Chandu nahi, toh champion aahe! – Beyond Bollywood

Director Kabir Khan, lead actor Kartik Aaryan do justice to the fascinating story of India’s first Paralympics Gold medalist Murlikant Petkar.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (3.5 / 5)

By Mayur Lookhar

In the year 2017, Kamble [Shreyas Talpade], an irritated cop in Sangli, Maharashtra, needs to hurry for a court appearance when a constable grabs his attention with a bizarre matter. A disinterested Kamble tells his colleague to simply file whatever it is. The constable has a puzzled look on his face. He tells his superior that some strange old man wants to file a complaint against the presidents of India. “What?” wonders Kamble, who rushes to see who this man is.

The gentleman is peeved that neither the current nor past Presidents have honoured him with the Arjuna Award, a national recognition for achievements in sports.

“Oh, if your grievance is with Arjuna, then file a complaint against him. Why are you dragging the current and past Presidents of India into this?” quips Kamble, who is clearly ignorant about the sports awards. (Thank god, Kamble isn’t from Tamil Nadu or else, he would have directed the old man to file a complaint against former Sri Lanka captain Arjuna Ranatunga).

A man in handcuffs [played brillantly by Brijendra Kala] enlightens the senior officer about the Arjuna Award. Kamble, however, is keen to know the reason behind the old man’s complaint. Firstly, who is this old man? Is he a failed sportsman who has lost his bearings?

The gentleman turns out to be Murlikant Petkar, India’s first Paralympic Gold Medalist. Is the veteran demanding recognition? Petkar is no vanity king; he simply believes that if an Arjuna Award can help in improving infrastructure in a fellow athlete’s village, then it could do the same for his village, Islampur.

Jeez, leave aside Petkar; many urbanites weren’t even aware of Islampur. The name might intrigue some, but the 2011 Census revealed that 67% of the inhabitants here are Hindus. Meanwhile, in the conversation with Kamble, a question arises about India’s first individual sport medalist. Millennials might think it’s shooter Abhinav Bindra, who won Gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. It wasn’t Petkar either, but the forgotten grappler K.D. Jadhav, who took Bronze at the 1952 Summer Olympics. Whether it’s laurels in sports or seeking better infrastructure for Islampur, Chandu Champion [2024] immediately stands out for its selfless hero. Brace yourself for a true biopic and not any hagiography.

Murlikant Petkar won gold in swimming at the 1972 Munich Olympics. Although the Olympics were suspended following a tragedy, the Paralympics continued at a different venue in Heidelberg.

Sadly, Petkar’s exploits were forgotten over time. However, the Kabir Khan directorial celebrates the fascinating story of a man who defied odds, changed sports, endured setbacks, and eventually earned India’s first individual Gold medal at global stage. His passion was evident from an early age when a young Murli [Aayan Khan] was inspired by K.D. Jadhav and Dara Singh. He wanted to emulate them, but destiny had other plans for him. (Child artiste Aayan Khan is a ball of fire as young Murlikant).

Petkar’s story is one of numerous trials, tribulations, adaptability, versatility, and driven by destiny. However, resilience was Petkar’s greatest talent. Geez, even popping dozens of pills won’t take him down. Some people are just born tough. That was the day, when Petkar realised that he will never give up on life.

Where does this Chandu come from though? A young Murli was mocked by everyone in Islampur as Chandu, an equivalent to Tom or Jack in Western cultures. Mention Chandu, and the little boy would throw a fit. Nothing changed when the man grew up and tried his hand at wrestling. Just don’t call him Chandu. In a way, this mocking helped ignite the fire in his belly. Petkar [Kartik Aaryan)] flows with destiny and embraces both the good and the bad that life offers. The Murlikant Petkar story isn’t so much about proving others wrong, but about reminding everyone that the biggest fight is with oneself — how an individual must conquer their inner demons first to achieve their dreams.

Here, director Kabir Khan, along with his co-writers Sumit Arora and Sudipto Sarkar, strike the right chord in their storytelling. 83 [2021] was a team triumph. Chandu Champion [2024], despite being an individual story, never feels like one. Life deals many blows, but without Garnail Singh [Bhuvan Arora] and later coach/mentor Tiger Ali [Vijay Raaz], Petkar would never have achieved the impossible.

Honestly, we were a little nervous about Kartik Aaryan, a Gwalior boy, playing this Maharashtrian man from Sangli. Aaryan makes a sincere effort to grasp the Marathi accent, especially while portraying the older Petkar, but director Kabir Khan wisely avoids burdening his actor. While polyglots might scrutinize Aaryan, for us, it’s the intensity that counts. Aaryan adeptly reigns in his ever-excitable persona, even refraining from going overboard with rage when teased as Chandu.

There was Freddy [2022], where he played a Parsi, and now this Maharashtrian from Sangli. This shows Aaryan is open to exploring uncharted territories. Wasn’t that the hallmark of Murlikant Petkar too? Despite one trial by fire after another, Kabir Khan films are never short of humour. This is evident in the camaraderie between Murlikant and Garnail Singh, particularly their antics at the Military Games in Japan. Arguably, this is Aaryan’s most accomplished performance to date.

Most of today’s good Hindi content is unimaginable without Vijay Raaz. The seasoned actor continues to shine in every character that comes his way. Despite his wiry frame, Raaz’s roar-like tone is enough to shake any ground. Tiger Ali is portrayed as a tough yet fair coach and mentor.

The personal story, particularly Petkar’s married life, isn’t touched upon, perhaps suggesting his discomfort in sharing this aspect, which ought to be respected. At 150 minutes, Chandu Champion does have its occasional drag moments, but it’s far from boring by any stretch of the imagination. The film’s most impressive aspects are Sudeep Chatterjee’s immersive cinematography and the spectacular production design. From start to finish, each frame is beautifully captured, with many captivating visuals. One standout moment is Murli stroking his way to glory, with the water drops clearly defined on the screen.

For a Bollywood film, Kabir Khan keeps the moments of glory rather understated. This film is all about inspiring. In 1952, a young Murli, perched atop his brother’s shoulders, harbored dreams of becoming a champion ever since he witnessed K.D. Jadhav being greeted in Karad. Two decades later, Murli is warmly welcomed by throngs of fellow Islampuris. A beautiful moment unfolds as a young girl cheers his name from her father’s shoulders. This embodies the essence of sports—inspiring the next generation. The presence of the little girl also sends a powerful message in Islampur.

High on storytelling, acting, and technical expertise, the film, however, disappoints with its playback music. Khan could have saved a few minutes by striking out a couple of average tracks. The background score, though, is impressive.

Murli Petkar’s incredible feats speak for themselves, but the defining image for us is the early dismissive attitude of Inspector Kamble. Here is a man who initially thought that this old man Petkar must be out of his mind, but as the veteran unravels his story, Kamble is hungry for more, and so is the audience. Of course, being a Maharashtrian, Marathi comes naturally to Talpade, but how many can match Talpade for intensity? This cop Kamble is a sheer tour de force by Talpade. Like Kamble, crores of Indians were ignorant about Murli Petkar. After this film, everyone will know the Murlikant Petkar story. Chandu nahi, toh Champion aahe.

Watch the video review below.