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Amar Singh Chamkila's dholak player recalls tragic incident of singer and wife Amarjot's shooting: reveals his last words
Amar Singh Chamkila's close friend and his dholak player recounted the dreadful day and disclosed how the singer had already braced himself for his demise. Read to know more.
Imtiaz Ali's recently released biopic, Amar Singh Chamkila, starring Diljit Dosanjh and Parineeti Chopra, premiered on Netflix on April 12, 2024. The movie had already generated a lot of buzz, with high anticipation to uncover the life of the late legendary singer and his wife, Amarjot. Chamkila opened to rave reviews from fans, critics, and celebrities alike. The movie begins with the exact scene of the tragic shooting of Amar Singh Chamkila and Amarjot, followed by a close friend describing the life story of the slain singer.
Now, as shown in the movie itself, Lal Chand, the dholak player who was with Amar Singh Chamkila when he passed away, often shares his memories of the folk singer. It was in 1988 when Chamkila and his wife, Amarjot, were shot in Mehsampur, Punjab. Lal Chand himself was injured during the incident. In an old interview, Chand opened up and narrated the whole incident that occurred that day.
Amar Singh Chamkila got death threats
In a conversation with Noble TV Canada in 2020, Lal Chand opened up about the threats that Chamkila was getting before his death. Chand also revealed that Chamkila rose to fame in Punjab with his songs and there were numerous goons who extorted money from him.
Lal recalled that as Chamkila became more popular, there was already a lot of political trouble in Punjab, especially in 1984 when riots against Sikhs broke out in North India. Lal recounted the horrific day when Chamkila died and how he managed to escape from the place where Chamkila was killed. He also shared his thoughts about who might have been responsible, or who might not have been. But even now, nobody knows for sure who was responsible for his death.
Amar Singh Chamkila's last words before being shot
Lal said, "We all got to the office around lunchtime. Chamkila arrived, and we hung out for about 10 minutes before heading to the show. Right before we left, Chamkila told everyone not to worry. "He said, ‘I sing the songs, not you. Jis goli pe mera naam likheya hoga, o mere te vajni hi vajni aa (The bullet that has my name written on it will strike only me).’
He further added, "On our way to Mehsampur, we saw posters of the film Patola. I pointed them out to him. Chamkila was a part of that film, and he said that after the show, we’d all go to watch it together. But that time never came. Before the show, we decided to eat.”
The group decided to stop at a nearby house for a meal, not knowing it would be Chamkila and Amarjot's last. When they heard the final show's venue was ready, they crowded into a car and drove a short distance. They parked the car on the side of the road. That's when the bullets started flying.
Lal narrated, "Everybody exited the car, including Chamkila. Amarjot and I were the only ones still inside. I stepped out and opened the boot to take my dhol, Amarjot was still inside. No sooner had I picked up the dhol, I saw from the corner of my eye a man with a covered face pull a machine gun out and start firing. I bolted from the spot, but as I was trying to find cover, I saw Amarjot get hit. She was just about to step out of the car."
Lal continued, "I could hear them swearing at Chamkila while they were shooting. They shot him in the back, but before being hit, he looked at Amarjot and noticed the blood coming out of her. He asked, ‘Babbi, tenu ki hoya (Babbi, what happened to you)?’ I never knew before then that this is what Chamkila called Amarjot."
Amar Singh Chamkila starring Diljit Dosanjh and Parineeti Chopra released on Netflix on April 12, 2024. The movie is directed by Imitiaz Ali.
ALSO READ: Amar Singh Chamkila Review: Diljit Dosanjh and Parineeti Chopra's musical-drama is fresh and quirky
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