Who was Amar Singh Chamkila, Punjab's highest-selling musician killed at 27, played by Diljit Dosanjh in new film?

The first look of Diljit Dosanjh’s upcoming musical biopic Amar Singh Chamkila was released on Tuesday morning. The film, directed by Imtiaz Ali, will tell the story of the man who was at one time, the highest record selling musician in Punjab. Widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential artistes in the Punjabi music industry, Chamkila was murdered at the age of 27.

Who was Amar Singh Chamkila?

Born Dhani Ram in July 1960, Chamkila was the youngest son Kartar Kaur and Hari Singh Sandila in the Dugri village near Ludhiana. After completing his primary education in the local school, young Dhani Ram harboured aspirations of becoming an electrician. However, he could only manage to find work at a cloth mill in Ludhiana. His career in music began only in his late teens.

Amar Singh Chamkila’s rise to fame

Dhani Ram adopted the stage name Amar Singh Chamkila in the late-1970s. Partnering with vocalist Surinder Sonia, he wrote and sang eight duets with her, which were released in the form of an album titled Takue Te Takua in 1980. The album was a massive success and made Chamkila an overnight star. Chamkila then had short-lived collaborations with established artistes like Miss Usha Kiran, Amar Noorie and others. In the mid-1980s, he was introduced to singer Amarjot Kaur, who became his permanent singing partner and later his wife. By the late-1980s, Chamkila was regarded as the most successful singer in Punjab, often doing over 30 stage shows a month. He was particularly popular in the rural belt of the state.

Amar Singh Chamkila’s assassination

On March 8, 1988, Chamkila and Amarjot were scheduled to perform in Mehsampur. At around 2pm, when they exited from their vehicle at the venue, they were guned down by motorcycle-born assailants. The couple was fatally injured and other members of the entourage were injured as well. Although investigation pointed towards alleged involvement of militants, no arrests were ever made in the case.

Amar Singh Chamkila’s legacy

Regarded as ‘Punjab’s Elvis’ by composerAmit Trivedi, Chamkila is widely considered to be one of the greatest singers from Punjab despite a relatively short career. His life was shown on screen in Mehsampur, a mockumentary by Kabir Singh Chowdhry, released in 2018. In 2024, he will be portrayed on screen by Diljit Dosanjh in his official biopic Amar Singh Chamkila. The Imtiaz Ali film stars Parineeti Chopra as Amarjot and will see music composed by AR Rahman. It will release on Netflix next year.