‘Chandu Champion’ is an inspirational and entertaining biographical sports drama that tells a great story about resilience and perseverance, almost as if it were looking for an excuse to be told.
- Director: Kabir Khan
- Actors: Kartik Aaryan, Vijay Raaz, Bhuvan Arora, Yashpal Sharma, Rajpal Yadav, Shreyas Talpade
- Producers: Sajid Nadiadwala, Kabir Khan
- Release date: 14th June 2024
- Run-time: 143 minutes
- Where to watch: In cinemas now
Sam Bahadur, Main Atal Hoon, Swatantrya Veer Savarkar, Srikanth; it looks like it is raining biopics in Bollywood; and Chandu Champion is the most recent addition to the list!
The film Chandu Champion is the latest talk of the town, and I watched the film yesterday! Chandu Champion tells the story of Mr. Murlikant Rajaram Petkar, the first Paralympic Gold medalist of India, who won an individual Gold medal in 1972 at the Paralympic Games in Germany. Petkar is truly a real-life hero, and it is sad that not many Indians know about him and his contributions and achievements. Chandu Champion pays tribute to this forgotten and unsung hero in the most heartwarming way!
The film traces the life and journey of Mr. Murlikant Petkar, a real-life hero and true champion, in a linear and sequential order, following the usual template that most Bollywood filmmakers follow to create biopics. The film begins with the time when Petkar was a kid and wanted to become a wrestler and win an Olympic Gold medal. He faced a lot of criticism and negativity in his native village in the Sangli district of Maharashtra, where everyone looked down upon him and called him a loser. But he continued to excel in wrestling and proved how he was exemplary and different from the rest.
The narrative then proceeds to the time when Petkar joined the Indian Army, and learnt boxing and globally represented India at boxing tournaments. The film also shows the time when he was posted in Kashmir and survived nine bullets in the War of 1965 (Indo-Pakistani War of 1965), and struggled to even gain consciousness for the next two years.
Finally, the film proceeds to the time (after 1967-68) when Petkar decided to bounce back and began to learn freestyle swimming, and finally won a Gold medal in swimming in the 1972 Summer Paralympic Games. The film shows everything in a time frame of 143 minutes, touching upon nearly all aspects of Petkar and his life and journey. What ultimately unfolds is a tale of sheer perseverance, resilience, chivalry, and patriotism.
Kartik Aaryan does a decent job in portraying the character of Murlikant Petkar on the big screen. His transformation is quite convincing, and his weight loss journey is inspiring. The film has a number of memorable scenes, such as the song sequence (“Satyanaas”) on the top of a moving train, and the entire war sequence just before the intermission when the military base camp in Kashmir gets bombed. The film boasts of many other Easter eggs, here and there.
All in all, Chandu Champion is an earnest addition to the genre of biographies in Bollywood. It tells a very inspirational story in a very entertaining and engaging manner, leaving no stone unturned to inspire and entertain you, both at the same time. What the film does best is it not only delivers an inspiring tale but also teaches a number of valuable life lessons that we, the viewers, ought to cherish for a lifetime. The biography teaches us that a never-give-up attitude enables one to fight and win against all odds, no matter how unfavourable the circumstances are!
You should watch Chandu Champion at a theatre if you are in the mood for some entertainment as well as motivation. Chandu Champion chants Murlikant Petkar’s eulogy in perfect rhythm. This is Kartik Aaryan’s best acting performance till date, and his best movie till date is a cinematic masterpiece that you should experience only at a theatre near you!