Imtiaz Ali is enjoying the success of his recent film, Amar Singh Chamkila, based on the life of the famous Punjabi singer known for his impactful music and controversial life. In a recent interview, Imtiaz shared his nervousness about showing the film to Chamkila’s first wife, Gurmail Kaur, fearing her reaction to sensitive scenes. However, he was relieved when Chamkila’s family members expressed their happiness and hugged him after watching the film together. Reflecting on the experience, Imtiaz, in a chat with Zoom, said that he was worried about some scenes but was glad that they liked how Chamkila was portrayed.
“Chamkila’s family was at the screening. His first wife Gurmail Kaur was there. Amarjot and Chamkila’s son Jaiman Chamkila was there. Chamkila’s daughters were also there. When we were watching the film, his first wife was sitting right next to me and I was thinking that there are some sensitive scenes in the film, should I just pull back or go back before she attacks me. But when the screening got over, she hugged me and everybody was so happy with the way that Chamkila was portrayed because we were hoping that they like it,” he told the entertainment portal.
The director also appreciated Chamkila’s family for not getting involved in his storytelling. He said that he didn’t soften Chamkila’s story because that was the purpose of the film. “I have not whitewashed Chamkila because that was the point of making the film. He has done a lot of things that can be judged but I let it be like that in the film and it’s actually credit to the family that they understood it. They knew that it’s factual and they did not stop me in any way,” he said.
From 1979 to 1988, Chamkila was a big name in Punjab’s music scene. His songs talked about various parts of village life, like drugs, guns, affairs, dowry, drinking, and masculinity. Sadly, in 1988, Chamkila and his wife Amarjot were killed by unknown people in Mehsampur village, Punjab.
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