Amar Singh Chamkila, which has released today on Netflix, is the story of the most popular singer of Punjab. Imtiaz Ali gets back in great form with this flick. He gives a very stylish treatment to the film that adds to the fun. He treats the audience with back-and-forth narrative, big bold texts on screen that translate lyrics of Chamkila’s songs in the performance scenes, animation, use of real-life footage and characters breaking the fourth wall. A R Rahman‘s music is another USP (watch out for ‘Naram Kaalja‘; can’t stop listening to it) and the same goes for the larger point that Imtiaz tries to make. On the flipside, a few aspects of Chamkila’s life are not depicted properly and come up all of a sudden. The length is a major problem, especially in the second half. Also, the execution is such that it takes a while to get used to it. Diljit Dosanjh is outstanding and gets into the skin of the character and how. Parineeti Chopra is a surprise and she not only delivers a fine performance but also sings well, that too live. Anuraag Arora (DSP Dalbir Singh) shines. Anjum Batra (Tikki), Apinderdeep Singh (Swaran Singh Sivia), Udaybir Sandhu (Jatinder Jinda) and Nisha Bano (Sonia) also do well. All in all, Amar Singh Chamkila is a great and stylish effort and is worth watching.
My rating – *** ½ out of 5!