Kartik Aaryan was 'hungry for Chandu Champion,' reveals film's writer
What's the story
The Bollywood biographical film Chandu Champion brings to life the inspiring journey of Murlikant Petkar, India's first Paralympic gold medalist.
Directed by Kabir Khan and penned by Sumit Arora, the movie features Kartik Aaryan portraying Petkar.
The narrative follows Petkar's transition from a novice wrestler to an Indian Army boxer, who after being paralyzed waist-down during the 1965 India-Pakistan war, learned swimming and clinched India's first Paralympic gold in 1972.
In an interview, Arora revealed some behind-the-scenes updates.
Script creation
Script development involved direct interaction with Petkar
The script of Chandu Champion was meticulously crafted through extensive Zoom calls with Petkar.
Arora told Mid-Day, "On Zoom calls, [we realized] that all the things that were fascinating for us were routine to him. He would tell us matter-of-factly, 'I woke up from a two-year coma and then learned swimming."
"From his childhood, he was clear about his dream of winning an Olympic gold medal. That dream never left him. That was our takeaway from the meeting."
Film focus
'Chandu Champion' highlights unique aspects of Petkar's life
In the recent surge of sports biopics in Bollywood, Chandu Champion distinguishes itself by focusing on Petkar's life and his unyielding spirit.
Arora stated, "From day one, it was clear to us that this man's never-give-up spirit is something that hasn't been tapped in a Hindi film. Also, here is a man who played sports in two categories."
"What made him a hero was not his body; it was his spirit. We glorified his spirit, not him."
Actor-Director duo
Aaryan was selected for his 'boyish charm'
Chandu Champion marks the first collaboration between Khan and Aaryan, whose "boyish charm" secured him the role of Petkar.
Arora revealed, "We started writing without a face in mind because we wanted to tell the story first."
"During that process, Kabir thought of Kartik and felt he had a boyish charm. Kartik was hungry to do a role like this."
The film was released on June 14.