Showing posts with label Murlikant Petkar. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Murlikant Petkar. Show all posts
In Chandu Champion, we glorified Murlikant Petkar’s spirit, not him-Sumit Arora
11:03 AM
Unfazed by Chandu Champion’s slow start at the BO, writer says Petkar’s spirit and expertise in different games make film stand out from other sports biopics
Priyanka Sharma (MID-DAY; June 22, 2024)
When director Kabir Khan shared Murlikant Petkar’s life story with writer Sumit Arora, he was gobsmacked. He wondered, ‘All this happened to one person!’ From this place of marvel was born Chandu Champion. The Kartik Aaryan-led biopic traces how Petkar, a rookie wrestler, joined the Indian Army, where he became a boxer. After the 1965 India-Pakistan war left him paralysed waist-down, he learnt swimming and went on to win India’s first Paralaympic gold medal in 1972. The biopic’s writing process entailed long Zoom calls with the man himself.
Arora recalls, “Kabir had already met him before we started writing. On Zoom calls, [we realized] that all the things that were fascinating for us were routine to him. He would tell us matter-of-factly, ‘I woke up from a two-year coma and then learnt swimming.’ From his childhood, he was clear about his dream of winning an Olympic gold medal. That dream never left him. That was our take-away from the meeting.”
Over the past few years, Bollywood has witnessed a spurt in sports biopics—from Khan’s 83 (2021) to Ajay Devgn’s Maidaan and now, Chandu Champion. How does a writer then make his story stand out? It’s all in the details, says Arora. “What makes this different from other sports biopics? That was a question we asked ourselves. From day one, it was clear to us that this man’s never-give-up spirit is something that hasn’t been tapped in a Hindi film. Also, here is a man who played sports in two categories.”
The writer was also cautious of not making it a hagiography, a route that many biopics in India take. “What made him a hero was not his body; it was his spirit. We glorified his spirit, not him.”
The movie marks the director’s first collaboration with Aaryan. It was the actor’s “boyish charm” that landed him the role. Arora shares, “We started writing without a face in mind because we wanted to tell the story first. During that process, Kabir thought of Kartik and felt he had a boyish charm. Kartik was hungry to do a role like this.”
Despite the leading man’s popularity and Khan’s credibility, Chandu Champion opened to underwhelming box-office numbers. Did the team feel the pinch? “We’re getting a lot of love. What matters to me is that whoever is going for the film, has loved it.”
If I got to know that my fee is affecting a film, I took a cut-Kartik Aaryan
8:29 AM
Getting candid, Kartik Aaryan believes the film is always the priority; talks rising film costs and making tough calls as an actor
Rishabh Suri (HINDUSTAN TIMES; June 10, 2024)
Lately, it has been go, go, go for actor Kartik Aaryan, without a “moment to rest’. “I haven’t slept in four nights; I’ve been in different time zones after the launch of the Chandu Champion trailer in Gwalior (Madhya Pradesh). I was in London for an event, then in Mumbai, followed by Delhi, Dubai and now, I’m back in Mumbai,” explains the actor, who wants to “get everything right” before the release of his next. The biopic, a first in his career, is based on the life of freestyle swimmer Murlikant Petkar, India’s first Paralympic gold medalist.
The 33-year-old has joined hands with filmmaker Kabir Khan, another first. He shares, “We were supposed to meet and I thought the meeting would last maybe 15 to 20 minutes. But we ended up chatting for two-and-a-half-hours and I was very excited when he narrated Murli sir’s story to me.”
ON THE RISING FILM COSTS DEBATE
In the past, Aaryan has taken decisions where he has put the well-being of the film ahead of demanding a higher fee. The actor opted to become a co-producer on his 2023 film, Shehzada, taking a fee cut, and this move helped to control the film’s budget. Today, as conversations around the rising costs of film due to celebrity’s entourage and exorbitant fees rage on, we ask him his take on the debate.
As an actor, Aaryan feels it is important to be involved in all aspects of the film, especially the budget. “Aise nahi hai ki mujhe pehle bauhaut paise milte the. When I got to the point where my fees could affect my film and if I got to know that it is affecting the film’s journey, then I took a call on my remuneration. My logic is you have to know the economics behind a film, if it’s going to be profitable. If it won’t, then everybody should chip in to try and make things work. It can’t be that only one person is in the profitable zone and nobody else is; that is wrong,” he wraps up.
