Amar Singh Chamkila Review: Diljit Dosanjh Mesmerises in Colourful Biography

– No Spoilers –

The movie follows the journey of revolutionary singer Amar Singh Chamkila, whose quirky and brash lyrics won the hearts of millions while infuriating others. The story showcases his humble beginnings and tracks his life till his untimely death.

Amar Singh Chamkila is a surprisingly fantastic film that really captures the life and soul of India’s obsession with music, an artist’s obsession with their art and the story of a man who goes from having nothing to having everything. The movie is told from a third-person perspective, with one of Chamika’s friends narrating his story to a police officer. Of course, we get to see the sequences happening in front of us as well, with the scenes jumping between past and present to give us context. Then there’s the fantastic music to keep the sequences company, filling out Chamkila’s rags-to-riches life before ending in tragedy.

The way the story flows is so watchable and entertaining that it is difficult to look away from the movie for even a second. Imtiaz Ali, as always, is a master storyteller and even though this is a biography, the story is told so magically that it is electrifying. I think the music just adds that pizzazz to it as well and juxtaposes Chamkila’s humble personality with that of his raunchy songs. The catchy songs will surprise you to no end and it made me laugh out loud many times. Of course, it’s just a little uncomfortable as well and the literal English translations don’t help!

However, the true soul of the movie is Diljit Dosanjh who steals the show as the titular character. Dosanjh’s heartfelt portrayal of the talented musician will steal your heart and even if you don’t have an idea about who Chamkila is, I think the actor does a fantastic job of making you want to research about him and his music that changed the Punjabi music scene forever. There’s an innocence in Dosanjh’s eyes that sets the person apart from the musician and he will surely create a special place in your heart. Complimenting him is Parineeti Chopra’s Amarjot Kaur, Chamkila’s second wife, who is innocent yet fierce and the duo have the sweetest chemistry that will warm your heart.

Personally, I didn’t find any part of the movie to be a bore or unnecessary. The story flows smoothly and reels you in with the the drama while the light-hearted moments keep things forthy and break things down. Although viewers already know where the story is headed, we still watch the movie because Dosanjh makes us and I am not complaining! The short moments that match the past and the present were a great addition to the story and makes us care for the characters and makes us relate to them.

Amar Singh Chamkila Review: Final Thoughts

In the end, Amar Singh Chamkila leaves us on an emotional point as we are made to look at society’s hipocrisy and weight of an artist’s dreams. Dosanjh is the perfect person to play this role as not only is he a talented singer but he seems to embody the role of the influencial Punjabi artist with much fervour. On the other hand, Chopra is a welcome watch as well and shares some great chemistry with the protagonist. Imtiaz Ali brings us another memorable experience of a movie that is hard to put down once you start it and should be on your watchlist this week, especially if you like biographical dramas.

Amar Singh Chamkila is streaming on Netflix.

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