“It’s the Story of All Dreamers”: Kartik Aaryan on ‘Chandu Champion

Kartik Aaryan, gearing up for the release of his highly anticipated film ‘Chandu Champion,’ opens up about his deep connection with the character and the film’s inspirational message. The movie is based on the life of Murlikant Petkar, India’s Paralympic gold champion, and Aaryan shared his thoughts in a recent interview with ANI.

Reflecting on the story, Aaryan said, “It is based on the story of Murlikant Petkar. It shows his entire life journey. This story is more than a sports film. It is a very inspiring tale and took a lot of hard work to do this.”

The 33-year-old actor launched the trailer in his hometown of Gwalior, an experience he described as particularly poignant. “Launching the trailer of the film in Gwalior was a great experience. The kind of response I received from the audience was overwhelming. My father was also very emotional. This is a very relatable story and inspires a lot of people to achieve their dreams. It’s the story of all the dreamers. And from where I had dreamed, I thought that the ‘Chandu Champion’ trailer should be launched there. It was a different experience and we all liked it.”

Aaryan reminisced about his days in Gwalior, sharing fond memories of riding his red scooty around the city. “I had a red color scooty in Gwalior. The place I love to explore in the city on my scooty was a fort. But we couldn’t go up there because it was very steep. So we had to go down and then we had to park there. We had to walk half the way. But the fort is an iconic place where you can see the whole city. And you feel like you’re on top of the world. I used to go there a lot when I was in Gwalior. And yes, I used to have a lot of fun with my friends.”

Directed by Kabir Khan, ‘Chandu Champion’ promises to bring to life the extraordinary true story of a sportsman’s resilience and determination. Aaryan spoke about the challenges of the role, calling it the toughest of his career. “This is the toughest film of my career. I don’t think there will be a tougher role than this. Because of the way the story was, I was under a lot of pressure to do full justice. I learned everything from scratch. I never thought of doing boxing or dangal in any film. And I was also very scared of deep water. So, swimming in the deep water and performing boxing with professional boxers was a very big thing for me.”

Director Kabir Khan also shared his admiration for Aaryan’s dedication in an Instagram post, stating, “The story of Chandu Champion is an incredibly inspiring true story but the journey that Kartik went through to become this champion is no less inspiring.” Khan revealed that when he first met Aaryan for the role, the actor had 39 percent body fat, highlighting the significant physical transformation he underwent.

Aaryan expressed gratitude towards producer Sajid Nadiadwala for his unwavering support. “I am thankful to Sajid because he has nurtured this film like a baby. He’s always been there for the film which I like about him. I think he sees a film not just as a producer but as a filmmaker. And that’s why I think he’s been so successful till date.”

‘Chandu Champion’ is set to hit theatres on June 14 and is expected to captivate audiences with its powerful narrative of perseverance and dreams.