Ammy Virk

 

Amninderpal Singh Virk,

 better known as Ammy Virk

Amninderpal Singh Virk, better known as Ammy Virk, is an Indian singer, actor and producer associated with Punjabi Music and subsequently in Punjabi and Hindi films.^[2] He started the production house Villagers Film Studio and a distribution company In House Group. He is best known for playing the role of Nikka in Nikka Zaildar series, Shivjit in Qismat & Qismat 2, Harjeet Singh in Harjeeta, and Haakam in Angrej.

He started his acting career with the role of Hakam in the historical romance Punjabi film Angrej (2015) for which he won the Best Debut Actor Award at PTC Punjabi Film Awards.^[3] Also, he had starred in other films including Bambukat, Ardaas, Nikka Zaildar, Laung Laachi and Qismat. Gurnaaz Kaur of The Tribune described Virk as Nikka as one of the most loved characters of Punjabi cinema.^[4] He is known for his Patiala-Shahi turban.^[5] His films Angrej and Qismat are two of the highest grossing Punjabi films of all time.^[6] He made his Bollywood debut with film Bhuj The Pride Of India (2021) directed by Abhishek Dudhaiya.

Early life

Born as Amninderpal Singh Virk on 11 May 1985 to a Sikh Jat family in the village of Lohar Majra in Nabha, Patiala. He did a BSc in Biotechnology at the Punjabi University in Patiala. In an interview with The Tribune he said, "It was my mother who told me that I should try singing. I have learned it. I am a singer because of my mother and I love her for having faith in me."^[1] He completed his education in Msc Biotechnology in 2009. Virk’s ancestral village is in Sheikhupura original named virkgarh district, Pakistan from where his grandfather migrated while 1947 subcontinent partition.

Career

Virk started his film career with Angrej produced by Rhythm Boyz Entertainment and released in 2015. He played the role of Haakam which shows a negative role. Jasmine Singh of The Tribune said, “Angrej is also the ground for singer Ammy Virk, who opens his innings here. If it were just looks, the singer gets a five on five; as far as dialogue delivery goes, there is more work that needs to be done. All the same, he makes his character look and sound real.”^[7] Also, he won Best Debut Actor Award at PTC Punjabi Film Awards for his role in the film.^[8]

In 2016, his second film Ardaas directed by Gippy Grewal was released. In the film he played the supporting role of Agyapal Singh(Aasi). Divya Pal of News18 said, “It is interesting to see how the film’s supporting actors serve up strong performances. Ammy Virk is suitably striking as Aasi [...]”^[9] Uttam of Punjabi Teshan said, “[...] Ammy Virk has improved so much, he acted like a good theatre artist. [...]”^[10] Later in July, his film Bambukat was released being his second collaboration with Rhythm Boyz Entertainment. The film was directed by Pankaj Batra and was Virk's first film as a lead Actor. Gurlove Singh of BookMyShow said, "Ammy Virk is a revelation. He has proven that he chooses his scripts carefully. [...] he packs a solid punch in Bambukat. He has definitely grown as an actor. He is exceptional in the emotional scenes. [...] your heart goes out to Channan, and that’s only because of Ammy Virk’s effective portrayal."^[11] He won Best Actor Award at PTC Punjabi Film Awards shared with Amrinder Gill for his role of "Channan Singh" in the film^[12] and Best Actor Critics Award at Filmfare Awards Punjabi shared with Gurpreet Ghuggi.^[13] In September, he starred in Nikka Zaildar as Nikka.

In 2017, he started with playing a special appearance in the Tarsem Jassar's starrer Rabb Da Radio song "Akh Boldi". In May, his thriller film Saab Bahadar was released. Jasmine Singh of The Tribune, said "Now, it’s time for the Saab Bahadur to come in- Punjabi singer-actor Ammy Virk plays the real cop, the Saab Bahadur in the film [...] he nails it this time too."^[14] Gurlove Singh of BookMyShow said, "There’s no denying the fact that Ammy Virk is the heart and soul of Saab Bahadar. He is portraying the titular role and has introduced us to a new brand of a cop with his spellbinding performance. He enacts his character with earnestness and authenticity. He is brilliant in every frame and charges assertively throughout the film. His portrayal of Saab Bahadar stamps the fact that he is one of the most sought-after actors in the Punjabi film industry these days."^[15] The film was critically praised but commercially it was not that good.