Imtiaz Ali was asked what drew him to this subject and he replied, “The fact that he (Amar Singh Chamkila) was so popular in the grassroots. We live in cities and are often disconnected from the grassroots. Sometimes, when we look out of the window seat in trains, we wonder ‘Kya hai yaar wahan pe aur hum kitne duur hai unse’. So (I wanted to know) how do they get entertained and how does someone entertain them in such a way that he becomes a wave and also the highest record-selling artist in Punjab. Not one song of his has not been a hit. What did he have that people were seeking so badly? That is what drew me.”
Talking about his research, Imtiaz revealed, “I met these people (seen in the film) like Swaran Singh Sivia, Tikki, recordist Charanjeet Ahuja etc. I spoke to them multiple times because none of them came across as an extremely truthful person either (smiles). So, I had to ask the same questions again and again. The answers would be different each time, but the overlapping part of the answer was the truth!”
He continued, “Also, 36 years have gone by. They don’t remember it very well. But they know that you have come from Mumbai to find information. So, they want to impress you with the juiciest stories!”
Has Amar Singh Chamkila’s family seen the biopic? Imtiaz said, “We are in touch with them, and they’ll watch the film with us on Thursday, April 11.”
The interesting aspect is to see, or rather hear, lead actors Diljit Dosanjh and Parineeti Chopra, singing the songs in the film themselves. Imtiaz stated, “Every song that you hear Diljit and Parineeti singing was recorded on the set during the shoot always. We are thrilled that it’s all live.” As expected, the audience clapped wholeheartedly over this trivia.
Imtiaz Ali spoke highly of his lead actress, “Parineeti is a very good singer. She had to practice a lot because Diljit is stage-ready all the time. Even Diljit practiced a lot.”
Another USP of the film is the use of real-life footage and pictures of the real Amar Singh Chamkila and Amarjot Kaur. On this, he said, “There’s a lot of footage of Amarjot and Chamkila, singing on akharas, which is available on YouTube. Some people had private collections. Aaj se 40 saal pehle kuch logon ke ghar shaadi hui thi where Chamkila had sung. We saw all that too.”
When asked how he tracked those with the private collections, Imtiaz Ali surprised everyone as he said, “They, in fact, tracked us down! The word spread (that I am making a film on Amar Singh Chamkila). People reached out and some even came on the sets. One guy said, ‘Mere pass bahut collection hai Chamkile ka. Aap sab le lena’. People love me in Punjab!” The last sentence, as expected, raised laughs.
But Imtiaz got back into a serious mode as he told his team that the man’s gesture was touching and that “We should thank him somehow.”
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