Imtiaz Ali Confesses Uncertainty about Casting Diljit Dosanjh as Amar Singh Chamkila

Amar Singh Chamkila is one of the highly anticipated films of the year, featuring Diljit Dosanjh in the lead role. This film delves into the untold true story of Punjab’s original rockstar, who captivated the masses. However, in a recent interview with Pinkvilla, director Imtiaz Ali revealed that he initially had doubts about casting Diljit in the lead role, questioning whether he would be able to do justice to it. Imtiaz mentioned, “I also feel when I watch them together or separately that I couldn’t have imagined or there could’ve been nobody who could’ve played Chamkila or Amarjot except for Diljit and Parineeti. However, I wasn’t sure whether it’s gonna work out with Diljit for some reason. I thought he might not be able to do it, etc.”

However, Imtiaz’s perception changed after meeting the actor. He shared, “So I didn’t approach him in the beginning, but it’s a little later that I did. The moment I spoke to him, it was just like a different chapter, and now it’s a sure shot thing, and now I really can’t imagine anybody else doing it.”

Amar Singh Chamkila is based on the real-life story of the Punjabi singer and his wife, who were tragically assassinated at a young age. Speaking about the film at a Netflix event, Imtiaz mentioned, “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.”

Amar Singh Chamkila is set to release on Netflix on April 12. The film is produced by Mohit Choudhary, Select Media Holdings LLP, Saregama, and Window Seat Films.