Imtiaz Ali’s “Amar Singh Chamkila” has received nominations at the International Emmys in two categories: ‘TV Movie/Mini-Series’ and ‘Best Performance by an Actor’ for Diljit Dosanjh.
Imtiaz Ali and Producer Mohit Choudhary at the International Emmys
Imtiaz, accompanied by producer Mohit Choudhary, participated in the 53rd International Emmy World Television Festival’s panel and medal ceremony. Speaking at the panel, Imtiaz expressed that “Amar Singh Chamkila” represents a love story between an art form and its artist.
He elaborated on the film’s remarkable journey, stating, “Netflix’s contribution to the film Amar Singh Chamkila is exceptional and irreplaceable. Initially, we were going through a lot of hiccups in making this film. But the moment Netflix stepped in and we decided to make this film direct-to-digital, all the problems disappeared. It was Netflix’s deep conviction in the subject that carried the film through, and they were relentless in their efforts and encouragement, which gave me the confidence to make the film exactly how I wanted to make it.”
Art and the Artist
Imtiaz emphasized that the film focuses on the love story between an artist and his art. He said, “For me, this was a love story between an artist and his art. A singer and performance are like lovers, and at some point you don’t do it for money, success, and glamour; you do it for the performance itself, beyond any logic, to serve their audiences, and that was the strongest impulse in Amar Singh Chamkila’s character, and that is what I focused on.”
Shooting at a Historic Location
Earlier, Imtiaz reflected on filming with Diljit at the precise location where the controversial singer was tragically killed. Recalling the experience, he noted, “We were shooting the death scene at the exact spot where Chamkila was killed. What struck all of us was how nothing had changed. The house, the patch of ground outside it, even the koti where he had eaten lunch before he was shot, everything was exactly the same after 34 years.”









