EXCLUSIVE | Diljit Dosanjh: ‘Amar Singh Chamkila is bigger than Elvis Presley for us’

Being from Punjab and a musician yourself, how have you been inspired by Amar Singh Chamkila and his music?

I don’t think there is anyone who has not been inspired by his compositions and style of singing. Let’s put his choice of lyrics aside, the way he sang and pronounced each word was marvellous. Aisa nahin tha ki woh line nikal gayi, harkat aa gayi, lekin baat samajh mein nahin aayi (It was not like that line was over and no one understood what it meant). At times, harkat aacchi hoti hai par baat samajh mein nahin aati hai. I’m a fan of his pronunciation and compositions. Looking at his compositions, I think he was like a scientist.

How do you look at the legacy of Chamkila, who was called the ‘Elvis Presley of Punjab’?

For us, Chamkila is bigger than Elvis. More than me, it’s Imtiaz sir who did extensive preparations to tell the story of Chamkila. As a writer-director, he had absolute clarity regarding how he wanted to portray Chamkila on screen. I was familiar with Chamkila, who used to perform on stage. I didn’t know how he behaved or spoke in personal life. Since I’m an artiste myself, I don’t copy anyone. However, while playing the protagonist of his biopic, I had to become the character. For that, I received a lot of help from Imtiaz sir.

Imtiaz Ali and Diljit Dosanjh on the sets of Amar Singh Chamkila. (Photo: Netflix © 2024)

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What was Imtiaz’s brief to you regarding this role?

What I liked about Imtiaz sir was that when we were working on the movie, he used to mail me frequently about what might be going on in Chamkila’s mind. He must have spent a lot of time thinking about the film and its protagonist. I don’t know if this was meant to prepare me for the role or he was sharing his thoughts to help me in the characterisation of Chamkila. I still have those mails. He also shared some unseen photographs of Chamkila with me.

There are six original Hindi songs in the film. That apart, Parineeti Chopra, who plays Chamkila’s wife and co-singer Amarjot Kaur, and you sing a number of songs.

I used to ask (AR) Rahman sir how will he present Chamkila’s songs and how will the audience understand it. Then, I got to know that Chamkila’s songs, which are in Punjabi, will be shown as stage performances. While watching the film, the audience can get the meaning of Chamkila’s songs by reading the subtitles. The songs in the background are new compositions by Rahman sir and are written by Irshad Kamil. Mohit Chauhan has sung Ishq mitaye so well. There are several other wonderful songs.

What you sung during the filming is what we are going to hear. How was that experience?

When I was singing on stage, created as part of the set, during the shooting, I believed that I was performing as a musician and not acting. When I do shows, my focus is always on the music. But in this case, I had to be mindful about staying in character and memorising my lines. I was portraying Chamkila and singing his songs. I had to sing and act at the same time. I might have made some mistakes. But we have kept it raw without many takes.

Do you relate to the song Ishq mitaye?

Initially, I listened to the rough version of the song, which was not sung by Mohit. I thought this was an Imtiaz Ali film and its music was composed by Rahman. Now, if Mohit ji didn’t sing this song, then I would be heartbroken. He has not only sung so wonderfully but has also acted in it. He is wearing a pagdi and looks different. We exchange some lines, too. If you miss him in the film, watch it again and find him.

Also Read | Amar Singh Chamkila music review: An out-and-out an Irshad Kamil triumph, a brilliant expression of imagery

 

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Your social media posts are so much fun. Tell us how you create them, especially the one shot in Mumbai’s Dadar flower market.

We have a team which works on these posts. We decide on them collectively. There are times I suggest something but no one agrees. Then, we don’t pursue that idea. When the entire team gets excited about an idea, then we work on it. When we reached the Dadar flower market early in the morning that day, the vibe of the place was wonderful. Everyone was busy and in a hurry. It was a lovely experience.

You have been performing across the world, including at the Coachella Music Festival last year. How do you maintain your public connect?

Public connection is in our hands. We carry our phones with us which help us be on social media. We get connected with the followers and audience as much as we want through social media. This is one of the best ways to interact with the fans. When we want to disconnect, we can do that. Aapki marzi (your wish), don’t upload photos or post anything.