On the day that Amar Singh Chamkila was shot and killed in Mehsampur, the musician Lal Chand was with the singer. He described what happened—the moment they left their office and the shooting of Chamkila and his wife.
Dholak player Lal Chand, who was with Amar Singh Chamkila on the day of his death, has talked about his impression of the late folk singer. When Chamkila and his wife Amarjot were shot and killed in the Punjabi village of Mehsampur in 1988, Lal Chand was shot as well.
Moreover, director Imtiaz Ali retells Chamikila’s story in a new biopic that debuted on Netflix this Friday. In Lal Chand’s story, he recounts Chamkila and Amarjot’s shooting deaths by unknown attackers, sparking renewed interest in the legendary singer’s life.
Lal Chand disclosed pre-death threats against Amar Singh Chamkila
In an interview with Nobal TV Canada in 2020, Lal Chand reflected on the threats Chamkila had faced before his passing. According to Lal Chand, Chamika received bribe money from a few local goons after reaching the peak of Punjab’s local music scene.
Therefore, his rise correlated with political conflict in Punjab, which reached a peak in 1984 when anti-Sikh riots broke out in North India. In the interview, Lal Singh recounted his actions on the day of the crime, ran away from the scene, and speculated on Chamkila’s unsolved murder.
According to Lal Singh, we all arrived at the office at about midday. We stayed around for ten minutes or so after Chamkila stopped by before heading to the show. Furthermore, Chamkila warned us not to be afraid as we prepared to leave.
Also, he said in Punjabi, “I sing the songs, not you, Jis goli te mera naam likheya hoga, o mere te vajni hi vajni aa (The bullet that has my name written on it will strike only me).’
Lal Chand goes on, “We saw posters for the Chamkila movie Patola while traveling to Mehsampur. I showed him where they were. We were all going to watch that movie together after the show, according to Chamkila, who was in it.
But that moment never arrived. We decided to eat before the show. Unaware that the meal they would be having at a nearby house would be Chamkila and Amarjot’s last, the group chose to stop by. They piled into a car and drove the short distance to the show’s venue as soon as they heard it was ready. They parked the vehicle by the side of the road. And that was when the gunfire began.
As everyone got out of the car, including Chamkila, Lal Chand, and Amarjot, they remained inside. Lal Chand went to grab his dhol from the trunk when he saw a masked man open fire. He fled for cover, witnessing Amarjot get shot just as she was about to exit the car. Chamkila, also hit, noticed Amarjot’s injury and called her “Babbi, tenu ki hoya’’ before shooting himself.
In conclusion
Chamkila and Amarjot’s tragic deaths marked the loss of humble talents. Despite the fame, Chamkila remained grounded. Diljit Dosanjh’s portrayal in the biopic “Amar Singh Chamkila” received acclaim, shedding light on the singer’s life once again. Therefore, keep checking FilmyMaska for more up-to-date information.
