Diljit Dosanjh To Star In Netflix Music Biopic ‘Amar Singh Chamkila’

Rising Indian musician and film star Diljit Dosanjh will play legendary Punjabi singer Amar Singh Chamkila in a new biopic supported by Netflix. The streamer revealed the project on Tuesday, along with an early teaser trailer (watch it below), describing the film as one that features “the true untold story of the original rock star of the Punjab masses.”

Amar Singh Chamkila, as the film is titled, is directed by Hindi hitmaker Imtiaz Ali, who reunites in the project with acclaimed musician and composer AR Rahman, who will be handling the score and score of the film. The duo have already worked together to great success, as director and composer, on Bollywood blockbusters such as Rock star (2011) e Highway (2014).

Diljit, whose international profile got a boost in April when he became the first Punjabi artist to do so perform at Coachella, will sing some of his songs in the title role. Parineeti Chopra plays the female lead in the film and she will also perform some original music, according to Netflix.

“Amar Singh Chamkila is set to become a great film for Netflix India and collaborating with the talents associated with this film has been very rewarding,” said Ruchikaa Kapoor Sheikh, Director of Original Films, Netflix India, in a statement. “Our partnership with Imitiaz Ali about Chamkila’s provocative personality and story has been an exciting process Netflix’s goal is to bring stories from all over India to our local audience and we are confident that the magnetism of this story will also arouse the interest of the loving audience of cinema all over the world”.

The real Amar Singh Chamkila was born into poverty in 1960 and went on to become one of the most popular singers the northern Indian state of Punjab has ever produced. Her frank depictions of village life in his lyrics—he often sang of extramarital affairs, youthful angst, and drug use—delighted fans of his while angering more conservative factions. In 1988, at the height of his fame, he was shot and murdered at the age of 27. His wife and two of his band members were also killed, and the murders remain unsolved.

“The film follows the mad popularity of Chamkila’s daring songs which society can neither ignore nor digest,” said Ali. “By having Netflix as my partner, I am honored to bring our story to millions of viewers not only in India but across the globe.”

Diljit added, “Playing Amar Singh Chamkila was one of the most challenging experiences of my life.”

The script for Amar Singh Chamkila is co-written by Imtiaz Ali and Sajid Ali. The film’s producers for Netflix, which will release the film worldwide on its service in 2024, include Mohit Choudhary, Select Media Holdings, Saregama and Reliance Entertainment.