What does it take to sing in front of AR Rahman, over zoom call, from Mumbai’s traffic jam? Parineeti Chopra would know. The actor has revealed she had to give a “musical audition” to the Academy Award-winning composer even after coming on board Imtiaz Ali’s Amar Singh Chamkila.
In the film, which traces the life of singer Amar Singh Chamkila, dubbed as the Elvis Presley of Punjab, Parineeti plays his wife, singer Amarjot Kaur. Both Diljit and Parineeti sang live for the film, set in the 1980s Punjab.
During the trailer launch of the movie on Thursday, Parineeti Chopra revealed her unusual Zoom call audition for the upcoming Netflix musical drama.
She said, “Two years ago, I was on my way to Karan Johar’s birthday party when I got a call from Imtiaz Ali sir, asking if I was free. I thought it would be a quick chat, but he said Diljit, Rahman sir, and him are on a zoom call and he wanted me to join as well. I was in a traffic jam and I asked my driver to quickly park the car and asked everyone to be quiet, koi saans bhi na lega that quiet.
“The four of us were on zoom call and I thought it would be an introductory hello-hi zoom call. Rahman sir asked me if I know how to sing and I told him I like singing. I thought it was a safe answer and then he told me, ‘Achcha sing and show me.’ I thought gayi picture ab haath se!”
Parineeti Chopra said AR Rahman works with the “most genius artistes” in the world and thought her singing in front of him would look like an earnest plea to “cast” her in Amar Singh Chamkila. Parineeti, however, regained her calm and sang the only Punjabi song she could think in that moment: “Duma Dum Mast Kalandar”.
“It was like a musical (audition), even though by then it was confirmed that I was doing the film. I had told sir that I will sing all the songs in the film so, of course, in the movie we have sung Amarjot Kaur and Chamkila’s original songs as well as that of Rahman’s. That’s why he auditioned me.”
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AR Rahman, who was also present at the launch, said he had a jamming session of four days with Diljit Dosanjh and Parineeti Chopra, where the trio got the “soundscape” of the album. “They all came in and then we got Diljit and Parineeti to record all those original tracks. We didn’t want to change anything; it was pure and they’ve done an amazing job.”
Imtiaz Ali said Parineeti was his “number one choice” and was glad the actor came on board despite his request to put on weight to look the part. “Thankfully when I met her, she said she had been waiting for five years for a film where she could sing. She was on for the film instantly and then we realised she also looks like Amarjot Kaur.
“I told her she would have to do one thing: Eat samosa, malai, chaat because she had to gain some 10 kg weight. No girl or guy would’ve done it. It’s very tough for an actor to put on so much weight,” he added.
Amar Singh Chamkila is based on singer Amar Singh Chamkila, who emerged from the shadows of poverty and rose to the heights of popularity in the 80s through his biggest asset – music. The film will premiere on April 12 on Netflix.
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