Amninderpal Singh Virk, popularly known as Ammy Virk
Hometown
Born and brought up in Lohar Majra village in Nabha Tehsil of Punjab’s Patiala district, Ammy presently resides in Mohali.
Family
His parents live in the native village while his elder brother Bhagwant Virk, who is a film producer, is settled in Mohali.
Education
Ammy matriculated at Guru Gobind Singh Public Senior Secondary School, located in Nabha’s Binaheri village. He did his intermediary studies in science at Dayanand Public School, Nabha, followed by graduation in biotechnology from Chandigarh Group of Colleges, Landran, in Mohali. Later, he began studying master’s in biotechnology at Patiala’s Modi College but could not complete the course as his journey as a singer in the Punjabi film industry kick-started during that time.
Favourite Song
I love listening to songs. My playlist has a variety of all songs for each part of the day. I start my mornings with Gurbani, moving onto peppy numbers during the day, followed by romantic and love songs in the evening. Currently, Indian playback singer Jubin Nautiyal is my favourite. Besides, Arijit Singh’s songs are amazing. In Pollywood, I like all our artists ranging from Diljit Dosanjh, to Sidhu Moosewala, to Karan Aujla. Literally, everyone!
Favourite movie
There are many but if I have to mention one, I would say it’s the Hindi film ‘Namaste London’. Apart from this, Aamir Khan’s ‘Lagaan’ and ‘PK’ and Sunny Deol’s ‘Gadar: Ek Prem Katha’ are wonderful, too.
Works till date
Starting his journey as a singer with single tracks such as ‘Shehar Chandigarh Diyan Kudiyan’, ‘Yaar Amli’, ‘Jatt Da Sahara’ in 2012, Ammy released his first award-winning album ‘Jattizm’ in 2014. His acting career began with the film ‘Angrej’ in 2015. Since then he has worked in several movies including ‘Ardaas’ (2016), ‘Bambukat’ (2016), ‘Nikka Zaildar’ (2016), ‘Rabb Da Radio’ (2017), ‘Nikka Zaildar 2’ (2017), ‘Sat Shri Akaal England’ (2017), ‘Laung Laachi’ (2018), ‘Harjeeta’ (2018), ‘Qismat’ (2018), ‘Muklawa’ (2019), ‘Nikka Zaildar 3’ (2019), ‘Sufna’ (2020), ‘Puaada’ (2020), ‘Qismat 2’ (2021), ‘Aaja Mexico Challiye’ (2022), ‘Saukan Saukne’ (2022), ‘Sher Bagga’ (2022) and ‘Bajre Da Sitta’ (2022) among others.
Besides this, the actor has also worked in Hindi films such as ’83’ and ‘Bhuj: The Pride of India’, both released in 2021.
Any Upcoming Projects
I have already shot a Hindi film with Dharma Productions and it will be out next year. Besides, I will be soon seen in a Punjabi film produced by Saregama. This movie will also feature actor Guggu Gill as my on-screen uncle.
When did you realise you could sing?
I knew it since childhood. Whenever there was an occasion like someone’s marriage or any other event, my mother would push me to sing. In school, I used to take part and perform in all the functions. In short, I availed of every opportunity that came my way. However, I had never thought of becoming a professional singer like I am today.
The one thing I was passionate about as a child was that I wanted to represent my nation in some way or the other, be it through public service or sports. The kid in me had this ambition to do something extraordinary and be known by people early on. I am grateful that my singing talent helped me fulfil this passion.
Is your upcoming film a sequel to Laung Laachi (2018)?
Yes, it is. The story of ‘Laung Laachi 2’ is different but the characters are more so the same. Again, it is a romantic drama produced by me and my brother Bhagwant Virk. The movie is set against the backdrop of 1947 pre-partitioned Punjab and features me along with Neeru Bajwa and Amberdeep Singh, who is also the director of the film. The production value of this film is almost double as compared to its prequel as many more artists have worked in this project and there is an overall upscaling in the making of this project.
Claim to fame
Honestly, it was ever since my first project ‘Chandigarh Diyan Kudiyan’ was released. It was super-duper hit and so were the songs following it. These tracks made me popular among youth. However, I became famous among the elderly, or you can say in Punjabi families, after I started acting. My first four films, namely ‘Angrej’, ‘Ardaas’, ‘Bambukat’ and ‘Nika Zaildar’, were instrumental in getting me recognition, acceptance and love from people of all age groups in Punjab.
Your secret sauce?
The first is sacrifice. To progress in something, you have to make sacrifices in many things. If you can do that, you will go ahead. Secondly, if you follow your goals keeping your goodness intact, you will attract good people your way. I am so lucky to have good people around me. In this industry as well, I am blessed to have everyone’s love and support. With God’s grace, I share a great relationship with the writers, directors, and other professionals here and they always back me in whatever I do.
Thoughts on Pollywood
It’s growing day by day. People are also becoming more aware and demanding diversity in content. The filmmakers and artists are also experimenting new things. Hopefully, in the coming times, I will bring unique content showcasing our Punjab’s history — its battles and stories of glory. We just need the support of our audience to grow and develop.
Challenges faced
Ups and downs are a part of life. Sometimes it’s just your thought but it becomes an issue for others even though there is no ill will or bad intention. A few months ago, I had to deal with something of this kind. These situations, I feel, are a part of an artist’s life and you just learn to handle them as you become mature. Also, it’s been more than a decade in the industry and now I am better equipped to deal with challenges like these. I believe you can never jump the obstacles that are meant to cross your path. You simply need to let things be and allow difficult moments to pass. Having said this, I am grateful to God for blessing me and making this life journey smooth for me.
One fitness mantra
I become extra careful about fitness as and when a movie demands. Otherwise, I am just like any other Punjabi guy you find next-door. I think in a year, you can remain fit for two to three months, you can simply enjoy your life the remaining months . But that doesn’t mean you ruin your health by excessive eating and not working out. Like, for the past one month, I haven’t been able to exercise but when I give myself the liberty to eat whatever I want, I make sure I work out after that.
Mantra of success in acting
I feel you can be successful as an actor if you don’t really act. Just perform naturally. I haven’t learnt acting, so I know no other way than to be original.
Turning point in career
Everything is a turning point for me, all my projects — hit or flop. However, if you ask one, I would say ‘Angrej’ was a turning point for me in films while in songs, my track ‘Ik Pal’ was the one that made me mainstream.
