Diljit Dosanjh proved that a man wearing a turban can be a Bollywood star, this has never happened before: Mukesh Chhabra | Bollywood News

Opening up about how detailed the casting process of the film was, he said, “So far, the films we have made in Punjab, be it Manmarziyaan or Laal Singh Chaddha, we have made very fictional stories . But Chamkila was different. It was a challenge because it was a biopic, and we had to stay true to the story and the people. So, when casting, we had to make sure that the people in the film looked like that era, in the way they talked, the way they walked, the way they lived their lives; it should not feel like you have turned a Delhi boy into a Punjabi. So everyone we cast for the film are all from Punjab. They are from Chandigarh, Ludhiana, Bhagwada, Bhatinda, Patiala and Jalandhar. All of them come from the Punjab belt. For me, they needed to look at where they come from, their boli (accent), their diction and their body tense, which should be authentic Punjabi.

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All the actors in Chamkila are great actors. All of them have worked before, perhaps small roles in Punjabi films. I had references for all the characters, so I had to match their faces, their height, their language, and it was an interesting process for me. After Gangs Of Wasseypur, this was the first time I needed 6-7 assistants as we were casting from all over the Punjab belt. I even wanted the dholak player and the Bhangra group to be authentic. I had discussed with Imtiaz from the beginning that we would do a casting for even the smallest role. We often cast the lead roles and then let it go, but for Chamkila we wanted to cast all the roles. We therefore carried out numerous auditions to find the ideal casting, he added.

When asked if Imtiaz Ali had ever Diljit Dosanjh and Parineeti Chopra in the lead to play Amar Singh Chamkila and Amarjyot Kaur, Mukesh Chhabra revealed: We had an idea. Having Parineeti play Amarjot was already an idea because we were looking for someone who comes from the Punjabi world and who can also sing. Diljit was an obvious choice as it is the story of a Punjabi singer. So, who better than Diljit? Before we started approaching people for casting, we were discussing many names, but Diljit was the closest.

Chhabra also praised Diljit Dosanjh. He said Dosanjh, a Sardar, becoming a star had never seemed possible before. Diljit is an actor to study and cherish. Earlier it was rare, but today we have a Sardar who is a star. He proved that a man wearing a turban can be a star in Bollywood. This has never happened before. He brought a lot of respect to the Punjabis. We are all proud of the way he manages his career. His confidence in himself, in his music and in his roots is reflected in his work. Today he is considered one of India's biggest stars; it’s a huge achievement.

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Mukesh Chhabra and Imtiaz Ali are long-time collaborators. Chhabra has been involved in the casting of Ali since Love Aaj Kal (2009). After the filmmaker delivered duds like Shah Rukh Khan and Anushka Sharmas Jab Harry Met Sejal and Kartik Aaryan and Sara Ali Khan's Love Aaj Kal (2020), casting director says Amar Singh Chamkila's success feels personal and been waiting for a long time. Ali.

He said, “I really wanted to do this for Imtiaz because it was long overdue for him. The other thing is that Punjab is my world. I am from Punjab, so I know this world.

Chabbrad added: Imtiaz is my super senior. We were in the same theater group and knew each other from there. We have always admired each other's work. And the theater culture of Delhi is such that whoever is senior to us, we all have mutual respect for him. And that's why all of us, Vishal Bhardwaj, Anurag Kashyap, Imtiaz Ali, Swanand Kirkire, Manoj Bajpayee, we are all loved and appreciated for each other's work and are pillars for each other, because every Friday the films go and come, some work, some don't, but nothing. can undermine the love and respect we have for each other. We trust each other’s talent. Our bond is very strong. When we started, none of us had much success or power, but we all went through our own journeys and stuck by each other.