Imtiaz Ali Asked Parineeti Chopra To Gain 10 Kg For Amar Singh Chamkila: No Girl Would've Done It

Imtiaz Ali's recent directorial Chamkila is all set to debut on Netflix on April 12. The film is headlined by Parineeti Chopra and Diljit Dosanjh. Days before the release of the movie, the cast and crew came together for the trailer launch event in Mumbai. At the event, the filmmaker recalled the condition he put forth in front of Parineeti before signing her on the film. 

Imtiaz Ali asked Parineti Chopra to put on 10 kgs for Chamkila 

Chamkila essays the story of Amar Singh Chamkila, Punjab’s original rockstar, who emerged from the shadows of poverty and rose to the heights of popularity. Parineeti Chopra plays the role of his co-singer Amarjot Kaur. Talking about the role, Imtiaz Ali asserted that the Ishaqzaadde actress claimed she waited 5 years to star in a film where she could also get to sing. 

However, the filmmaker claimed that they wanted Parineeti to look the part and so she was required to gain 10 kgs of weight. He added, “maine bola – bahut aasaan kaam hai, samose, malai, chaat yeh sab khaana shuru karo (it’s very easy, star eating samosa, chaa), since you have to gain some 10 kilo weight. No girl would have done it, no guy would have done it, for an actor to put on that much weight.”

Chamkila trailer depicts the story of Punjab’s Elvis Presley 

The Chamkila trailer shows a young man (Diljit Dosanjh) from a Punjab village invited to perform at a local event. Despite his objections to being called Chamkila, he decides to proceed. Surprisingly, his music enthrals the village, especially the women, although some criticize the provocative lyrics. Eventually, he joins forces with singer Amarjot Kaur.

Speaking about the journey of creating Amar Singh Chamkila, Imtiaz Ali said, "Stories of young musicians that challenge the norms of society, who see unprecedented success and then have violent ends is, unfortunately, a worldwide phenomenon. The life and times of Chamkila raised important questions for society but ultimately it is a celebration of the life of an artist, the story of a musician who could never give up his first love - music." Amar Singh Chamkila is set to stream on the OTT platform Netflix from April 12. The film has been produced by Mohit Choudhary, Select Media Holdings LLP, Saregama, and Window Seat Films. The music of the film is available on Saregama.

(With inputs from agencies)