Diljit Dosanjh is ruling the world of music not only in India but overseas as well. In 1980s, Amar Singh Chamkila ruled the Punjabi music scene. This is perhaps why Imtiaz Ali chose Dosanjh for a biopic on the singer, hailed as Elvis of Punjab who once did 366 shows in 365 days at his peak.
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Who is Amar Singh Chamkila whose role Diljit Dosanjh will play in Imtiaz Ali’s Nextbiopic
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How he began his singing career!
Born as Dhanni Ram in Durgi village of Ludhiana, Punjab, Singing wasn’t Dhanni first choice. Chamkila wanted to become an electrician in his young days, but he failed to do so. He then worked at a cloth mill. At the age of 18, he met legendary Punjabi singer Surinder Shinda, who then and there he had discovered a gem.
Shina then hired him to work for him. Chamkila would write songs for him. He also worked with legends like K Deep and Mohammad Sadiq. However, he decided to go solo after he felt he was being sidelined.
He then worked with female vocalist Surinder Sonia, who pushed him to release his first debut album, Takue Te Takua in 1980.
He adopted Amar Singh Chamkila as his stage name.
However, within months, he decided to part ways with her as he felt that he was underpaid by Sonia’s manager and husband.
Amarjot Kaur and Chamkila – the hit Jodi who did about 366 shows in 365 days
His popularity grew multifold after he partnered with Amarjot Kaur. This association was the one for the keeps. They became a hit pair. So much so, that their popularity grew not only in Punjab but overseas. At that time, he did about 366 shows in 365 days. They would together charge Rs 4,000 per performance, which according to today’s value would be close to a million rupees.
His songs were suggestive and double-meaning and also made commentary on religion drugs, alcohol and extramarital affairs.
In one of his songs titled Baba Tera Nankana, he questions Baba Nanak on why he didn’t bring Hindus and Muslims together on the same platform to teach them there wasn’t any difference between them.
A cult fan following
Chamkila was not just doing paid shows, he was also making free appearances in rural areas in open-air concerts. This is the reason why his popularity grew multifold amid the unrest in the state.
The downfall and death – Chamkila was killed by motorcycle-borne assailants with AK47s
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His competitors saw him as a threat. This was the time when insurgency and the Khalistan movement in Punjab were at their peak. Several Khalistani leader didn’t were against his suggestive lyrics and they would send him threats and extort money in the name of protection.
Despite escaping many threats, Amarjot and Chamkila were killed by motorcycle-borne assailants with AK47s on March 8, 1988. Until today, no one knows who killed them. While some say he was killed by Khalistani terrorists as he denied paying protection money, others say Amarjot’s family killed them in the name of honour. Some even say that their rivals paid to get him killed.
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