Imtiaz Ali On The Infamous ‘Curse Of 27’: Chamkila Is Perhaps The Only Musician From India Who Is…

Imtiaz Ali is gearing up for the release of the film Amar Singh Chamkila. Headlined by Diljit Dosanjh and Parineeti Chopra, the film is based on the life of legendary Punjabi singer Amar Singh Chamkila. One of the most well-known artists from the state, the singer died a tragic death at the age of 27. Legend has it that other famous musicians across the globe like Kurt Cobain, Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, and Amy Winehouse also breathed their last at the age of 27. In an interview ahead of the film’s release, filmmaker Imtiaz Ali opened up about the connection between the Curse of 27 and the film. 

Imtiaz Ali on if he believes the ‘Curse of 27’ is a real thing 

Amar Singh Chamkila died at the age of 27, which makes him another addition to the 27 club or the ‘curse of 27’. Many prominent musicians like Kurt Cobain, Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, and Amy Winehouse left the world at the age of 27. Ask him if he believes that the curse of 27 is a real thing, Imtiaz told IANS: “Well, people do believe that the curse of 27 is a real thing but, I don't think that there is anything in particular which is magical or cursed about being a musician at 27. It has become a phenomenon and there are many musicians across the world who unfortunately are a part of the 27 club, who left the world at 27.”

Imtiaz continues, “Chamkila is perhaps the only musician from India who is part of that club, it is unfortunate but sadly it is a phenomenon. Another common thing between Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Amy Winehouse and Chamkila is that they were imminently popular and were at the peak of their careers when they departed. I always get intrigued as to why did it happen to these musicians. Is it because they achieved everything at such a tender age that life itself became unsustainable after that? Perhaps we will never know.”

Imtiaz Ali on collaborating with AR Rahman for the 3rd time

Amar Singh Chamkila, which is set to release on April 12, marks Imtiaz Ali’s third collaboration with the Oscar and Grammy-winning music composer A.R. Rahman after Rockstar and Tamasha. Both their earlier collaborations have gone on to become cult classics. Imtiaz told IANS that similar to the motif of his stories -- the journey is of the essence for him to work with Rahman, who works without a “safety-net”.

“if we talk about the way of working with Rahman, there hasn't actually been one. It's more of a process to explore the story, to explore the characters and the themes behind it. He is perhaps the only music director in the industry who works without a safety net. Every song has its own way forward. It’s never like ‘Oh remember we did that song like this, let’s try something similar’. It’s always a fresh idea, the spectrum of notes and the texture when we work together,” he said. Imtiaz continues, “After one song, one album, one film, I would like to think that now I have cracked the process of working with him but that's not the case and I am very grateful for that because as artistes, we constantly want to venture into the unknown because that’s where magic happens. When you work with Rahman, you get to experience the unknown and you get to derive from the unknown.”

(With inputs from IANS)