Punjabi singer-actor Diljit Dosanjh spoke at a press meet for Netflix and opened up about his initial apprehensions about the Imtiaz Ali-directorial.
Imtiaz Ali’s Diljit Dosanjh and Parineeti Chopra-starrer Amar Singh Chamkila will premiere on Netflix on April 12. The film is based on the life of the titular singer, who was assassinated at age 27. Talking about the biopic at a press meet, Diljit stated that he was initially apprehensive about how the film would be made. (Also Read: Heeramandi and Murder Mubarak to Bollywood Wives and Do Patti: Netflix announces 8 films, 14 series for 2024)
‘I thought I knew Chamkila’
India Today quoted Diljith as saying, “I thought I knew a lot about Chamkila before I met Imtiaz sir. Humein jab pata chala ki Bollywood mein film bann rahi hai Chamkila, toh humein laga ki ye kya banayenge? Hum banayenge, humne Jodi film banayi hai, jiske humein rights nahi mile toh humne fiction bana di. (When I learnt Bollywood is making a film on Chamkila, I wondered what they would make. I made it, I made a film called Jodi, I didn’t get the rights for it, so I turned it fictional.) I thought they wouldn’t be able to make it. When the pandemic hit and Jodi wasn’t released, I got a call from Imtiaz sir. I thought I was getting sued but he wanted to cast me in his film instead.”
Diljith admits that he changed his mind once he heard Imtiaz’s idea for the film. “His perspective was different. It was Chamkila’s story, even I didn’t know that well. Amar Singh Chamkila wrote his own music, played it himself, and performed it on stage. So, the fact that such a big film was going to be made on him was a matter of pride for me and my people. I just surrendered to Imtiaz sir’s vision,” he said.