Kartik Aaryan: ‘We show him at 17, 24, and in later years’

Kartik discusses how he transformed physically to depict different stages of Petkar’s life in Chandu Champion

For the final episode of her chat show No Filter Neha, host Neha Dhupia was joined by Kartik Aaryan as a guest. The two talked about all things Chandu Champion. Kabir Khan’s directorial venture is based on Murlikant Petkar, who sustained grave injuries in the 1965 India-Pakistan War and rose against the odds to become India’s first Paralympic gold medalist. The actor revealed that he was in a state of disbelief when the project came his way. “Chandu Champion is one of the toughest films that I have done because it has so many elements. Murlikant Petkar ji’s journey is unlike any other. When I first heard the film, I couldn’t believe it was a true story. He was not associated with one sport alone; there were different sports and different phases in his life. Also, he was an army officer. So, the log line of the film is a man who refuses to surrender,” said Aaryan.

Petkar

From New York (2009) to 83 (2021), Khan is known for his eye for detail. It wasn’t any different for the biopic. The leading man says that he had to undergo physical transformation to step into Petkar’s shoes. “We are showing him at 17 years old, 24 years old, and in later [years]. So, you’ll see a complete transformation in me throughout the film. My [fitness] routine was based on how the character had to look—he had to look childlike at one stage, mature in another. The shoot lasted a year, and I didn’t do anything else during that time.”

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