What Is the Story About?
SonyLIV’s latest series ‘Chamak’ is set in the backdrop of the vibrant music scene in Punjab, along with the ills that plague it. The series is also a murder and crime drama, in the guise of a musical.
Kaala (Paramvir Singh Cheema) lands in Chandigarh after fleeing cops in Canada. He aspires to be a hit singer-rapper in Punjab, but is waylaid by an earth-shattering revelation about his past, connected to legendary Punjabi singer Tara Singh and his mysterious murder years ago.
Chamak is created, written and directed by Rohit Jugraj, and produced by Geetanjali Mehelwa Chauhan, Rohit Jugraj Chauhan and Sumeet Dubey.
Performances?
Paramvir Singh Cheema is superb as Kaala, especially in his unhinged moments. He plays the mercurial character with flare and flourish. Gippy Grewal is suitably charismatic in his cameo as the legendary singer, Tara Singh. Isha Talwar lends commendable support as another aspiring singer, Jasmine Narula, aka Jazz.
Suvinder Vicky returns as yet another heavyweight character after his recent Kohrra on Netflix. He has an arresting screen presence as Jugal Brar. Manoj Pahwa is efficient as ever, in his role as music tycoon Pratap Deol. Mohit Malik delivers a nuanced performance as his son, Guru. Navneet Nishan is a delight to watch as Rocky. Why she is not seen on screen more is quite mystifying, and a shameful waste of her wonderful talent. The rest of the cast is suitably adequate.
Analysis
Chamak begins intriguingly in 1998, with the gunning down of a popular singer in the midst of a packed performance in a Punjab village. The action fast-forwards to present day Canada, and we see Kaala in a Vancouver jail. He has a propensity for bed-wetting and violence, but is also a gifted rapper. Out on bail, he has a run-in with the cops again, due to which he has to flee to India via the US and Mexico. The process is labeled the innovative term “reverse Dunki” in the series.
Once in Punjab, Kaala slogs it out to achieve his dream of becoming a hit singer – rapper. Along the way, he makes friends with another wannabe singer, Jazz. A shocking discovery about his past and lineage sends Kaala down a rabbit-hole of vengeance and the hunt for the truth.
Sundry characters pop up to propel Kaala along in his journey to the truth – a hard-nosed journalist, a music tycoon with a dysfunctional family, a doyen of music, and more. The series ends on a cliffhanger, with neither Kaala nor the audience any closer to the truth.
The terrific music is the highlight of the series. Stalwarts such as Gippy Grewal, Mika Singh, Malkit Singh, MC Square, Afsana Khan, Asees Kaur, Sunidhi Chauhan, Kanwar Grewal, Shashwat Singh, and Harjot Kaur chip in to add heft to the sparkling soundtrack of the series. A few even make cameos in the story.
Several times in the series, the spectre of honour killings raises its head. Punjab’s raging drug menace also finds place in the narrative, along with focus on homophobia amidst toxic masculinity. By the end, the makers seem confused about the genre they are aiming for – is it a triumph of the underdog story, or a revenge saga; a family drama or a message-driven chronicle. The fact is that Chamak is something else altogether – a crazy mish-mash, with pulsating music at its core.
The characterisations in the story are good. No character is black or white – shades of grey dominate the narrative. One’s heart goes out to the tiny kid that is Guru’s childhood version, but equally to Prabhat Deol and his discernable loneliness. The other characters are fleshed out well too, making the series a study in human nature.
The languid pace of the storytelling is problematic, as is the overly long runtime. Why Indian content creators ape their western counterparts and keep one-hour long episodes when they have nothing much to narrate is beyond our understanding. The messy storyline is a downer too – the plot is simply all over the place. Watch Chamak if you must, but keep one finger firmly on the fast-forward button to speed up the tediously slow series.
Music and Other Departments?
Manna Singh, Sunny M.R., Parth Parekh, and Vikram Montrose’s music is superb. The music of Chamak is the highlight of the series. Sandeep Yadav’s cinematography is good, but not outstanding by any means.
Highlights?
Terrific Music and Songs
Good Performances and Casting
Drawbacks?
Messy Plot that is all Over the Place
Tediously slow pace
Did I Enjoy It?
Yes, But With Reservations
Will You Recommend It?
Yes, But With Reservations
Chamak Series Review by Binged Bureau