AMAR SINGH CHAMKILA tells an incredible story in a very stylish and entertaining manner

Amar Singh Chamkila Review {3.5/5} & Review Rating

Director: Imtiaz Ali

Amar Singh Chamkila Movie Synopsis:
AMAR SINGH CHAMKILA is the story of a legendary singer. In 1977, Amar Singh (Diljit Dosanjh) knits socks in a factory for a living. But he wants to be a musician. He meets dholak player, Tikki (Anjum Batra), in Ludhiana and asks him to enlist him in the team of popular singer Jatinder Jinda (Udaybir Sandhu). Jatinder likes him for his personality and raunchy lyrics and he becomes a part of the troupe. One day, at a show in Chandigarh, Jinda is late and the crowd gets restless. The manager Kashmiri Lal (Ankit Sagar), with no other option, asks Amar Singh to sing. The host announces his name as Amar Singh Chamkila. Chamkila gives a mesmerizing performance that is loved by the audience. A few days later, Jinda vanishes to Canada. Kashmiri decides to replace him with Chamkila. He and a veteran singer Sonia (Nisha Bano) become a hit in the performance circuit. They also cut an album, which is much loved. After a fight with Kashmiri Lal over wages, Chamkila goes independent. He also faces trouble in finding a female singer due to the ‘vulgar’ lyrics. One day, he comes across Amarjot Kaur (Parineeti Chopra) and she expresses the desire to join him, that too with her family’s permission. Chamkila and Amarjot become a hit Jodi. Soon, Chamkila emerges as the most popular singer in Punjab ever. But with fame comes a lot of risk. A section of society is unhappy with the choice of words in the lyrics. He also gets threats. On top of that, he has hidden a terrible secret from Amarjot, Tikki and others. What happens next forms the rest of the film.

Amar Singh Chamkila Movie Story Review:
Imtiaz Ali and Sajid Ali’s story is amusing and shocking. Not many people know about this man and what he went through and it goes in the favour of the film. Imtiaz Ali and Sajid Ali’s screenplay is creative and consists of well-thought-out scenes and moments. The writing, however, gets a bit stretched. Imtiaz Ali and Sajid Ali’s dialogues are sharp and a few of them are very hilarious and sudden.

Imtiaz Ali’s direction is stylish. The director is known for unconventional execution and AMAR SINGH CHAMKILA is no exception. He treats the audience with back-and-forth narrative, big bold texts on screen that translate lyrics of Chamkila’s songs in the performance scenes, animation, use of real-life footage and characters breaking the fourth wall. All these add to the impact. The director also takes a risk by having a tragic beginning to the film. Also, the characters go into a flashback mode when the dead bodies are lying a few feet away. Yet, it doesn’t look odd and it’s a risk that pays off. Imtiaz also makes an important comment in the second half that despite the so-called objectification of women, his songs are very popular among the members of the fairer sex. The final scene is a masterstroke depicting the real-life visuals as well as a recreation of it by splitting the screen. The amateur camerawork is also recreated and it’s quite impressive.

On the flipside, the second half is a bit dragging. A few aspects of Chamkila’s life come up suddenly, catching viewers unaware. For instance, his first wedding is explained very quickly and it leaves a lot of questions unanswered. Also, he is never seen smoking a bidi but later, we get to know that he has been an active smoker. Also, the makers never tried to show how Chamkila and Amarjot handled the kids while they were away performing.

Amar Singh Chamkila | Official Trailer | Diljit Dosanjh | Parineeti Chopra

Amar Singh Chamkila Movie Performances:
Diljit Dosanjh gets into the skin of the character. He has worked a lot on his body language and expressions and yet, it looks effortless. His singing, as expected, is flawless. Parineeti Chopra puts up a very impressive act. Her performance is great and she sings quite well, which is a feat, considering that she was sharing space with Diljit. Anuraag Arora (DSP Dalbir Singh) has an important role and leaves a huge mark. The same applies to Anjum Batra. Samuel John (Chamkila’s father) is hardly there and is okay. Nisha Bano, Udaybir Sandhu and Ankit Sagar lend able support. Apinderdeep Singh (Swaran Singh Sivia) has a late entry and does quite well. The actor playing the female journalist delivers a fine performance.

Amar Singh Chamkila music and other technical aspects:
A R Rahman’s music is well woven into the narrative and enhances impact. ‘Baaja’, played in the beginning, sets the mood. ‘Naram Kaalja’ is adorable and will surely be talked about. ‘Ishq Mitaye’ comes next and Mohit Chauhan kills it with his locals. ‘Vida Karo’ is moving while ‘Tu Kya Jaane’ is soulful. A R Rahman’s background score is terrific.

Sylvester Fonseca’s cinematography is appropriate. Sheetal Iqbal Sharma’s costumes are reminiscent of the bygone era. Suman Roy Mahapatra’s production design is authentic. The action is barely gory. After Studios’ VFX is great while Philm CGI’s animation is topnotch. Aarti Bajaj’s editing is in sync with the film’s mood and theme but could have been sharper.

Amar Singh Chamkila Movie Conclusion:
On the whole, AMAR SINGH CHAMKILA tells an incredible story in a very stylish and entertaining manner. The performances of Diljit Dosanjh, Parineeti Chopra and Anuraag Arora, and A R Rahman’s music enhance the impact.