Chandu Fails to Champion the Cause, Falls Flat

Starring: Kartik Aaryan, Ayan Khan Sroha, Vijay Raaz, Bhuvan Arora, Yashpal Sharma

Direction: Kabir Khan

Kabir Khan works on his next sport-pic. From the winners of the World Cup cricket, he moves to the Paralympics. This biopic based on the life of India’s first gold medal winner way back at its fourth edition at Munich and Heidelberg. Coming close on heels of ‘Srikant’ (Rajkumar Rao), it is bound to be compared. Unfortunately, there is something amiss with both the films.

‘Chandu Champion’ is a clear pointer that good intent in itself is insufficient. For someone who worked on credibility with his ‘83’ and his capacity to deal with thrillers —‘New York’, ‘Ek Tha Tiger’ —this outing looks almost amateurish and often lacking in credibility.

Young Murlikant Petkar (Kartik Aaryan) eyes fame very early in life. His disciplinarian dad would swallow none of his nonsense. However, young Murali skips school and lands up in the local vyayamashala and learns a trick or two in wrestling. When he defeats a local hero, the village bigwigs chase him out of the village.

We have Murli (Kartik Aaryan) get into a running train. Everywhere he goes, he is handed over the sobriquet ‘Chandu Champion’, which is more a taunt than an acknowledgment. He soon joins the Indian armed forces. He, with his friend Karnail Singh (Bhuvan Arora), undergo regular training. Murli’s talent is recognised by his superior Uttam Singh (Yashpal Sharma) who are trained in boxing by Tiger Ali (Vijay Raaz). They make big news at the International Military Games at Moscow.

When he returns with a silver, his trainer is disappointed and furious. However, sports take a back seat when he is posted in Kashmir. The 1985 war takes a toll on him. He loses Karnail on the battlefield and suffers a bullet injury that makes him immobile. On a wheelchair, he sees his dream for an Olympic gold shattering. How he is inspired to part take in the Paralympics in swimming and how he brings home a gold is what ‘Chandu Champion’ is about.

He survives multiple close calls with death. Fate’s favoured child at one level, he ensures his gut and determination get him his cherished gold.

The storyline is pregnant with multiple opportunities but at every such opportunity it falters. The village feud lacks credibility. The war scenes border on being amateurish. His realization and fight with paralysis is hurried and mixed needlessly with a gambler attendant in Topaz (Rajpal Yadav). The finale is all too predictable.

Actors with talent like Sonali Kulkarni and Shreyas Talpade are wasted. They are reduced to glorified props. The film depends largely on Kartik Aaryan and his wherewithal to make the grade. He obviously worked a lot (and very successfully) on his body. However, he is far from convincing in the fight and thrill scenes. No fire in the belly. He comes into his own when called upon to emote. He does his best to save a half-baked script. He too is half-equipped, part prepared.

The film is handicapped by its script and badly needs a cinematic high to be a winner. Murlikant Petkar survived his handicap to tell his story. ‘Chandu Champion. does not.