Diljit Dosanjh and Parineeti Chopra’s Amar Singh Chamkila has finally been released amid much anticipation. The film is based on the life of the iconic Punjabi singer Amar Singh Chamkila. In an old interview, his dholak player, Lal Chand, who was present at the time of his assassination, recalled the incident and revealed Chamkila’s last words to Amarjot.
In a conversation with Noble TV Canada in 2020, Lal Chand said, “We all got to the office around lunchtime. Chamkila arrived, and we hung out for about 10 minutes before heading to the show. Right before we left, Chamkila told everyone not to worry (about the death threats). “He said, ‘I sing the songs, not you. Jis goli pe mera naam likheya hoga, o mere te vajni hi vajni aa (The bullet that has my name written on it will strike only me).’”‘
He further added, “On our way to Mehsampur, we saw posters of the film Patola. I pointed them out to him. Chamkila was a part of that film, and he said that after the show, we’d all go to watch it together. But that time never came. Before the show, we decided to eat.”
Lal Chand recalled that after eating, they headed to the venue in a car and once they reached the destination, the shooting began. Lal recalled, “Everybody exited the car, including Chamkila. Amarjot and I were the only ones still inside. I stepped out and opened the boot to take my dhol, Amarjot was still inside. No sooner had I picked up the dhol, I saw from the corner of my eye a man with a covered face pull a machine gun out and start firing. I bolted from the spot, but as I was trying to find cover, I saw Amarjot get hit. She was just about to step out of the car.”
Lal continued, “I could hear them swearing at Chamkila while they were shooting. They shot him in the back, but before being hit, he looked at Amarjot and noticed the blood coming out of her. He asked, ‘Babbi, tenu ki hoya (Babbi, what happened to you)?’ I never knew before then that this is what Chamkila called Amarjot.”
Meanwhile, News18 gave the film 3.5/5 stars. Our review of the film read, “Diljit delivers a stupendous act as the protagonist. The character of Amar Singh Chamkila is tailor-made for him and he pours his heart out into it. His hard work is palpable and yet his performance is effortless. Watching him become Chamkila and sing his songs will fill your heart up with unadulterated joy. Even in some heavy-weight scenes, he brings a rare restraint to the fore and renders a whole new layer of poise. It, inarguably, is his career-best performance. And somewhere in the middle, you will see him becoming one with Chamkila and very soon, you won’t be able to separate these forces that forever changed the music industry of Punjab.”
The film Amar Singh Chamkila is directed by Imtiaz Ali and is available to be streamed on Netflix.
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