This Amar Singh Chamkila-inspired watchlist will strike the right chord
Get your groove back with these music-based movies and shows
The world of streaming resembles a multi-cuisine restaurant, catering to every flavour preference. Want a sugary romance packaged as a high-school musical? An intoxicating sci-fi drama set on another planet where time doesn’t exist? Or a pulse-quickening horror disguised as a murder mystery? Done, done and done. However, to make this perfect khichdi of genres and themes, many chefs are at play, specialising in everything from lighting and aesthetics to costume and cinematography. And the one universal garnish that makes all of it come alive is music. From a stirring background score to full-blown dance and song routine, good music is crucial for a memorable viewing experience, be it an Oscar-nominated masterpiece or an Amazon original.
So naturally, when Netflix dropped its latest offering, Amar Singh Chamkila, a biopic directed by Imtiaz Ali featuring AR Rahman’s compositions (the duo also collaborated on Rockstar and Highway), our excitement knew no bounds. Based on the life of the widely popular musician, anointed the Elvis of Punjab, Chamkila’s music was deeply rooted in his home state, and shed light on its many issues. His bold lyrics often highlighted controversial themes like alcoholism, drug abuse and sexual violence. While this resonated with many, Chamkila also faced backlash from radical elements of society. The film stars Diljit Dosanjh in the lead with Parineeti Chopra playing his wife and singing partner, Amarjot, and traces Chamkila’s mercurial rise to fame until his assassination in 1988 at the age of 27.
If, like us, you’ve developed an appetite for cinema that celebrates music and musicians, we’ve got you covered with this watchlist of films and TV series. Let the melodies engulf you.
Music-based cinema and shows to stream next
Música (2024)
This semi-autobiographical romantic comedy follows Rudy, a young college student with synesthesia—a neurological disorder where stimulation of one sense activates another sensory response. Rudy’s thoughts are regularly disrupted by the city’s sounds of traffic, playing children, noisy cutlery — together, they feel like a symphony to him, distracting him from everyday life.
Rudy also attempts to navigate love and chase his dreams as he deals with his condition. While the movie follows the classic boy-meets-girl plot, which peaks with a love triangle, the film employs lively beats and rhythms to give viewers a sensory glimpse of Rudy’s inner world. Set against the backdrop of Brazilian culture in America, the movie is director and leading actor Rudy Mancuso’s love letter to music and his culture.
Watch it on Amazon Prime Video
Daisy Jones & the Six (2023)
A popular band rises to the heights of success and then splits. It’s a story fans of bands like The Beatles and One Direction will relate to, and also summarises this adaptation of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s 2019 novel, Daisy Jones & the Six. This 10-episode miniseries traces the journey of a fictional rock band in 1970s Los Angeles as the members navigate relationships, rivalries and addiction. The show does a pretty good job of bringing the glam rock era to life with stellar music, costumes and performances. Plus, the entire on-screen album is available to stream on music platforms.
The show employs documentary-style storytelling with interviews of band members, their concerts and recording sessions to trace the band’s origin story and climb to stardom, all leading up to the final break-up.
Watch it on Amazon Prime Video
A Beautiful Life (2023)
Romance and music make a stirring combination, and this Danish film pairs them beautifully. A Beautiful Life stars Elliott, a talented vocalist haunted by his past, who works as a fisherman and lives on his dad’s boat. One night, while performing at a gig for his friend, Elliott is discovered by a music manager convinced he’s meant for the stage. She urges him to work with her music producer daughter, Lily. Though initially reluctant, he agrees, and as the two begin making music together, they form a deep connection. Soon, Elliott becomes an overnight sensation.
The film stars Danish singer Christopher Nissen as Elliott, who has also composed and performed most of the songs in the film. Each track, hauntingly beautiful with moving lyrics elevates the storytelling and adds to the mood of this feel-good romance.
Chamak (2023)
This raw inside story of the Punjabi music industry follows Kaala, a young rapper who arrives in Punjab from Canada to boost his singing career. He discovers that his father was the legendary singer Tara Singh, who was murdered on stage. In an attempt to find the culprits, Kaala travels across Punjab and confronts the grim realities of the state and its music industry.
Though fictional, the show borrows from real life, touching upon the challenges faced by Punjabi music artists and the issues that plague the entertainment industry, such as politically-backed manipulation and violence. Echoes of Amar Singh Chamkila’s life are woven into the fictional universe of Chamak, so if the movie left you with an insatiable curiosity for the world of Punjabi music, this series is your next stream.
Flora and Son (2024)
Irish director John Carney has masterfully used music as an emotional conduit in his films Begin Again, Once, and Sing Street. And he manages to achieve the same feat in his latest work, Flora and Son, this time to repair a fraught mother-son relationship. Flora and her son Max can barely stand each other, and their bond is strained further by Flora’s separation from Max’s father. To keep Max out of trouble and engage him in a hobby, Flora buys him a guitar, but ends up signing up for YouTube classes herself.
These sessions open new paths for Flora, allowing her to rediscover herself, connect with Max and claim a second chance at love. This heartwarming exploration of romance, not only between individuals but also with oneself and one’s passions, is perfect for days when you feel like you need a good cathartic cry.
Maestro (2023)
Art can make or break relationships—a theme intricately woven into the plot of this biographical drama by actor-director Bradley Cooper. Maestro traces American composer Leonard Bernstein’s life, from his appointment as the assistant conductor of a leading symphony orchestra based in New York City to his ascent into a tour de force of classical music.
Apart from his musical achievements, the movie also explores Bernstein’s tumultuous relationship with his wife Felicia, his philandering lifestyle as a closeted gay man, and his struggles with substance abuse. This review on Roger Ebert praises the movie’s technical brilliance, with its precise and evocative cinematography, costumes and production design that evolve alongside Bernstein’s life, and are “so consistently spectacular from an aesthetic perspective that it’s worth watching.”
Rap Sh!t (2022-2023)
Many dread unexpected public encounters with former schoolmates, and resort to ducking into autos and alleyways to avoid them at all costs. But not Mia and Shawna; after a memorable night out, these estranged high-school classmates discover that they actually make for a dynamic rapping duo.
Over the course of two seasons, Rap Sh!t follows their journey as they attempt to break into the rap industry with empowering compositions highlighting sexual freedom and the female experience. The show also delves into the dark side of the music industry, touching upon issues like misogyny and cultural appropriation. This dramedy will be a treat for fans of hip-hop and rap music, with the heartwarming relationship between its two leading women being the cherry on top.
