‘Chandu Champion’ movie review: Kartik Aaryan makes it to a podium finish

Kartik Aaryan in ‘Chandu Champion’

Filmmaker Kabir Khan is a master at telling stories of the socially disorganised and underprivileged. The writer-director has this rare ability to bring fact and fiction together for multiplex audiences who want to watch something ‘real’ but don’t have the patience to watch that slice of life. 83This week Kabir has come up with yet another thrilling sports drama; the difference being that this time he has chosen an unsung hero.

Drawn from the inspiring real-life story of Murlikant Petkar, India’s first Paralympic gold medallist in 1972, who hit the headlines after years of anonymity when he was awarded the Padma Shri in 2018, the action takes place in mud pits, boxing rings and swimming pools, but essentially it is a celebration games of fateThe game that fate plays with us.

Told in flashback, this is a young Maharashtrian boy who wants to make a name for himself in wrestling after seeing the victory procession to honour KD Jadhav, who won a bronze medal at the 1952 Summer Olympics, the first individual medal for the newly independent nation.

Taunted by his friends, taunted by his father and underestimated by his coach, Murali’s life changes the day he defeats the village head’s son in his first public fight, leading to a riot and forcing him to leave the village.

Luckily, Murali’s dreams find refuge in the Indian Army. He takes up boxing under the guidance of new coach Tiger Ali, but his ambitions of winning an Olympic medal are shattered by bullets fired by Pakistani soldiers in the 1965 war. Not giving in to fate or a bullet in the spine, Murali keeps his head above water and wins at the Heidelberg Paralympics… but is forgotten by his countrymen until a journalist wipes the dust off his achievements.

This film reminds me of Rakesh Om Prakash Mehra. Run Milkha Run Where the champion athlete runs against his painful past and achieves glory on the track with the help of his training in the armed forces. Interestingly, the film also reveals that both were active at the same time.

In cricket, experts say that when the pitch favours bowlers, they should keep pitching in the right areas and not overdo it; Kabir has done exactly that here. There is so much action, emotion and drama in Petkar’s life that they just have to follow the process of making a biopic. As a para-athlete, Petkar excelled in other disciplines as well, but Kabir focuses on swimming to save time and attention.

There is no doubt that he exaggerates to create drama and excitement; for instance, the commentary during the swimming competition sounds raucous but Kabir’s background in documentary films ensures that he keeps track of his characters’ exploits. When Yashpal Sharma crosses the line in the name of training his bunch of jokers, Kabir makes Murli march to the song “Gore Gore Banke Chhore”.Samadhi1950) to depict the impact of Hindi cinema on all sections of society. The tune of Lata Mangeshkar’s song makes the soldiers on screen tap their feet in unison. Similarly, the female attention that Murali receives in Japan is a predictable but nonetheless fascinating distraction.

Kartik Aaryan in ‘Chandu Champion’

Kabir doesn’t delve deep into socio-political commentary but delves into the historical context so that the leap of faith doesn’t seem odd. He brings forth the terror attack on athletes at the Munich Olympics without going into the extremists and the nationality of the athletes. Chandu Champion He also explained how awards bring development to neglected areas.

Sudip Chatterjee’s cinematography, especially in the boxing ring, is a fine one. It gives Kartik the teeth to take on the challenge after an uneven start. Under Kabir’s direction, the actor crossed the line of mediocrity and delivered a career-defining performance, much like Farhan Akhtar did with Mehra. Kartik is the perfect choice for a character whose unique selling point is that he punches above his weight. As a guy who takes on what seems like easy game, Kartik looks the part and the script and cinematography provide him the springboard to become a game-changer in whatever ring he chooses to enter.

The actor’s physical transformation is commendable and the ups and downs in the emotional graph come across on screen without any friction. Writers Sudipto Sarkar and Sumit Arora have peppered the intense story with interludes of everyday humour, giving Kartik a chance to flaunt his comic timing. He looks believable in the scenes where he confronts all the ghosts that have haunted his mind, as he has faced ridicule all his life.

The supporting cast and their cameos help fill in the gaps and beat the predictability of the middle overs that is mostly inevitable in a biopic. Vijay Raj as Murali’s coach is as impressive as expected; like water, Vijay takes on the form of all the different characters he plays. Without even putting on boxing gloves, he plays the coach Tiger who turns his precocious child into a warrior. For once, Rajpal Yadav is not made to be a clown and gets a chance to perform. Bhuvan Arora is credible as the good-natured Sikh friend who helps Murali when his own hand gets dislocated.

Once again, this is Kabir’s way of paying respect to the community that comes forward in times of crisis.

Chandu Champion is currently running in cinemas