Kartik Aaryan’s sports biopic Chandu Champion released on Prime Video on Friday. Directed by Kabir Khan, the film also stars Vijay Raaz, Rajpal Yadav, Yashpal Sharma, Shreyas Talpade and Aniruddh Dave in pivotal roles.
Sharing the film’s poster featuring the many looks donned by Kartik in it, the makers wrote, “A story of resilience and triumph against all odds - witness the story of a champion who never gave up.”
Inspired by the life of India's first Paralympic gold medalist Murlikant Petkar, Chandu Champion stars Kartik in the title role as a man across ages and phases, including being an Indian Army soldier, a wrestler, a boxer, a 1965 war veteran and a swimmer.
The film is written by Kabir himself, Sumit Arora, and Sudipto Sarkar. Jointly produced by Sajid Nadiadwala and Kabir Khan, it was released in theatres on June 14.
CE’s review of the film read, “An underdog, an undying hope and a war, Chandu Champion is a textbook Kabir Khan presentation. The director’s flair for the medium shines in the one-take sequence where Kartik’s Murlikant gets shot as warplanes bombard their army base (cinematography by Sudeep Chatterjee). The boxing matches, under a golden hue, have a feverish urgency. The film, however, remains a predictable sports drama with scenes like the one in which the simpleton lead screams his fright aboard his first flight. Chandu Champion performs during intense moments but its light interludes remain functional.”