Commerical actor turns to drama
Kartik Aaryan is gearing up for the first sports biopic of his career. The actor who has been part of over 15 films is attempting a new genre in 2014. While showcasing his acting prowess, the film will also mark his first collaboration with Kabir Khan. Chandu Champion is not only expected to be patriotic but also an exemplary personal story, which also brings up the expectations from the lead actor. A lot is riding on this film for Aaryan. As a new genre, new role, the backing of a great director and an already inspiring story, Kartik will be expected to give more than his best.
Chandu Champion will see Kartik play the role of Murlikant Petkar. For the unversed, he is India's first Paralympic gold medalist and the film is his biopic. Petkar had won an individual gold medal in the 1972 Summer Paralympics, in Heidelberg, Germany for India. The trailer revealed that the film will follow his story from his childhood to his biggest win at the Olympics. As shown in the clips and promotional posts, Kartik will be seen playing several sports in the film including kushti (pehlwani), boxing as well as swimming.
The actor and the director have also been sharing behind the scenes of the film and the transformation the actor has been going through. According to reports, he has been working for months on the body transformation but also admitted that the film has been emotionally taxing as well. He told Etimes, "Both of them (emotionally and physically getting into the part) were difficult and they were co-related.
He explained building the body was a lot of work and took much time but, "I had never imagined a film like this, genre like this and this is something I've never attempted. For me, I was trying to give my 200 % - be it the psyche or physique in every way possible." After the physical and emotional transformation for the role, one of the most challenging parts of the film is expected to be the dialect. He also revealed that they went through several workshops. He told the portal, "There's always a thin line between making it sound correct and overdoing it. It's been quite a while that we started prepping for this film. All said and done, I'm really proud of this film."
While the actor is giving his 100% the result will be seen after the release of the film. Much is on the line for the actor with this anticipated release. In recent years Kartik has seen some highs as well as some lows at the box office as well. While Bhool Bhulaaiyaa 2 which collected over Rs 266 crore worldwide, his previous release Love Aaj Kal 2 flopped at the box office with a collection of Rs 52.4 crore against a budget of Rs 55 crore.
The has seen a 25% chance of hits with approx 15 films in his carrer and only 20% chance of a superhit release like Pyaar Ka Punchnama 2, Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety from the early days of his career. Meanwhile, two of his recent commercial films Love Aaj Kal 2, and remake Shehzada tanked at the box office. Meanwhile, his other hits Lukka Chuppi, Pati Patni Aur Ko, Satyaprem Ki Katha had some commercial angles with small-town comedy elements. However, with Chandu Champion, the focus will solely remain on the actor and his capabilities.
With writing and direction by Kabir Khan, Kartik's performance will be heavily on display. The plot and screenplay will only work if the actor and his performance complement it. This will also mark a massive change in the genre the actor has spent years to ace in. The good news is, the actor has shown promising work in drama as well. After films like Love Aaj Kal and Shehzada flopped, his next few films saw OTT releases due to the pandemic. Both Freddy and Dhamaka did not feature the usual commercial roles, and both had been praised by critics and fans after their releases.
On the other hand, the trailer of Chandu Champion also looks very promising and has created quite a buzz among his fandom and film fans. And it is worth noting that the trailer only gives a glimpse at the first half of the film and not Petkar's work as a swimmer, which he only began after sustaining several injuring after the war.