses, and the question whether art ought to be censored for those very masses – these two layers come together magnificently in this movie.
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