A requiem for Chamkila whose legend glitters on

Lyricist and singer Amar Singh Chamkila is in focus again with filmmaker Imtiaz Ali releasing the teaser of his upcoming film; his associates and fans look back with love at the performer hailed as the Elvis of Punjab villages

Born in 1960 to a poor Dalit Ramdasia family of Dugri village near Ludhiana, he was named Dhuni Ram and educated only till class five. He laboured in hosiery factories of Ludhiana and went on to become the most popular singer and stage performer in the 1980s, with the stage name Amar Singh Chamkila.

The duet singers Amar Jot and Amar Singh Chamkila at the height of their popularity. (HT File)

He recorded his first album in 1979 and since then, there was no looking back for this handsome and talented youth. He ruled the vibrant music scene of Punjab and was the highest record selling artiste. He was the first choice for stage shows and as the legend goes, he performed 366 times in 365 days of the year.

However, the journey was cut short at Mesampur village when he arrived to perform on May 18, 1988. He was getting out of the car with his wife and singing partner Amar Jot, when three disguised men riding a motorcycle shot him, his wife and two artistes of his group. All four were killed and the case was never solved. Those were the times of militancy in Punjab but in hindsight, it was felt that it was his popularity and the resultant jealousy that led to his killing when he was just 27. He rose like a star but met with the fate of a shooting star. However, his songs remain popular still.

Recalling his rise to fame, Charanjeet Ahuja, the famous music director now settled in Mohali, says, “His was a rare talent as a writer and singer and he was a very warm and loving person. The allegation that his songs were risque was not the cause for his assassination. The truth was that he had left all other contemporaries behind and become the target of envy”. Ahuja recalled that Chamkila was receiving death threats and had spent a month-and-a-half with him in Delhi rather than staying in a hotel. “That was the last meeting with me because he was killed a few days after he left Delhi. It was a great loss as Chamkila had miles to go.”

Dismissing the charge of vulgarity in his songs, writer-commentator Des Raj Kali points out: “That has always been the case with artistes catering to rural audiences from Yamla Jat to Gurmeet Bawa.” He says that he catered to the new rich peasantry of the post Green Revolution era, and adds that if the culture of the agrarian class with new riches is to be defined, then the songs of Chamkila are the greatest source.

Chamkila and Amar Jot proved to be a rare entertaining team and duets were their forte. Such was his popularity that if he was not available, people would shift the date of the weddings as no wedding was complete without him. It is to be seen how Ali defines Chamkila in his film with Diljit Doshanjh playing the lead along with Parineeti Chopra. Audiences await the recreation of Chamkila’s music by Oscar winning music-composer AR Rahman

Incidentally, Dosanjh is also the actor for Jodi, a biopic of Chamkila by Ambardeep Singh which has bewitched the overseas Punjabi audiences with a whopping collection of USD 734,000.

Kabir Singh Chowdhury with Kesar Singh Tiki, a percussionist who worked with Chamkila. (HT Photo)

City filmmaker’s offbeat dirge to Mehsampur

In the season of films on Chamkila, it must be remembered that one of the earliest cinematic tribute to the life and times of the artiste who scaled great heights and was brutally killed with his team in Mehsampur, came from a young man with a camera in hand -- Kabir Singh Chowdhry, and his team. It was an experimental film made in 2017 and named Mehsampur, the village where the killings took place.

The film was widely screened at film festivals and also won appreciation for its experimental treatment in which along with the story of the assassinated singer told by his associates is also the dark subculture of village life with the liquor shops, guns and violence.

Chowdhury recalls that it was a rare experience making the film with many of the villagers warning the team that they were treading on dark territory. The film had its great moments while filming the musicians who were Chamkila’s friends and remembered him with love. Although appreciated, the film is not available for view as Chowdhry says it has run into a copyright problem which is likely to be solved soon.