Amar Singh Chamkila has left audiences with a lot of hope in cinema, again. From the story and actors, to the music, there’s clearly a lot to like. If anything, it feels like Imtiaz Ali is back to doing the kind of work that his fans love. However, the film has particularly found love, for its effort in making the story-telling special. We may or may not have known Chamkila, but there’s some essence of the singer that we could sense after watching the film. A lot of this credit goes to the simpler details that were taken care of.
These facts about the filming are just some examples:
1. The film was shot at real locations.
Amar Singh Chamkila was an ode to the Punjabi singer who, in a way, changed the music of Punjab. His story was significant to the place, and hence the setting. Keeping in touch with that, Imtiaz Ali used the exact locations where events took place – for a number of events. For instance, the scene of Chamkila and Amarjot’s assassination was shot at the same spot it happened.
2. Song that were sung by Diljit and Parineeti as Chamkila and Amarjot were recorded live on sets.
To keep the essence of Chamkila and Amarjot’s work intact, A.R. Rahman made sure that their songs were recorded live on sets. So, the original compositions were recreated by the actors, and they lend their voices for the songs.
3. The making of Vida Karo has a beautiful ‘secret’.
Imtiaz Ali talked about how the song was created. It all happened in A.R. Rahman’s studio where he was sitting with Imtiaz Ali and Irshad Kamil. Rahman suggested switching off the lights and jamming, surrounded by diyas. During their jamming session, Irshad Kamil came up with the lyrics, and according to Imtiaz Ali it’s the first song where no lyrics were changed at all.
4. Imtiaz Ali kept a number of original dialogues that were told to him.
The director also shared that he met Chamkila’s band, family and friends for his research. For that to happen, he had to meet people multiple times. In doing so, he was told things and lines that he also added in the film. For instance, “Meri bad-dua se mara hai Chamkila” and “Uss din mujhe samajh mein aa gaya ki Chamkila pagal ho gaya hai” were actually told to him.
5. People reached out to him to add to the research.
Reportedly, when the shooting for Amar Singh Chamkila began, people also reached out to the team to add to the research. The director shared an anecdote where a person who had Chamkila’s records, came to the shoot and offered his collection.
6. The film used the same mic supply company who used to supply mics for Chamkila’s shows.
A person who worked on the promotions of the film, shared that the mics used in Amar Singh Chamkila, the film, were from the same supply company as the ones used in Chamkila’s shows. This tiny detail may have had a small impact on the story-line and visuals as a whole. However, knowing that the story was treated with enough love and respect, to care about even the smallest things, feels good. In the sense that the creators also cared about the experience they were delivering their audiences.
7. Amar Singh Chamkila is also Mohit Chauhan’s acting debut.
For those who haven’t spotted the singer yet, Mohit Chauhan is also an actor in the film. He can be seen in segments where the villagers grow to like Chamkila. When the film starts, he is also seen as a local singer who, as Baaja plays on-screen. He plays a sikh character, and people are intrigued by his acting skills as well.
Cinema requires more empathy than we account for it, and it’d create real difference if enough creators recognized that.