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''Chandu Champion'' is a 2024 Indian Hindi-language
biographical A biography, or simply bio, is a detailed description of a person's life. It involves more than just basic facts like education, work, relationships, and death; it portrays a person's experience of these life events. Unlike a profile or curric ...
sports drama A sports film is a film genre in which any particular sport plays a prominent role in the film's plot or acts as its central theme (arts), theme. It is a production in which a sport or a sports-related topic is prominently featured or is a focus o ...
film written and directed by Kabir Khan and produced by
Sajid Nadiadwala Sajid Nadiadwala (born 18 February 1966) is an Indian film producer, film director and screenwriter who works in Hindi cinema. He is the owner of Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment and the grandson of filmmaker A.K. Nadiadwala. Sajid has written ...
, under Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment. It stars Kartik Aaryan as India's first
Paralympics The Paralympic Games or Paralympics is a periodic series of international multisport events involving athletes with a range of disabilities. There are Winter and Summer Paralympic Games, which since the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Kore ...
gold medallist Murlikant Petkar.
Principal photography Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production. Personnel Besides the main film personnel, such as the ...
took place from July 2023 to January 2024 with filming held in
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
, Wai and Jammu and Kashmir. ''Chandu Champion'' was released on 14 June 2024 to mixed-to-positive reviews from critics. The film was a commercial failure.


Plot

An aged Murlikant Petkar arrives at a local police station, saying that he wants to file a complaint against the
President of India The president of India (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the head of state of the Republic of India. The president is the nominal head of the executive, the first citizen of the country, and the commander-in-chief, supreme commander of the Indian Armed ...
for not being awarded the
Arjuna Award The Arjuna Award, officially known as Arjuna Awards given for Outstanding Performance in Sports and Games, is the second-highest sporting honour of India, the highest being the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award. The award is named after Arjun ...
for his achievements. He adds that him winning the award would help in the development of his village. When questioned by an officer about his eligibility, he recounts his remarkable journey: Murlikant grows up in a small village called Peth Islampur in
Maharashtra Maharashtra () is a state in the western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. It is bordered by the Arabian Sea to the west, the Indian states of Karnataka and Goa to the south, Telangana to th ...
. At a young age, he develops the ambition to win an
Olympic gold medal Olympic or Olympics may refer to Sports Competitions * Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896 ** Summer Olympic Games ** Winter Olympic Games * Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece bet ...
for India, for which he is mocked and made fun of by his classmates and also scolded by his father. Events lead him to run away from home and join the Indian Army Corps of EME, where he is selected and trained as a boxer. He is selected to represent India in boxing at the International Services Sports Meet 1964 in
Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...
, where he does well, but loses in the final round because he is distracted and not focused enough. Disappointed at his losing in spite of his potential, his coach Tiger Ali refuses to train him further. Their unit is involved in the Indo-Pakistani war of 1965, in which their camp comes under air attack. He is injured severely, with a bullet injuring his spine, rendering him a
paraplegic Paraplegia, or paraparesis, is an impairment in motor or sensory function of the lower extremities. The word comes from Ionic Greek () "half-stricken". It is usually caused by spinal cord injury or a congenital condition that affects the neura ...
. He is admitted to an infirmary for the war wounded, where, depressed at his condition and that he can never win an Olympic Gold, he has given up on life and attempts suicide. His former coach Tiger Ali visits him in the infirmary, and inspires him to compete in the
Paralympics The Paralympic Games or Paralympics is a periodic series of international multisport events involving athletes with a range of disabilities. There are Winter and Summer Paralympic Games, which since the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Kore ...
. He trains hard and qualifies for the
1972 Summer Paralympics The 1972 Summer Paralympics (), the fourth edition of the Paralympic Games, were held in Heidelberg, West Germany, from 2 to 11 August 1972. Organised under the guidance of the International Stoke Mandeville Games Federation (ISMGF), they were k ...
in the 50m
freestyle swimming Freestyle is a category of Swimming (sport), swimming competition, defined by the rules of World Aquatics, in which competitors are subject to only a few limited restrictions on their swimming stroke. Freestyle races are the most common of all ...
event. While he is there, the Palestinian terrorist attack on Olympics takes place, due to which the Paralympics is shifted to a different venue at
Heidelberg Heidelberg (; ; ) is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, fifth-largest city in the States of Germany, German state of Baden-Württemberg, and with a population of about 163,000, of which roughly a quarter consists of studen ...
. At the new venue, he is successful in progressing through the multiple heats and ultimately wins the Gold Medal, setting a new
World record A world record is usually the best global and most important performance that is ever recorded and officially verified in a specific skill, sport, or other kind of activity. The book ''Guinness World Records'' and other world records organizatio ...
. Once news reaches his village, he becomes a celebrity and is welcomed back by the villagers with great fanfare. However, his achievements are forgotten over the years. The police inspector is impressed by his story but still suspicious about its authenticity. He contacts a journalist to write an article about him. Upon reading the article as well as receiving Petkar's application for the Arjuna Award, he is visited by a senior government official, who tells him that the Arjuna Award is too small an award for his achievements, and the government has instead decided to award him the
Padma Shri The Padma Shri (IAST: ''padma śrī'', lit. 'Lotus Honour'), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest Indian honours system, civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. In ...
. On 20 March, he received the Padma Shri from the President of India. It is narrated at the end that the inspiring story of Murlikant Petkar is a fruitful and befitting reply to all ups and down in life, crossing all obstacles, each and every mocking and every fun made of, with the dialogue by Murli, ''Ae, hasta kaiko hai?'' (Why are you laughing?).


