 "'Chandu Champion' movie review: Kartik Aaryan delivers an earnest performance in Murlikant Petkar's inspiring story")
Cast: Kartik Aaryan, Rajpal Yadav, Vijay Raaz, Sonali Kulkarni, Shreyas Talpade, Brijendra Kala
Director: Kabir Khan
Language: Hindi
A young and starry-eyed Murlikant Petkar is instantly mesmerized by the sight of a wrestler who has just won an Olympic medal in wrestling. He has found his inspiration and calling. He’s infuriated when his ambitions and dreams are scoffed at and becomes a laughing stock for his classmates. But these stretches have a lightweight treatment accompanied by an endearing background music now staple in a Kabir Khan outing. Akin to Munni in Bajrangi Bhaijaan and Laxman in Tubelight, Murli has a family and yet alone. The kid has to carve his own path and make history. The montages of his journey from nadir to skies are established quite early. The camerawork and color coordination do a fine job of camouflaging with the visuals that play out. For starters, Chandu Champion gets the essence of nostalgia right. A child growing up to be an adult (and the hero of the film) in a single take scene is a cinematic shot that we have not seen in recent times. Even the name of the film appears when the hero has achieved the first step of his success that’s only going to get more rousing and heartbreaking.
The ups and downs of Chandu Champion
There is a mention of Milkha Singh but that cannot save the film from bringing back the memories of the legendary athlete’s biopic. The Satyanaas song has a similar vein and slapstick hilarity of the ingenious Hawan song. And Yashpal Sharma seems to have stepped straight out of Tubelight (2017). But to give credit where it’s due, Kartik Aaryan , who plays this complex character, embodies the role with the kind of eagerness and earnestness he has channelled in many of his previous outings. And the early naïveté of Petkar blends nicely with the actor’s own curiosity to discover the depth of his role. And the always fascinating Vijay Raaz, who has played comparable characters in Soorma and Shabaash Mithu, gets few moments to own. It’s high time he patented his deadpan approach to comic reliefs. The film unfolds in different chapters narrated in a flashback at a police station in front of an over-enthusiastic Shreyas Talpade and a deadpan Brijendra Kala. The issue with the template is it barely allows us the time to invest in the emotional triumph of the people who are achieving it. But despite the uneven screenplay that keeps oscillating between drama and humor with prosaic lines about not giving up, Chandu Champion scores in its inherent sincerity.
The inevitability of distraction and redemption
The fleeting memories of Milkha Singh’s life makes its way in Petkar’s world too. The two icons of India did make the nation proud, they both were seduced by the inevitability of distraction, and both the times, it was a girl. Singh had a raunchy rendezvous whereas Petkar is swayed by fame and quick rise to prominence after a journalist shows keen interest in his interview. And when there’s failing, there’s redemption. If Singh rose from the ashes and abyss on the racing track, Petkar finds his vindication on a ground that suddenly turns into a battlefield. The year is 1965 and we enter into a stage of war with the neighbouring country. He’s wounded and paralyzed; it’s both ironic and haunting how the unsung hero of the nation stood up again after losing the ability to even stand. The other irony Khan establishes through this character is how he responds to the unison of laughs with a laugher for the first time only after a crippling tragedy. The thought of even cracking a smile before him prior to the mishap would be suicidal.
Rushed and hushed
Petkar is a man who is truly godsent. After surviving a lynch mob, two wars, a terrorist attack, and a suicide attempt, he’s saved by miracles. His spirit to live comes after four failed attempts. After destiny fails him on the ground, he finds solace and success in water. These scenes play out with a certain sense of restrain. All this unfolds in 1972. In 2017, a journalist decides to unravel the mystery behind his success and publishes an article that quickly becomes hot topic of discussion. The ride from anonymity to applause feels rushed. And not surprisingly, both the eras are juxtaposed with a non-linear narrative. And as it happens with many sports dramas, before he achieves his one final moment of glory, the montage of his past plays out right in front of him that has to act as a reminder of how far he has come, and conquered. Just like Murlikant Petkar’s life, Chandu Champion is both ferocious and flawed. Sonali Kulkarni best elucidates the essence and existence of his journey- It’s a story impossible to believe, but important to tell.
Rating: 3.5 (out of 5 stars)
 "Russian drones over Poland: Trump’s tepid reaction a wake-up call for Nato?")
 "As Russia pushes east, Ukraine faces mounting pressure to defend its heartland")
 "Why Mossad was not on board with Israel’s strike on Hamas in Qatar")
 "Turkey: Erdogan's police arrest opposition mayor Hasan Mutlu, dozens officials in corruption probe")
 "Russian drones over Poland: Trump’s tepid reaction a wake-up call for Nato?")
 "As Russia pushes east, Ukraine faces mounting pressure to defend its heartland")
 "Why Mossad was not on board with Israel’s strike on Hamas in Qatar")
 "Turkey: Erdogan's police arrest opposition mayor Hasan Mutlu, dozens officials in corruption probe")
