Netflix Chamkila: From rags to riches and assassination: The story of Amar Singh Chamkila, Elvis of Punjab
File image of late singer Amar Singh Chamkila and Diljit Dosanjh
Amar Singh Chamkila Full story:The world is set to witness the untold story of Punjabi singer Amar Singh Chamkila. Acclaimed director Imtiaz Ali's next movie, Amar Singh Chamkila comes at a time when the shock is still not over after the murder of singer Sidhu Moose Wala in 2022.
Decades before Sidhu Moose Wala was gunned down, the folk singer Amar Singh Chamkila, who once ruled the hearts of Punjabis worldwide, was shot down right afterhe stepped out to perform in Mehsampur, Punjab.
Netflix Amar Singh Chamkila trailer
On Thursday (Mar 28), the official trailer for the movie was released.
Directed by acclaimed director Imtiaz Ali, the movie starring Diljit Dosanjh and Parineeti Chopra tells the rags-to-riches story of the Punjabi boy Chamkila.
Set in the 1980s, the teaser opened with Amar being asked about his "vulgar" singing, which has been widely loved by Punjabis.
The frame cuts and the audience gets to know the backstory of a simple boy who had a passion for singing.
The teaser further gives a very brief intro of Amar's life, his wife Amarjot (Parineeti), who is a co-signer of his band, and how hefaced a huge backlash for his explicit music before becoming one of the most influential singers of the 1980s.
Watch the trailer below:
Amar Singh Chamkila's family and background
Born as Dhanni Ram on July 21, 1960, the latesinger who was known as the ''Elvis of Punjab'' was born in the village of Dugri near Ludhiana in India's Punjab.
He was the youngest child of Kartar Kaur and Hari Singh Sandila.
Knack for singing
From childhood, Amar Singh Chamkila had a knack for singing.
At a young age, he aspired to become an electrician, however, he ended up working in a cloth mill, making socks.
With his true dedication to music, Chamkila slowly moved to the regional music arenaby performing on small stages.
Excellent in playing the harmonium and dholki, Chamkila started his music career at a very young age, and in a desperate need to make it big, Amar once followed Punjabi singer Surinder Shinda on a bicycle.
At the age of 18, he started singing with renowned Punjabi artists such as Shinda, K Deep, and Mohammad Sadiq.
First Hit and solo career
Amar Singh Chamkila first partnered with the female vocalist Surinder Sonia.
In the 80's, the pair together recorded many songs and albums, including Chamkila's first recorded song "Takue Te Takua," which became an instant hit and made the singer famous around Punjab.
During this period, the singer adopted "Amar Singh Chamkila" as his stage name.
Soon he became famous not only within Punjab borders but overseas as well.
Chamkila decided to continue his solo career alone and form his band, and it was when he found his new bandmate and singer Amarjot, whom he married later.
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Style of music and rise to stardom
The union of Chamikila and Amarjot, and their unique way of singing were quick to grab people's attention.
The songs and their partnership quickly struck a chord with Punjabi people all over the world.
Their popularity for their live shows quickly grew among the Punjabis both in rural and urban areas, and it is even said that their booking numbers were even more than the days in the month.
As per Chamkila’s biography Awaz Mardi Nahinwritten by Gulzar Singh Shaunki, there was a time when Chamkila did 366 shows in 365 days.
Chamkila's songs and controversy
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Chamkila, known as the first superstar of Punjabi pop culture, was quite a controversial figure too.
He has often faced backlash for hisexplicit songs andproblematic lyrics on drug usage, extramarital affairs, and anger issues of Punjabi men.
The lyrics of his songs resonated with the masses, and he became a rage among the Punjabis.
However, it also triggered a lot of backlash from a section of the audience and even got death threats.
As per reports, their success also caught the attentionof Khalistani terrorists, who started demanding money from them.
Murder of Chamkila
On March 8th,1988, Chamkila's life took a tragic turn when he stepped out of his car in Mehsampur, Punjab.
Chamkila, 27, along with his wife Amarjot and two band members were gunned down around 2 pm they stepped out of their vehicle.
It's been decades now, but the mystery surrounding their deaths remains unresolved. No arrests have been made in the case yet.
The mystery remains unsolved, but there are multiple theories around.
Some say they were killed by Khalistani terrorists while others claim that Chamkila's rivals shot him down.
