Actor-singer Diljit Dosanjh is all set to appear in Imtiaz Ali’s upcoming directorial venture, Amar Singh Chamkila. Based on the untold true story of the late Punjabi singer, Diljit will be seen portraying the titular role. Recently, at a press conference, the actor-singer opened up about his experience working on the film with the ace director. During this time, Diljit also shared that he was worried about the director suing him for making Jodi (2023), a film with a fictional take on Amar Singh Chamkila.
Noting that he thought that a film on Amar Singh Chamkila couldn’t be made in Hindi, Diljit said, “I thought I knew a lot about Chamkila before meeting him (Imtiaz Ali). When we got to know that a Bollywood film is being made on Chamkila, we wondered what they would make. We have made a fictional film named Jodi, as we didn’t have the rights. We also wondered how they would make Punjabi songs in Hindi, as we couldn’t recreate them as we had already made them.”
The actor further recalled receiving a call from Imtiaz Ali, adding that he thought that the filmmaker would sue him. “I thought he would sue us, as he had the rights to the story, but we didn’t have it. But he said that he wanted to cast me in the film. I told him, ‘We already have the story. If you still think that you want to make a film with me, then we will see,” Diljit continued.
He also went on to admit how his perspective changed after hearing Imtiaz’s idea for the film. “His perspective was different. It was Chamkila’s story. I felt that I didn’t know well. Amar Singh Chamkila would write his own music, play it himself, and also perform it on stage. He was a big artist. So it was a matter of pride for me and my people. When sir gave him the role, I just surrendered to his vision,” he concluded.
Talking about the film, Amar Singh Chamkila also features actress Parineeti Chopra, who plays the role of Chamkila’s wife, Amarjot. She was also a proficient singer, and she would often collaborate with her husband. Both Amarjot and Amar Singh Chamkila were assassinated in the 1980s.