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Imtiaz Ali defends Amar Singh Chamkila and his songs, says ‘He was not a s**ist kind of a person’
According to Imtiaz Ali, legendary Punjabi singer Amar Singh Chamkila didn't always objectify women, as alleged. The filmmaker shared his two cents on Chamkila's songs being tagged as vulgar.
The audience highly lauded Imtiaz Ali for making them meet the ‘Elvis of Punjab’ by staying true to his character and story. But throughout the film, we see how society became a roadblock in the career of Amar Singh Chamkila by alleging that he sang vulgar songs and objectified women.
In a recent interview, the filmmaker defended the late legendary Punjabi singer who inspired the musical film Amar Singh Chamkila. Read on!
Imtiaz Ali says women were not always objectified in Amar Singh Chamkila’s songs
In the musical drama Amar Singh Chamkila, Imtiaz Ali not only narrated the life of the iconic singer of Punjab but also showcased his mistakes. The movie also became a window into how he fought societal bias and prejudice toward his work, which, according to him, was not flawed. While talking to Mid-Day, Ali shared his two cents on Chamkila being tagged as vulgar and s**ist.
The filmmaker divulged, “He might be saying things that were not acceptable to society, but he was not a s**ist kind of a person. He was quite liberal in his way. You must have noticed that even during the performances, it was the woman who was teasing the man first. His and Amarjot’s songs were more of play-acting.”
Imtiaz Ali referred to his sing Patt Deon Chugath Ni and stated, “This old man says he is young and virile, and the woman is making fun of him. It is not like the women were always being objectified. It’s a very equal relationship.”
Imtiaz Ali says Chamkila was singing double-meaning songs
In the same interview, Ali stated, “Okay, he was singing double-meaning songs. You can judge him. But let’s go beyond this.” He further added that for hundreds of years, not only in Punjab but also across different states of India, shaadi and sangeet songs have always been vulgar. “Women are naughtier than men, and their naughtiness comes through music and song which they enjoy,” he stated.
Stating another fact about the character, Ali said that his women are not dumb and are smarter. “They’re teasing the men, and the man is being made fun of.”
When asked about the scene between Chamkila and the journalist, the filmmaker said he showed it the exact way he heard it from people. “She got startled by the fact that the man who is known for objectification of women is unable to look at her because she is wearing jeans.”
Imtiaz Ali clarifies why he didn’t glorify Amar Singh Chamkila
In the same interview, Ali revealed that he never wanted to make it a biopic. However, in Chamkila’s story, there were so many things to say that he felt he should address the things that had been hidden from the audience.
Having said that, he added, “When depicting someone’s life, you should have the liberty not to change the facts but to represent all aspects of them. If you don’t show the mistakes they made, then what’s the point of glorifying them?”
He also very clearly stated that he wanted to tell the human side of the iconic singer, which comes with flaws and negative points. “I did not set out to make him come across as this neat and clean person, which he was not. This is also because I knew a few intrinsic good qualities of him. He has flaws.”
He further added, “Sometimes it is the flaws and irregularities in a character that endear them to the audience. Then they know that this guy is human, thus enabling them to relate to and root for them.”
Amar Singh Chamkila stars Diljit Dosanjh as the eponymous character with Parineeti Chopra playing the role of his wife Amarjot Kaur.
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