There are many teary and goosebump moments in Kabir Khan-directed Chandu Champion and the lead hero Kartik Aaryan’s sincere performance make those moments stand-out. The film begins in a village called Karad in Maharashtra where little Murli (Aaryan) gets deeply inspired by a wrestler who has just won an Olympic medal in wrestling. Young Murli is seen cheering for Khashaba Jadhav, independent India’s first individual medal winner at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics and he has made his plans for his future.
He is determined that he will one day play in the Olympics and win a gold medal for his country. He gets angry when people, his classmates scoff at his dream and ambitions while calling him ‘Chandu Champion’. He learns the sport by just watching others wrestle in the arena. A local competition in the village sees Murli take the centrestage without any formal training and manage to defeat his opponent which gives him some confidence. Nothing can come in the way of his dreams so much so that he starts bunking school and runs away from home after a fight with his father and catches the train that drops him closer to his dream destination.
The first half of the film which is based on the real-life inspiring story of Padmashree Murlikant Petkar, is extremely engaging; Murli’s journey as a sportsperson and also as a soldier in the Indian Army [He joins the army to fulfil his dream of winning the Olympic medal] is deftly handled. Chandu Champion is a heartwarming tale of Murlikant Petkar’s life — the struggles and the milestones that Petkar achieved in his career and fought all odds to become an Olympic champion. Living legend Petkar’s survival was miraculous.
He survived two wars, a terrorist attack and a suicide attempt.The film moves at a good pace and there is not a single dull moment in narration. Certain scenes in the military training camp in Secunderabad bring back memories of Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, which depicts Milkha Singh’s [played by Farhan Akhtar] life and how the young aspiring soldiers train and enjoy together. The film is narrated in a flashback at a police station in front of a few cops including ‘police inspector’ Shreyas Talpade, who has done a good job in the light-hearted role. Soon after, Murli shifts from being a wrestler to a boxer, and becomes a champion in the sport thanks to Tiger Ali, played by Vijay Raaz.
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The second half of the film showcases the emotional journey, the trials, tribulations and struggles of Murli who gets paralysed from waist down after being hit by nine bullets during the 1965 Indo-Pak war. One can feel the pain of Murli as a sportsperson he goes through when he is bed-ridden and stays unconscious for two years. Never to give up, Murli who is determined to reach the Olympics, after failing in wrestling and boxing, takes up swimming. He tries really hard at the water sports and eventually fulfils his dream.
He became India’s first Paralympic gold medallist for swimming, in 1972, in Heidelberg, Germany where he created a record of covering 50m distance in freestyle in 37.33 seconds!! Undoubtedly, Aaryan studied Petkar’s journey very minutely and could bring out the character’s inner turbulence and emotions in an effective manner. Chandu Champion moves you to tears in many places. “Umeed Jazbaa Himmat regular but the vision of decision makers [so irregular]” says Murli at one point of time when the selection committee initially refused to let him participate in the swimming championship.
Strangely, Petkar’s story is not known for about 50 years and it is only in 2017 that a journalist digs out information and publishes the inspiring tale. The first half of the film is excellent, while the second half is a bit stretched but every scene of the film is good, also the lighting, camerawork and background score is excellent.
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The last 20 minutes of the film is incredible. Shreyas Talpade, Vijay Raaz, Rajpal Yadav and Bhuvan Arora as supporting actors raise the bar and have played their parts with utmost conviction. The major appealing factors of Chandu Champion are the boxing and wrestling matches, swimming tournaments and the war scenes that keep you engrossed and captivated. The film is a remarkable portrayal of a real-life hero that will leave a lasting impression on the audience. Chandu Champion is a cinematic triumph. Kudos!!
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