The Uninspiring Story of Chandu Champion

Kabir Khan’s sports film, Chandu Champion, gives Kartik Aaryan a new ground to play on, but unfortunately, it’s still an unremarkable film. The movie is based on the heroic, “forgotten” story of Murlikant Petkar, a boxer who became the first paralympic gold medalist in the country.

Chandu Champion

During the first inciting incident in Chandu Champion, Kartik Aaryan wrestles, swims, runs, and catches a moving train, all in a span of about five minutes. An impressive feat that showcases the actor’s physicality, but it also serves as a prelude for what’s about to come.

The film’s real-life story provided enough fodder for the telling of a more interior tale. However, Chandu Champion chiefly remains one-dimensional, trying to balance itself on the single-minded aim of its central character: win an Olympic gold. It soon becomes an exercise in repetition.

 A glimpse into Murlikant Petkar’s journey

The film starts with an old man in a police station, asking to file a case against the President of India. As the cops sit around in amazement, Kartik Aaryan’s Murlikant Petkar narrates his story. Sitting atop the shoulders of his elder brother, a young Murli witnesses the uproarious welcome of India’s first Olympic medallist KD Jadhav. A seed is sown, and the youngling proclaims his dream of getting gold for the country.

 India’s first Olympic medallist KD Jadhav

Expectedly, he is subject to his father’s scorn and ridicule from the people of his village. They call him Chandu (a slang term for dimwit) as he screams back ‘I am Champeeon’. After he wins a wrestling match he was supposed to lose, Murlikant is chased out of the village. He ultimately joins the Army and is introduced to boxing. The sports-drama template kicks in.

 Murlikant’s journey in the Army

An underdog, an undying hope, and a war, Chandu Champion is a textbook Kabir Khan presentation. The director’s flair for the medium shines in the one-take sequence where Kartik’s Murlikant gets shot as warplanes bombard their army base. The boxing matches, under a golden hue, have a feverish urgency. The film, however, remains a predictable sports drama with scenes like the one in which the simpleton lead screams his fright aboard his first flight.

 The intense boxing matches

With this film, Kartik, known for playing gleaming gullibles in comedies, gets new ground to play on. He is eager and sincere, and his performance syncs with the film even if it is unable to lift it. The supporting cast, however, shines more with exceptional talents like Vijay Raaz, Rajpal Yadav, and Bhuvan Arora.

 Kartik Aaryan’s sincere performance

Chandu Champion, unlike its protagonist, doesn’t want to take chances. It’s a predictable sports drama that tries to balance itself on the single-minded aim of its central character. Kartik gives an endearing innocence to Murlikant, but the predictable storytelling of the movie pulls down the effect.

 Chandu Champion: A predictable sports drama