Even before its release, Amar Singh Chamkila, the film, has given us a beautiful music album – which only makes us look forward to the story, even more. The story of the singer is not a simple one, and there’s a lot that is still not shared. Amar Singh Chamkila found fame for his distinctive lyrical style, powerful vocals, innovative melodies, and the skilled use of the Tumbi instrument. He was also widely regarded as one of the most important figures in Punjabi music, renowned for his influential presence on stage and live performances. Before changing his stage name, he used to go by Dhani Ram.
Dhani Ram or Amar Singh Chamkila grew up finding financial difficulties in his family. He also worked as a laborer to support his parents, and later at a cloth mill. However, he still pursued music while working for a wage. The start to his musical career was a time when he collaborated with renowned folk singer Shinda. Chamkila would initially assist with stage arrangements and lyric writing.
This collaboration helped him start a successful career as a songwriter for Shinda. Shinda then toured Canada in the early 1980s. Chamkila, on the other hand, recorded four songs with his partner, Sonia. This also led to the rise of Dhani Ram as a star, when he adopted the stage name Chamkila.
After the four songs, the music label released another tape titled Baapu Saada Gum Ho Gaya, featuring Chamkila and Sonia. Their style garnered significant popularity, and people wanted them to perform at weddings and other events. The singers separated after a while – given that Chamkila was paid a lot less than Sonia. After separating ways, Chamkila teamed up with emerging singer Amarjot Kaur, who was known for her collaboration with Kuldeep Manak.
This collaboration was a big deal at the time. Their debut album, Bhul Gayi Main Ghund Kadna, featured the Pahile Lalkare Naal Main Darr Gayi. Chamkila was already a music legend in Punjab.
On personal front, Amar Singh Chamkila had two marriages. His first wife was Gurmail Kaur, with whom he had two daughters, Amandeep Kaur and Kamaldeep Kaur. Later, he married Amarjot Kaur without finalizing his divorce from his first wife. Together, they had a son named Jaiman Chamkila. In an interview, Gurmail Kaur shared that her family didn’t mind Chamkila pursuing music. It was after their marriage, that he started singing for more gigs. She added, “I didn’t mind it when Chamkila and Amarjyot would perform together.”
Chamkila penned his own lyrics, which often portrayed playful and suggestive commentary on topics such as infidelity, alcohol, and drug use. These themes were expressed with a certain level of fluency in his writing style. Gurmail had also shared that Chamkila liked writing his songs so much that, at times, he would sit all night and work on these songs under a candle. The choice, theme and lyrics of his songs were often called out for being too out there, for the time. A large group of the society found them vlugar and that drew flak.
This even resulted to a number of controversies, to the point that he was warned to stop. Amar Singh Chamkila continued with the themes, and carried on with the lyrics that were deemed “too bold” or “corrupting”. His songs, even with folk music, had double meanings to them – and that was one of the reasons for the controversies.
Despite being questioned for their work, the Chamkila-Amarjot duet saw popularity in a very short while. On March 8, 1988, they were shot and killed in Mehsampur, Punjab while getting out of a car. The people who killed them opened fire, resulting in their immediate deaths. However, the perpetrators of the shooting remain unknown, and the case remains unsolved.