Gurmail Kaur, the first wife of the slain singer Amar Singh Chamkila, spoke about her interactions with Diljit Dosanjh over the years. She said that she met him on the sets of the film but mentioned that she has known him for many years, even before he gained fame. They would bump into each other at bank close to both their villages, where Diljit would touch her feet out of respect. He remembered their interactions when they met on set.
In an interview with the Love Punjab YouTube channel, Chamkila’s first wife said that watching Diljit play the slain singer sent a shiver down her spine. Chamkila was gunned down by armed assassins along with his second wife, Amarjot Kaur, in 1988. He was 27 years old, and the murder remains unsolved. Chamkila and Amarjot’s life is dramatised in the new film Amar Singh Chamkila, directed by Imtiaz Ali. His second marriage, and his choice to keep Gurmail Kaur hidden from Amarjot, is shown in the film as well.
Also read – Amar Singh Chamkila: Imtiaz Ali set out to make a movie about the slain singer, but he made a movie about himself instead
Gurmail said that Chamkila and Amarjot would often drop by her house, and that all three of them were together just a couple of days before the murders. Asked about Diljit playing her husband, she said that she was thrilled by the choice, because Diljit is quite loved. “Watching him play Chamkila sent a shiver down my spine. It felt like they’d chosen someone of equal stature to play him… He was dressed in the same way, he had the same haircut,” she said. Asked if she’ll hug him when she meets him in Mumbai for the film’s premiere, she said, “Of course. I hugged him when I met him on set as well. The boy knows me from before.”
Elaborating on her interactions with Diljit, who hails from a nearby town in Punjab, she said, “Diljit didn’t come to meet me after he started doing the film, but he used to meet me often earlier. He used to meet me at the Urban Estate bank. I would go there to get money, and the boy would be there. He would run over and touch my feet as a mark of respect.” She said that when she met Diljit on set, and asked if he remembers her, he said that he did.
She said that Imtiaz Ali would drop by during the making of the film, and when he was researching. Also starring Parineeti Chopra, Amar Singh Chamkila was released on Netflix to positive reviews on April 12.
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