| Amar Singh Chamkila | ||||
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| EP by | ||||
| Released | March 29, 2024 | |||
| Recorded | June 2022 – July 2023 | |||
| Studio | Panchathan Records Inn, Chennai Panchathan Studios, Mumbai | |||
| Genre | Feature film soundtrack | |||
| Length | 29:23 | |||
| Language | Hindi Punjabi | |||
| Label | Saregama | |||
| A. R. Rahman chronology | ||||
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Amar Singh Chamkila is an extended play, composed by A. R. Rahman with lyrics written by Irshad Kamil. The 2024 Hindi film of the same name was written and directed by Imtiaz Ali that casts Diljit Dosanjh and Parineeti Chopra in the lead roles. The EP serves as the soundtrack album to the film that was released worldwide through Saregama on March 29, 2024. There are six original songs composed by Rahman that take the audience through life and times of the characters played by Dosanjh and Chopra.
While composing the soundtrack album Rahman blended the Punjabi music with the western musicals, adapting the compositions in a Broadway-styled theme to break the fourth wall in the musical sequences. To retain themes occurring in the original music by Chamkila, the songs were composed with mischievous and vulgar lyrics. However, none of the compositions by Chamkila were sampled or rerecorded by Rahman for the EP. Rahman sampled the traditional instruments - tumbi and algozha played by musicians from Punjab, India. While track "Vida Karo" and "Tu Kya Jaane" were recorded through the wee hours, the former is a farewell track, inspired by Shiv Kumar Batalvi poetry. "Naram Kaalja" stands as a traditional Punjabi composition. "Baaja" and "Ishq Mitaye" follow the Broadway themed structure. Rahman called termed the overall soundtrack album as 'naughty' and 'esoteric'.
The fourteen rerecorded version of the songs by Amar Singh Chamkila were released as a live album by Saregama on May 29, 2024. An ensemble of music composers - Chiranjit Ahuja, S. N. Gulati, K. J. Joy and K.S. Narula; rerecorded live vocals by Dosanjh, Chopra, Khushpreet Kaur and Nisha Bano sung through the film shooting. While the original background score was composed by Rahman, these compositions were used to cater the narrative requirements in the film.
Upon release, the soundtrack album received positive review from music critics who acknowledged the careful crafting on tunes, the mood, tone, beats and lyrical phrases. They went on to summarize that the soundtrack album captured the flavor of music from Punjab and well-woven as a musical-like saga.