Following Amar Singh Chamkila’s IIFM “Breakout Film of the Year” victory, Imtiaz Ali claims that people’s perceptions of movies that are available on OTT platforms are evolving. He is hoping his film Amar Singh Chamkila, which stars Diljit Dosanjh and Parineeti Chopra, would receive favorable recognition at the National Awards.
On April 12, 2024, a direct Netflix release of the biography Amar Singh Chamkila, a.k.a Elvis Presley of Punjab was released. The film was named The Breakout Film of the Year during the Friday night 15th Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) awards gala.
“There was some uncertainty regarding the eligibility of direct-to-digital pictures for National Awards participation, but it appears that a decision has been made in favor of these films. In a Melbourne interview with PTI, Ali expressed optimism that Amar Singh Chamkila will receive favorable recognition at the National Awards.
A family preparing to leave their ancestral home, Gulmohar is a film that received three National Awards in 2022: best Hindi film, best dialogue writing for director Rahul V. Chittella, and special mention for star Manoj Bajpayee. In 2023, it became available on Disney+ Hotstar.
Ali referred to Diljit Dosanjh’s film Amar Singh Chamkila as a people’s film. The fact that the movie is set in India’s heartland, where the majority of the population resides, yet is composed entirely of metros and mini metros is something I found appealing. When asked if the film will go on to win a National Award the following year, he responded, “I’m hopeful that the population of the country will appreciate that.”
Amar Singh Chamkila, a film with an Ali connection, received the Breakout Film of the Year award at the IFFM. The award validates Ali’s work as a filmmaker, as it reflects the warmth and popularity of the audience. The filmmaker hopes the award will start a trend and bring happiness to everyone in the unit. Laila Majnu, a 2018 film with an Ali connection, has gained cult status after receiving a lukewarm response at the box office. The filmmaker, who co-wrote the movie with director-brother Sajid Ali, expressed gratitude to the audience for their love for Laila Majnu.
Ali expresses gratitude for the ability to revisit his films, as he has done with many of his favorite filmmakers. He acknowledges the paradox of a movie never returning to the big screen after its first run in the theatre, leaving audiences to watch it on a platform. He expresses gratitude towards the audience for their support in a people-led movement, stating that people first asked for ‘Rockstar’ and ‘Laila Majnu’.