Cast


Production


Development

Kabir Khan first announced the film in July 2022. The film was officially announced with a motion poster on 4 July 2023 by
Sajid Nadiadwala Sajid Nadiadwala (born 18 February 1966) is an Indian film producer, film director and screenwriter who works in Hindi cinema. He is the owner of Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment and the grandson of filmmaker A.K. Nadiadwala. Sajid has written ...
, to be directed by Kabir Khan and starring Kartik Aaryan.


Casting

Kartik Aaryan was chosen to play the lead, in his second collaboration with producer
Sajid Nadiadwala Sajid Nadiadwala (born 18 February 1966) is an Indian film producer, film director and screenwriter who works in Hindi cinema. He is the owner of Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment and the grandson of filmmaker A.K. Nadiadwala. Sajid has written ...
after '' Satyaprem Ki Katha'' (2023). Aaryan underwent a significant physical change for the role, reducing his body fat percentage from a remarkable 39% to a slender 7% over a span of only 14 months.


Filming

Principal photography commenced on 12 July 2023 with a
Muhurta Muhūrta () is a Hindu unit of time along with ''nimiṣa'', ''kāṣṭhā'', and ''kalā'' in the Hindu calendar. In the ''Brāhmaṇas'', ''muhūrta'' denotes a division of time: 1/30 of a day, or a period of 48 minutes. An alternative meanin ...
puja held in
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
, where the first schedule was also completed. The second schedule commenced on 24 September 2023 in
Kashmir Kashmir ( or ) is the Northwestern Indian subcontinent, northernmost geographical region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term ''Kashmir'' denoted only the Kashmir Valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir P ...
. The crew also filmed the movie at Wai village in
Maharashtra Maharashtra () is a state in the western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. It is bordered by the Arabian Sea to the west, the Indian states of Karnataka and Goa to the south, Telangana to th ...
. Filming wrapped after eight months on 31 January 2024. A challenging 8 minute single shot war sequence was shot at Aru Valley in
Jammu Jammu () is a city in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region.The application of the term "administered" to the various regions of Kashmir and a mention of the Kashmir dispute ...
at an altitude of 9000 feet above sea level.


Music

The music for the film is composed by Pritam, while lyrics are written by Amitabh Bhattacharya, IP Singh and Kausar Munir. The first single titled "Satyanaas" was released on 24 May 2024. The second single "Tu Hai Champion" was released on 30 May 2024. The third single titled "Sarphira" was released on 8 June 2024.


