Imtiaz Ali on hiring Diljit Dosanjh as 'Chamkila': Saved money with actor-singer

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Film director Imtiaz Ali says he hired actor-singer Diljit Dosanjh for 'Amar Singh Chamkila' to "save money". In a behind-the-scenes video from the set of the Netflix film, Imtiaz, Diljit, Parineeti Chopra, and the film's music director, AR Rahman, share their experience of working on the film, based on the life of slain Punjabi singer, Amar Singh Chamkila.

Imtiaz says, "In this movie, we are not hiring one person for one job. I am saving money by casting an actor who is also a singer." Diljit, popular for his Punjabi songs, essays the titular role of Amar Singh Chamkila in the movie. Talking about his movie, the film director also says, "The thrill of this film is in its music."

AR Rahman, who has worked on the film's music, found Diljit to be a "superstar" and felt Parineeti is an "understated" singer. He says in the video, "Diljit is a superstar. Parineeti is very understated but super talented as a singer."

Sharing how he made live singing possible for Diljit and Parineeti, the music composer adds, "We formed a whole band for them. So, they were literally singing live music on the set. I called background musicians, including dholak and everything, for jamming with them for almost 3-4 days, and then we found a way to record them all live."

Ever since the release of 'Amar Singh Chamkila' on Netflix, Diljit has been praised for immersing in the skin of his on-screen character. Talking about the iconic singer whom he brought alive on-screen, he says, "Chamkila was a master, he was a scientist."

"This film revolves around music and music is God for me. This film has brought me closer to God. I always felt Chamkila was on set," adds Diljit.

Parineeti Chopra, who plays Amar Singh Chamkila's wife Amarjot Kaur, shares her experience of singing live for the movie. She says, "It is very high scale. To sing at that scale takes a lot, and to act along with it is one of the most challenging things that I have ever done."

'Amar Singh Chamkila' also features a cameo by singer Mohit Chauhan. Actors Anjum Batra and Apinderdeep Singh also feature in the movie.

Published By:

Arushi Jain

Published On:

Apr 18, 2024