Amar Singh Chamkila on Netflix promises to be Imtiaz Ali’s return to his signature portrayal of complex human emotions and societal dysfunctionalities. This time revolves around the true story of Punjab’s ‘Elvis Presley’, his first biographical venture. At the same time, it marks his reunion with maestros A.R. Rahman, Irshad Kamil and Mohit Chauhan after 9 years. Interestingly in the West, other music artist biographies emerging like Bob Marley: One Love and Back To Black, this picture has quite a timely premiere.
Ali helms another love letter to Punjab and delves into more depth. Set in the 80s, a very tumultuous time for the Indian state. The film revolves around the titular character of Chamkila (Diljit Dosanjh). This ‘lower-caste’ mill worker gradually became one of the most influential Punjabi artists and live stage performers, also notorious for the description of women objectification, alcoholism, sexual violence and domestic violence in his music. Many fundamentalists frequently criticised the singer and faced threats from rival artists. He formed a popular singing duo with his second wife Amarjot (Parineeti Chopra) until they were shot dead in 1988 alongside two band members. To this day, their assailants are unknown.
The movie beautifully encapsulates it through the rural landscapes, capturing people’s movement in the camera shots thereby painting a rooted portrait. As seen previously in Ali’s Tamasha, many background artists break the fourth wall. Staring at the camera whilst performing enhances the visceral atmosphere and provides a ‘voice’ for the common person. The indulgence of animation, black and white filets and slow motion cinematography enriches its visual appeal. The camera work and cinematography are spellbinding. Plus, Rahman’s musical masterpiece accompanies the other technical aspects as the songs are beautifully embedded into the story yet retain a repeat value after the credits roll.
Imtiaz is skilled in extrapolating internal conflicts and dysfunctionality within his characters. However here, he explores the dichotomy of society. In his previous works like Rockstar and the series She, the leads try to navigate raunchy or otherwise ‘taboo’ lifestyles as a way of self-discovery. We observe such tropes here too with Chamkila’s lyrics and how he is a catalyst in addressing double standards in addition to challenging fundamental values. Though the philosophical and profound internal battles might not be as rampant here, the filmmaker competently showcases the protagonist’s exterior conflicts. Moreover, the fact that there are so many conspiracy theories about the singer’s death, as a director avoids exploring whataboutery and focuses more on the societal discourses.
Despite strong aesthetics, the constant back and forth between the past and present with interfering dialogue by supporting characters distracts the viewer from fully investing in the 80s Punjab which is so masterfully created. These dialogues spoon-feed the viewer and distract their creative interpretation. Perhaps the director intends to create a thriller and folklore style of narration, but the frequent use of archives and real-life images impairs us from fully immersing ourselves in the fictional setup, almost making it a documentary format. This technique would have worked if the movie (from the onset) was promised to be a venture which combines both reality with fiction.
Dosanjh sensitively portrays the titular role and has a charismatic presence, with compassion. He sings excellently and impresses. Parineeti Chopra, as seen in films like Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar, has great depth as an actor. Unfortunately, she is not provided with much scope despite layers that could have otherwise been very compelling to watch. Her character is not written as impactfully as it should have been but Chopra still endeavours to present the character with grace and strength. She also has a beautiful voice and a pleasing screen presence.
Considering Imtiaz Ali’s recent films like Jab Harry Met Sejal and Love Aaj Kal (2020) were lacklustre, it is refreshing to see him at least explore beyond his comfort zone. While Amar Singh Chamkila might not be his strongest written piece of cinema and the narrative structure might be staggered, it certainly is presented in a mesmerising way. The chartbuster soundtrack by Rahman addresses a very rooted yet harrowing story with artistic flair. One also feels that Ali’s films also have a slow-burning impact on the viewer’s psyche. Perhaps in the future, even these staggered aspects might be celebrated as cult masterpiece tropes.
(3/5 stars)
Amar Singh Chamkila is now streaming on Netflix.
