Imtiaz Ali reveals why he wanted Diljit Dosanjh to play Amar Singh Chamkila: 'He knows that...'

Filmmaker Imtiaz Ali has revealed that he chose Punjabi sensation Diljit Dosanjh in his streaming hit film Amar Singh Chamkila because he is a live performer and knows about the kind of energy that comes when performing in front of the audience. Ali talked about the film and the actor on Komal Nahta’s Game Changers Podcast. He revealed how he meticulously crafted the film’s musical sequences, particularly the songs sung by Diljit Dosanjh and Parineeti Chopra.

Asked about picturising the original Chamkila songs, Ali explained how he was inspired by live performances. He stated, "When I used to watch Chamkila's videos, which you can still find on YouTube, Chamkila and Amar Jyot's videos, because they used to sing and also speak in between the songs. Because they are singers, they’re singing or they said something in between or changed the singing style a little, which is the joy of a live performance. And a recorded performance is a fixed thing. But I wanted to shoot a live performance."

Ali went on to express why he specifically chose Diljit for the role. "I wanted Diljit Dosanjh in this film because he is a live performer. He knows that when you're singing live with an audience, the kind of energy that comes, you change it accordingly. And he has done such a fabulous job. Because he not only made the live performances live but also made it live how Chamkila used to do it."

Amar Singh Chamkila is a biographical drama film based on the life of musician Amar Singh Chamkila. Komal Nahta’s Game Changers streams on YouTube. Imtiaz's latest release is a short titled Jules, which features in the anthology My Melbourne.

My Melbourne has four stories about identity and belonging, inspired by true incidents in Melbourne, Australia. The film addresses themes of diversity, sexuality, gender, disability, and race, with each directed by Indian filmmakers Onir, Rima Das, Imtiaz Ali, and Kabir Khan.

(Except for the headline, the story hasn't been edited by DNA staff but published from IANS)