Robin Bhuyan (Editor in Chief)
The long-forgotten and highly ignored story of Murlikant Petkar, India’s first paralympic champion to win a gold medal, is a story that deserved to be told. And thanks to Kabir Khan, in his second sports film after 83, we get a film like Chandu Champion where we get to see the inspiring and shocking story of the man who brought honor to the nation at the 1972 Paralympics.
The things that Murlikant Petkar attempted and achieved in his youth are something that a common man usually cannot do, and yes, with a brilliant direction, engaging screenplay, and impactful performances by Karthik Aryan as well as supporting actor Vijay Raaz, the film does an excellent job of telling his story. In fact, the film is so engaging that once it starts, it doesn’t let you take your eyes off screen! The film doesn’t waste any time in nonsensical romantic subplots either, which is something that happens rarely in Bollywood!
With an engaging screenplay that is full of twists and turns, the film also does a brilliant job of staying realistic. Karthik Aryan may have given the best performance of his career, as he plays both the young version and the older version of Murlikant Petkar. He plays the part of a soldier as well as an athlete convincingly as well.
Unlike other sports biopics, what makes this film unique is that it doesn’t revolve around a single sport. It shows show how although Petkar had trained in wrestling throughout his early life, he made the transition to boxing, and learnt the sport within a short time. And after getting paralyzed, he still doesn’t give up his hope of winning the gold medal. After learning about the Paralympics, he chooses a completely unrelated sport – swimming, in hopes of winning the gold medal for his country!
Actor Vijay Raaz also does a great job of playing Murlikant’s mentor, who coaches him both in boxing as well as swimming. You could say that his acting almost stole the show from Aryan!
To conclude, it can be considered one of the best biopics ever made in Indian cinema, and at the same time, it tells us a story that deserved to be told long ago! So, yes, it definitely deserves a watch in theatres!
Rating – 9 out of 10 stars
