Chandu Champion REVIEW: Kartik Aaryan emerges as a champion in Kabir Khan’s directorial, brings Murlikant Petkar’s biopic to life in an earnest performance

Film:
Chandu Champion

Director: Kabir Khan

Cast: Kartik Aaryan, Vijay Raaz, Bhuvan Arora, Rajpal Yadav, Aniruddh Dave, Yashpal Sharma

Runtime: 143 minutes (2 hours, 23 minutes)

Platform: In theatres

Chandu Champion Review

Kabir Khan’s Chandu Champion is a sports drama inspired by the life of Murlikant Petkar – India’s first Paralympic gold medallist. Essaying the role of the Padma Shri awardee is Kartik Aaryan, who delivered one of his best performances ever. The film follows Murli and his dream of winning India a gold medal at the Olympics since he was a kid. From depicting his humble beginnings in a small village in Maharashtra to showcasing the honour he brought the country by winning a gold medal in the 50 m freestyle swimming event at the 1972 Summer Paralympics and finally being awarded India’s fourth-highest civilian award, the nearly 2-hours, 30-minutes-long film is filled with love, laughter & life lessons.

The film – shot across several countries and spanning several decades, features a stellar ensemble cast that captivates the minds and hearts of the audience as much as Kartik does. Not just its actors but the skilful direction and writing by Khan will leave you with goosebumps & a strong never-give-up spirit. But is the film produced by Kabir Khan Films and Sajid Nadiadwala’s Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment worth watching? Read our detailed Chandu Champion review to know the answer.

What Works

The biggest plus for Chandu Champion is the manner in which Kabir Khan interpreted the story emotional and motivating story of Murlikant Petkar. Kartik Aaryan has given his 200% to the film and that’s clearly visible from the moment we see him for the first time on screen. The supporting cast and dialogues make the film an enjoyable experience.

What Doesn’t Work

There are a couple of things that do not work for Chandu Champion. While it’s evident that Kartik has given the film his blood, heart and soul, the actor fails to remain consistent when it comes to his Marathi accent. Another negative – you may want to skip the first song, it feels forced.

Technical Analysis

Directions

Kabir Khan has done it again. The man – who has delivered hits like New York, Ek Tha Tiger and Bajrangi Bhaijaan, is a master behind the camera and that was visible in every frame of Chandu Champion. From capturing Kartik Aaryan’s helplessness and defeats during the lows of Murlikant Petkar’s life to making sure the audience feels every one of his triumphs and gets emotional, Khan deserves a round of applause.

Story, Screenplay & Dialogues

Co-written by Kabir Khan, Sumit Arora and Sudipto Sarkar, Chandu Champion is the story of a champion who never gives up despite being on the brink of death a number of times. The trio handled the story of Murlikant’s life delicately and beautifully brought it to life. Despite certain cinematic liberties, the makers have stayed as true as possible to the actual story. Kudos to Khan, Arora and Sarkar for not trying to make Aaryan look 100% like Petkar. While a carbon copy look would have made Kartik slip more into the skin of the character, the audiences would likely have lost on the authentic emotions the actor displays currently.

Aside from the screenplay, the film is scattered with several hard-hitting and motivational dialogues that if adapted to one’s daily life can significantly improve their perspective. The film’s dialogues are sure to make it to reels, especially ‘Main Chandu nahi, champion hu’ and ‘Hasta kaiko hai.’

Music

Chandu Champion is not a song-heavy film, but the presence of music can be felt throughout. The music – composed by Pritam and written by Amitabh Bhattacharya, IP Singh and Kausar Munir, brings flavour to the Kabir Khan directorial. Tu Hai Champion (written by Singh) is one of the main reasons you will have goosebumps while watching the Kartik Aaryan starrer. However, the first song to appear in the film – Satyanaas, is forced and seems out of place. Makers, we wish only a part of the song was in the film, a couple of minutes could have been reduced.

Chandu Champion Star Performances

Chandu Champion has several star performances. While Kartik Aaryan is the star – and his hard work and dedication in bringing the story of Murlikant Petkar to the masses is evident, his performance isn’t consistent. There’s no hate for Kartik for his acting or expression, however, we wish the team got him some more training in acing the Marathi accent. Especially in the scenes he shares with Shreyas Talpade.

Vijay Raaz plays coach Tiger Ali in this biographical sports drama and we wish everyone had someone like him in their lives. From training Kartik’s Murli in boxing to motivating him to ace swimming and bring India a gold medal, Raaz delivers an applause-worthy performance. His dialogue delivery and body language are enough to touch one’s heart. PS: His last scene will make you teary.

Rajpal Yadav once more proves he is more than just a comedy star as Topaz. While Yadav’s character will surely make you laugh and smile, he also shows off his emotional side. Shreyas Talpade has a special cameo appearance in Chandu Champion and has stolen the spotlight in every scene he has.

The remaining supporting cast delivers believable performances in the very limited screen time they have.

Conclusion

Kudos to Kabir Khan and Sajid Nadiadwala for doing a commendable job in bringing the story of Murlikant Petkar to the masses. Kartik Aaryan’s acting paired with the emotions-evoking script written by Kabir, leaves the audience with goosebumps, a strong sense of patriotism and a strong never-give-up spirit. Do watch the film in theatres to experience the magic. We hope our Chandu Champion review was insightful.

Watch the trailer of Chandu Champion here:

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