Marketing

The film's trailer was released on 8 May 2024 at Captain Roop Singh Stadium in Aaryan's hometown
Gwalior Gwalior (Hindi: , ) is a major city in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh; It is known as the Music City of India having oldest Gwalior gharana, musical gharana in existence. It is a major sports, cultural, industrial, and political c ...
. Aaryan promoted the film at the dance reality show Dance Deewane. A special screening of the film was held for the
Indian Army The Indian Army (IA) (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the Land warfare, land-based branch and largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Commander-in-Chief, Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and its professional head ...
officers on 5 June 2024 in
Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, but spread chiefly to the west, or beyond its Bank (geography ...
where Petkar was felicitated.


Release


Theatrical

The film was theatrically released on 14 June 2024.


Home media

The film was premiered on
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from 9 August 2024.


Reception


Critical reception

''Chandu Champion'' received mixed-to-positive reviews from critics, with praise for Aaryan's performance. A critic for ''
Bollywood Hungama Bollywood Hungama (lit. "Bollywood Madness" in Hindi), previously known as IndiaFM (or IndiaFM.com), is an Indian entertainment website, owned by Hungama Digital Media Entertainment, which acquired the website in 2000. The website provides n ...
'' rated the film 4 stars out of 5 and wrote, "''Chandu Champion'' rests on Kartik Aaryan's powerful performance and some strong moments." Nishad Thaivalappil of ''
News18 Network18 Media & Investments Limited, ( d/b/a Network18 Group) is an Indian media conglomerate owned by the Reliance Industries, headed by Mukesh Ambani. Rahul Joshi is the managing director, chief executive officer and group editor-in-chief ...
'' rated the film 4 stars out of 5 and wrote "Overall, Chandu Champion, skilfully directed by Kabir Khan, proves irresistible with its powerful feel-good story." Vinamra Mathur of ''
Firstpost Firstpost is an Indian news website owned by Network18 Group, which also runs CNN-News18 and CNBC TV18. It has posted misinformation on multiple occasions. The Network 18 group was originally owned by Raghav Bahl. In January 2012, the gro ...
'' rated the film 3.5 stars out of 5 and wrote "Kartik Aaryan delivers an earnest performance in Murlikant Petkar's inspiring story." Arushi Jain of ''
India Today ''India Today'' is a weekly Indian English-language news magazine published by Living Media, Living Media India Limited. It is the most widely circulated magazine in India, with a readership of close to 8 million. In 2014, ''India Today'' laun ...
'' rated the film 3 stars out of 5 and wrote "What makes the Kartik Aaryan-led film worth a watch, is the way that Kabir Khan truly believes in his story and turns it into a feel-good experience."
Sukanya Verma Sukanya Verma is an Indian journalist and film critic. She has been the principal movie reviewer with web portal '' Rediff.com''. She has written a number of columns as a freelance writer for ''The Hindu ''The Hindu'' is an Indian English ...
of ''
Rediff Rediff.com, stylized as rediff.com, is an Indian news, information, entertainment, and shopping website. Founded by Ajit Balakrishnan in 1996, it was the first Indian website to become a mainstream news media organization. It is headquartered i ...
'' rated 2.5/5 stars and notes "''Chandu Champion'' is Kartik Aaryan's most ambitious work so far and the actor's muscular gusto is undeniable. There's visible fire in the man's belly but not enough soul." Shubhra Gupta of ''
The Indian Express ''The Indian Express'' is an English-language Indian daily newspaper founded in 1932 by P. Varadarajulu Naidu. It is headquartered in Noida, owned by the ''Indian Express Group''. It was later taken over by Ramnath Goenka. In 1999, eight y ...
'' rated the film 2.5 stars out of 5 and wrote "Kartik Aaryan makes you root for his character even though Kabir Khan's film falls into declarative, underlined patches."


Box office

As of 11 July 2024, ''Chandu Champion'' has grossed in India and overseas for a worldwide total of .


Accolades


References


External links

* * * {{Portal bar, India, Bollywood, Films 2024 films Hindi-language biographical films 2020s Hindi-language films 2020s Indian films Films shot in London Films shot in Wai, Maharashtra Films shot in Jammu and Kashmir Films based on Marathi people Indian sports drama films Films featuring songs by Pritam Films set in 1952 Films set in 1964 Films set in 1965 Films set in 1972 Films set in 2017 Films set in 2018 Films about the Paralympics Indian Army in films Films based on Indo-Pakistani wars and conflicts