| Chandu Champion | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Kabir Khan |
| Written by | Kabir Khan Sumit Arora Sudipto Sarkar |
| Produced by | Sajid Nadiadwala Kabir Khan |
| Starring | Kartik Aaryan Vijay Raaz Bhuvan Arora |
| Narrated by | Sonali Kulkarni |
| Cinematography | Sudeep Chatterjee |
| Edited by | Nitin Baid |
| Music by | Songs: Pritam Score: Julius Packiam |
Production companies | Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment Kabir Khan Films |
| Distributed by | Pen Marudhar Entertainment |
Release date |
|
Running time | 142 minutes[1] |
| Country | India |
| Language | Hindi |
| Budget | est.₹70–140 crore[2][3] |
| Box office | est.₹88.73 crore[4] |
Chandu Champion is a 2024 Indian Hindi-languagebiographicalsports drama film written and directed byKabir Khan and produced bySajid Nadiadwala, underNadiadwala Grandson Entertainment. It starsKartik Aaryan as India's firstParalympics gold medallistMurlikant Petkar.[5][6]
Principal photography took place from July 2023 to January 2024 with filming held inLondon,Wai andJammu and Kashmir.Chandu Champion was released on 14 June 2024 to mixed-to-positive reviews from critics. It was a commercial failure.[7]
An agedMurlikant Petkar arrives at a local police station, saying that he wants to file a complaint against thePresident of India for not being awarded theArjuna Award 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 calledPeth Islampur inMaharashtra. At a young age, he develops the ambition to win anOlympic gold medal 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 theIndian 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 inTokyo, 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 theIndo-Pakistani war of 1965, in which their camp comes under air attack. He is injured severely, with a bullet injuring his spine, rendering him aparaplegic. 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 theParalympics. He trains hard and qualifies for the1972 Summer Paralympics in the 50mfreestyle swimming event. While he is there, thePalestinian terrorist attack on Olympics takes place, due to which the Paralympics is shifted to a different venue atHeidelberg. At the new venue, he is successful in progressing through the multiple heats and ultimately wins the Gold Medal, setting a newWorld record. 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 thePadma Shri.
On 20 March, he received the Padma Shri from the President of India.[8]
It is narrated at the end that the inspiring story ofMurlikant 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?).
Kabir Khan first announced the film in July 2022.[10] The film was officially announced with a motion poster on 4 July 2023 bySajid Nadiadwala, to be directed by Kabir Khan and starring Kartik Aaryan.[11][12]
Kartik Aaryan was chosen to play the lead, in his second collaboration with producerSajid Nadiadwala afterSatyaprem Ki Katha (2023).[13] 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.[14]
Principal photography commenced on 12 July 2023 with aMuhurta puja held inLondon, where the first schedule was also completed.[15][16] The second schedule commenced on 24 September 2023 inKashmir.[17] The crew also filmed the movie atWai village inMaharashtra.[18] Filming wrapped after eight months on 31 January 2024.[19] A challenging 8 minute single shot war sequence was shot atAru Valley inJammu at an altitude of 9000 feet above sea level.[20][21]
| Chandu Champion | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by | ||||
| Released | 15 June 2024 | |||
| Recorded | 2023–24 | |||
| Genre | Feature film soundtrack | |||
| Length | 30:45 | |||
| Label | T-Series | |||
| Pritam chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Official audio | ||||
| Chandu Champion - Audio Jukebox onYouTube | ||||
| Singles from Chandu Champion | ||||
| ||||
The music for the film is composed byPritam, while lyrics are written byAmitabh Bhattacharya, IP Singh andKausar Munir. The first single titled "Satyanaas" was released on 24 May 2024.[22] The second single "Tu Hai Champion" was released on 30 May 2024.[23] The third single titled "Sarphira" was released on 8 June 2024.
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Singer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Satyanaas" | Amitabh Bhattacharya | Arijit Singh,Nakash Aziz,Dev Negi | 3:25 |
| 2. | "Tu Hai Champion" | IP Singh | Arijit Singh,Amit Mishra | 3:36 |
| 3. | "Sarphira" | Kausar Munir | Sreerama Chandra | 3:25 |
| 4. | "Jamoore" | Amitabh Bhattacharya | Mame Khan, Kailash Waghmare | 3:53 |
| 5. | "Na Door Hai Na Paas Hai" | Kausar Munir | Darshan Raval | 4:07 |
| 6. | "Jeet Ka Geet" | Kausar Munir | Shaan | 4:20 |
| 7. | "Sarphira" (Climax Version) | Kausar Munir | Mohammed Irfan | 7:58 |
| Total length: | 30:45 | |||
The film's trailer was released on 8 May 2024 atCaptain Roop Singh Stadium in Aaryan's hometownGwalior.[24] Aaryan promoted the film at the dance reality showDance Deewane.[25] A special screening of the film was held for theIndian Army officers on 5 June 2024 inDelhi where Petkar was felicitated.[26]
The film was theatrically released on 14 June 2024.[7]
The film was premiered onAmazon Prime Video from 9 August 2024.[27]
Chandu Champion received mixed-to-positive reviews from critics, with praise for Aaryan's performance.[28][29] On thereview aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes, 87% of 15 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.9/10.[30]
A critic forBollywood Hungama rated the film 4 stars out of 5 and wrote, "Chandu Champion rests on Kartik Aaryan's powerful performance and some strong moments."[31] Nishad Thaivalappil ofNews18 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."[32]
Vinamra Mathur ofFirstpost rated the film 3.5 stars out of 5 and wrote "Kartik Aaryan delivers an earnest performance in Murlikant Petkar's inspiring story."[33] Arushi Jain ofIndia Today 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."[34]
Sukanya Verma ofRediff 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."[35]Shubhra Gupta ofThe Indian Express 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."[36]
As of 11 July 2024,Chandu Champion has grossed₹74.35 crore in India and₹13.79 crore overseas for a worldwide total of₹88.14 crore.[4]
| Award | Ceremony | Category | Recipients | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indian Film Festival of Melbourne | 15th IFFM Awards (2024) | Best Film | Sajid Nadiadwala Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment | Nominated | |
| Best Actor | Kartik Aaryan | Won | |||
| Best Director | Kabir Khan | Won | |||
| FOI Online Awards | 10th FOIOA (2024) | Best Cinematography | Sudeep Chatterjee | Nominated | |
| Best Choreography | Bosco–Caesar | Nominated | |||
| Iconic Gold Awards | 6th Icoic Gold Awards (2025) | Best Film | Sajid Nadiadwala Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment | Won | |
| Best Actor | Kartik Aaryan | Won | |||
| Best Director | Kabir Khan | Won | |||
| Indie Film Festival Awards | IFFA (2025) | Best Film | Sajid Nadiadwala Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment | Nominated | |
| Best Actor | Kartik Aaryan | Nominated | |||
| Best Director | Kabir Khan | Nominated | |||
| News18 Showsha Reel Awards | News18 Showsha REEL Awards (2025) | Best Film | Sajid Nadiadwala Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment | Nominated | |
| Best Actor | Kartik Aaryan | Nominated | |||
| Best Director | Kabir Khan | Won |
The movie hit the theatres on June 14 and opened to rave reviews from the critics. Aaryan in particular was inundated with praises for a tour-de-force performance as a man who was let down by life but refused to give up.
Kartik Aaryan's Chandu Champion, which debuted on June 14, has been getting mixed reactions from both critics and spectators.
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