"Who decides what should people listen to?"
A really well made biopic about an artist who was a victim of cancel culture in the worst way. Imtiaz Ali tells the story of Amar Singh Chamkila, a musician who became the highest selling artist of Punjab by writing and performing vulgar songs. He was not the only one writing such songs, nor were his songs the most distasteful in the industry. But he was the one who gained the most popularity. And so, had to suffer the consequences.
And in telling this person's story, Ali doesn't take his side by justifying his lyrics. He doesn't make a hero out of Chamkila. He just presents him as he was. An artist who created music according to the audience's taste. An ordinary person who did not have the luxury to think about rights and wrongs. He just produced what he saw and heard around him.
Ali's choice of using animation, documentary styled storytelling, and real life footages makes the film work quite well. Diljit Dosanjh and Parineeti Chopra do commendable works in portraying their characters. The decision of making them sing the songs is praiseworthy.
Add to that the original music of AR Rahman, and lyrics penned by Irshad Kamil that capture the essence of the events and the Punjabi culture extremely well. The editing is some of the best you'll find in an Indian film. On a technical standpoint, this is one of the better biopics to come out of Bollywood.
"Not everyone can afford to think about right and wrong. Some people just need to survive."
A really well made biopic about an artist who was a victim of cancel culture in the worst way. Imtiaz Ali tells the story of Amar Singh Chamkila, a musician who became the highest selling artist of Punjab by writing and performing vulgar songs. He was not the only one writing such songs, nor were his songs the most distasteful in the industry. But he was the one who gained the most popularity. And so, had to suffer the consequences.
And in telling this person's story, Ali doesn't take his side by justifying his lyrics. He doesn't make a hero out of Chamkila. He just presents him as he was. An artist who created music according to the audience's taste. An ordinary person who did not have the luxury to think about rights and wrongs. He just produced what he saw and heard around him.
Ali's choice of using animation, documentary styled storytelling, and real life footages makes the film work quite well. Diljit Dosanjh and Parineeti Chopra do commendable works in portraying their characters. The decision of making them sing the songs is praiseworthy.
Add to that the original music of AR Rahman, and lyrics penned by Irshad Kamil that capture the essence of the events and the Punjabi culture extremely well. The editing is some of the best you'll find in an Indian film. On a technical standpoint, this is one of the better biopics to come out of Bollywood.
"Not everyone can afford to think about right and wrong. Some people just need to survive."