Weekend Reads: Five reasons why 'Amar Singh Chamkila' is a rage now and what makes Imtiaz Ali's film tick for the masses

After a string of flops, celebrated filmmaker Imtiaz Ali is back with a bang with the recently released film 'Amar Singh Chamkila'. The movie, which started streaming on Netflix last week, is based on the Punjabi singer Chamkila who was killed by unidentified assailants in 1988 and features Punjabi sensation Diljith Dosanjh in the titular role. While many are hailing the film as a masterpiece, we explore five reasons why the film is a must watch.

The engaging filmmaking and colourful style
Imitiaz Ali is a popular director and best known for his hit movies like 'Highway', 'Love Aaj Kal' and 'Jab We Met. While all his films have a specific flavour, 'Amar Singh Chamkila' is a mix and definitely one of his most appealing works till date. The dialogues, the style of filmmaking, the music and the tone of the movie, will definitely enthrall you.

One of the best musicals till date
Music is a staple of the Indian film industry, though Bollywood and other film industries can only boast of very few musicals till date. The film is peppered with songs that blend together to form a perfect musical. Chamkila describes his love for music in the way he utters, 'I sit and knit socks in a factor, although music plays in my mind 24*7'. The songs are all peppy and will grow into you, though the lyrics are definitely suggestive.

Music was composed by A R Rahman
A R Rahman continues to surprise us with the kind of music he makes. He recently composed music for the Malayalam movie 'Aadujeevitham' for which he opted several soul-stirring numbers. In 'Amar Singh Chamkila', he creates a pleasant, fun vibe with all his songs and manages to capture the attitude of the Punjabi folks of the 1970s and 1980s, who willingly accepted Chamkila's racy, yet peppy numbers. Irshad Kamil wrote the lyrics of the songs, while Diljith Dosanjh and Parineeti live-performed nearly 15 songs written by Chamkila in the movie.
The performances of the actors
Diljith Dosanjh is a well-loved musician and actor from Punjab. His songs are currently a rage among youngsters in the state. The multi-talented singer also proved his acting prowess in films like 'Udta Punjab', which is definitely why he fit the bill to play the real-life Chamkila. Parineeti Chopra too is exceptional in her role as Amarjot Kaur. Actor Anjum Batra who played Kesar Singh Tikki, Chamkila's sidekick in the film, has also won hearts.

A discourse on art and culture
The film provides a discourse on the growing fondness among Punjabi folk for alternative music during the 1970s and 80s. It also gives us a bird's-eye view of Chamkila's love for making suggestive songs, without beating around the bush.