Kartik Aaryan, Kabir Khan get candid about their film 'Chandu Champion'

Kartik Aaryan and Kabir Khan. Pics/Yogen Shah

Actor Kartik Aaryan and director Kabir Khan got candid about the making of the film 'Chandu Champion' and the challenges faced during the shooting of the film.

While speaking to the media, Khan said, "It is based on the story of Murlikant Petkar. We have come to Jammu because there is a huge army base here, and Murlikant was a soldier of the Indian army."

On his preparation work for the role in the film, Kartik shared, "I have to leave a lot of chocolate to get in shape, I have to work hard to look like an athlete, I had to reduce a lot of weight. This is a very inspiring story and has to put a lot of efforts and learn many things to portray the character perfectly in the film."

While praising Kartik, the director shared, "There is a sequence of the war in the film which is of eight minutes. It's a single shot, there's no cut in it. It required a lot of training. Kartik had to rehearse with 200-300 soldiers. He also had to rehearse at 10,000 feet height in Aru valley, Kashmir."

Earlier, during a media interaction Kabir said, "I came across Murlikant's story by chance. Someone gave me an old article and asked if I had read the story. When I read the article, my first reaction was that it couldn't be true--so many things happening in such a dramatic way in one person's life seemed impossible."

"And if it was true, it was hard to believe that we didn't know about him. If he was such a big hero, how could we not know him? That's where it started, and it also took us a long time to find him. No one knew where he was because he was truly an unsung hero. A few months later, when we finally found him, there was no stopping us," he added.

Kabir also spoke about why he chose Kartik Aaryan to play 'Chandu Champion.' "I think directors do have an eye for talent, and I also think that more than just talent, it's also the feel of the person's energy. As a writer and director, when I am creating a character, an image is already formed in my mind. It's very important for me to see that energy in the actor," he said.

"Kartik had all the elements needed for Chandu Champion. I needed a lot of elements for this character, and I realized that Kartik definitely had the raw material to play Chandu Champion. More importantly, he had the correct energy and attitude to undertake such a journey," he added.

Kartik earlier spoke about the immense challenges he faced while preparing for his role as Chandu in the film.

"For me, it was incredibly challenging and discomforting. Swimming and boxing were never something I imagined doing. Combining all these elements in one film was demanding, and I had to learn them all professionally because my opponents were all professionals--wrestlers, swimmers, or real boxers. Matching their level was tough, so I worked really hard. This is the toughest role of my career," he said.

Speaking about the intensity of his preparation, Kartik said, "This has been a life-changing role for me, and I am genuinely proud of this film. I just hope that people come to the theaters to watch this film. And I believe, as I've said before, that this is the toughest film and role of my career. As you may have seen in the trailer, hard work is evident."

Directed by Kabir Khan, 'Chandu Champion' tells the inspiring tale of a determined athlete. Kartik Aaryan portrays Chandu in this film, which is based on the life of Murlikant Petkar, India's first Paralympic gold medalist in freestyle swimming.

Set to release on June 14, the film aims to engage audiences with its story of resilience and determination.

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