CHANDU CHAMPION rests on Kartik Aaryan’s powerful performance

Chandu Champion Review 4.0/5 & Review Rating

Director: Kabir Khan

Chandu Champion Movie Synopsis:
CHANDU CHAMPION is the story of a man who refused to surrender. The year is 1952. A young Murlikant Petkar (Kartik Aaryan) resides in Islampur, Maharashtra with his father, mother, and brother Jagannath. Murli and Jagannath witness K D Jadhav, the first Indian to win an Olympic medal, being welcomed with a lot of pomp and love at Karad railway station. Murlikant decides then and there that he’ll also emerge victorious at the Olympics. His schoolmates make fun of him for his dream. They even call him ‘Chandu Champion’ to mock him. Murlikant joins the akhada of Ganpat Kaka (Ganesh Yadav). Murlikant is a keen observer, and he learns a lot of techniques just by observing the matches of other wrestlers. Ganpat sends him to play with Dagdu, the son of a local chieftain, Nanasaheb Patil, hoping that Dagdu will win, and the chieftain will feel proud. However, Murlikant gives Dagdu a crushing defeat. All hell breaks loose and Murlikant runs away. He hops onto a train where he meets Garnail Singh (Bhuvan Arora). When Murlikant informs him about his dream of winning an Olympic medal, Garnail suggests that he should join the Army. As luck would have it, Murlikant gets shortlisted and joins the armed forces. He also starts training in boxing under Tiger Ali (Vijay Raaz). All is going well until one day while fighting in the 1965 war in Kashmir, his life turns upside down. What happens next forms the rest of the film.

Chandu Champion Movie Story Review:
Kabir Khan, Sumit Arora, and Sudipto Sarkar’s story is inspiring. It is based on the life of a person that not many people know about and that works in the favour of the makers. Kabir Khan, Sumit Arora, and Sudipto Sarkar’s screenplay is captivating and is peppered with some dramatic and emotional moments. However, it leaves a lot to be desired as well. Kabir Khan, Sumit Arora, and Sudipto Sarkar’s dialogues are normal, and a few one-liners are memorable.

Kabir Khan’s direction has its share of plusses. The narrative moves back and forth between the events in 2017 and those between 1952 to 1972 and the transition is very smooth. This is especially true in the second half. He doesn’t let the film get depressing and ensures that the film has mainstream appeal. A few scenes stand out like Murlikant defeating Dagdu, Murlikant’s first meeting with Tiger Ali, Murlikant struggling to eat with a fork, etc. The intermission point seems like it’s shot in one take, and it adds to the tension. Post-interval, the matka sequence is memorable and so is Murlikant’s monologue in front of the Indian Olympic Association members. The finale is watchable and Murli imagining key moments of his life is a novel idea.

Chandu Champion | Official Trailer | Kartik Aaryan | Sajid Nadiadwala | Kabir Khan

On the flipside, the finale could have been nail-biting. The semi-final match has more edge-of-the-seat moments than the climax. Also, there’s been a lot of sports films off late and that also affects the impact. Secondly, the reason for Murlikant to file a case against the President of India should have been depicted instead of him describing verbally. Then, the impact would have been more. And lastly, the family of Murlikant gets a raw deal. Murlikant runs away to Poona, and he never informs his parents or brother that he’s safe. He’s also not worried whether they are fine, especially when there’s a threat to their life. It’s also bewildering that his family had no idea he had reached the finals in the Olympics. They get to learn about it only through the radio. Due to this aspect, one doesn’t get moved much by Murlikant’s brother’s scene when he tells the former that he can’t take care of him.

Chandu Champion Movie Performances:
Kartik Aaryan gets into the skin of the character and delivers a terrific performance. This is unlike anything he has done before, and he proves yet again that he’s a powerhouse of talent. He shines in the difficult scenes but watch out for him in the scene where he’s an old man. His transformation will astonish viewers. Vijay Raaz lends able support. He contributes a lot to the character with his performance. Bhuvan Arora is dependable. Bhagyashri Borse (Nayantara) is lovely in a cameo and has a striking screen presence. Rajpal Yadav (Topaz) is adorable and contributes to the film’s laughter quotient. Ganesh Yadav manages to register. Yashpal Sharma (Uttam Singh) and the actors playing Rajaram Petkar, Murlikant’s mother, Jagannath, Dagdu, Nansaheb Patil, and Murlikant’s son are fair. Ayan Khan deserves a special mention for playing the young Murlikant. Shreyas Talpade (Sachin Kamble) is the surprise of the film and is quite entertaining. Sonali Kulkarni is also quite good.

Chandu Champion music and other technical aspects:
Pritam’s music is disappointing. ‘Satyanaas‘ is the only song that is memorable. The hook line of ‘Tu Hai Champion‘ is catchy. ‘Sarphira‘ and the other songs don’t leave a mark. Julius Packiam’s background score is well-infused.

Sudeep Chatterjee’s cinematography is first-rate and gives the film a big-scale appeal. Rajnish Hedao’s production design is first-rate. Rohit Chaturvedi’s costumes are realistic. Amar Shetty’s action is authentic and not too gory. Rob Miller’s sports action is praiseworthy. Red Chillies.VFX and Do It Creative’s VFX is top-class. Nitin Baid’s editing is slick.

Chandu Champion Movie Conclusion:
On the whole, CHANDU CHAMPION rests on Kartik Aaryan’s powerful performance and some strong moments. At the box office, it will find appreciation and positive word of mouth from the target urban audience while in mass circuits, it may face some hurdle. It has a chance to succeed and sustain if the target urban audience gives it a thumbs up.