A shift from the ‘goofy charmer’
Most of Aaryan’s characters have been the ‘charming romantic’. His next will be a stark departure from this. Ask why not continue and capitalize on the ‘cute’ image for guaranteed financial success and he says, “When films come your way you have to decide [what kind of films you want to do]. That decision can’t be made on the basis of agar ek chal gayi toh yahi genre ki film karunga. There was a time I didn’t have many options but I gave 200% to my work. Now I have options and I go with my instinct. It is like an exam, you don’t know what the result will be.”
When I first heard Chandu Champion, I couldn’t believe it was a true story-Kartik Aaryan
11:12 PM
Kartik discusses how he transformed physically to depict different stages of Petkar’s life in Chandu Champion
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; April 12, 2024)
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.
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.”
Kabir Khan reveals that worked on Chandu Champion script for two years with Murlikant Petkar
8:41 AM
Upala KBR (MID-DAY; August 12, 2023)
Earlier this week, Kartik Aaryan shared his first look from Chandu Champion as he wrapped up its first schedule in the UK. His maiden collaboration with director Kabir Khan is based on the life of India’s first Paralympic gold medalist, Murlikant Petkar, who won the 50 metres freestyle swimming competition at the 1972 Summer Paralympics in Heidelberg, Germany. The project, billed as “the true story of a man who refused to surrender”, has started on a good note with Petkar and his family liking the actor’s first look.
The Padma Shri recipient’s son Arjun begins, “My dad liked the look. As a civilian, it’s inspiring for Kartik to play such a role. Now, the world will know who Murlikant Petkar is.”
During the 1965 India-Pakistan war, Petkar, a soldier of the craftsman rank in the Corps of Electronics and Mechanical Engineers (EME) in the Indian Army, suffered debilitating injuries that rendered him paraplegic. He took to swimming as recommended by the doctor, and eventually represented India internationally. Sources say that in the UK schedule, Aaryan and Khan recreated the 17th Stoke Mandeville International Games of 1968.
“When Murlikant participated in the event, he saw the facilities provided for differently-abled sportspersons, including specialized wheelchairs. Since there was not much support for the differently-abled in India at the time, this was an eye-opener for him,” says a source.
Arjun reveals that the movie’s research is based on chapters from several books, and the real-life hero’s multiple conversations with the director. “Dad and Kabir sir, along with producer Sajid Nadiadwala and the writers, have been working on the script for the past two years. They want the film to be showcased on an international level. Dad couldn’t be present in London, but he’ll be on the sets during the shoot in India. That is when he will meet Kartik too. [That stint will cover] his time in the defence forces, what happened to him and how he came to be known as Chandu Champion,” he says.
Not many know that before Khan, the subject had caught Shekhar Kapur’s attention, who wanted to present it with the late Sushant Singh Rajput playing the lead.
Arjun reveals, “Sushant Singh Rajput was to play the lead and had even met my father a number of times. This movie is like a tribute to him by us.”
PM Narendra Modi flanked by Arjun and Murlikant Petkar
I like playing characters who dream big-Sushant Singh Rajput
7:51 AM
Sushant Singh Rajput on playing India’s first paralympic gold medallist
Subhash K Jha (DNA; October 11, 2016)
After playing cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Sushant Singh Rajput is gearing up to play another real-life sportsman in an untitled film.
The athlete SSR will play is Murlikant Petkar, a physically challenged solider-turned-sportsman, who won a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in 1970 and at the Paralympics in Germany in 1972.
Sushant says he was immediately attracted to Murlikant’s story. “The minute I heard his story, I was on. I wanted to do it without a second thought. What an inspiring story! After playing Dhoni, I’m looking forward to playing Petkar, who never allowed his physical hurdles to stand in the way of his dreams. I like playing characters who dream big.”
Sushant Singh Rajput confirms that he has bagged Murli - The Unsung Hero
7:39 AM
The actor features in another biopic, on Paralympic gold medallist Murlikant Petkar, to be penned by Prashant Singh and presented by Shekhar Kapur
Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; March 1, 2016)
Neeraj Pandey's Sushant Singh Rajput
starrer-M S Dhoni: The Untold Story is yet to hit theatres, but the actor
has already signed up for another biopic. Mirror has learnt that the Kai
Po Che! star has started working on a film that will chronicle the life
of athlete Murlikant Petkar, who won a gold at the Commonwealth Games
in 1970 and the Paralympics in Germany in 1972. The army
man-turned-sportsman went on to set a world record in the 50m freestyle
swimming and, at the same games, participated in javelin, precision
javelin throw and slalom. He was a finalist in all three events. Tentatively titled Murli - The Unsung Hero, the Prashant Singh scripted-biopic is slated to roll by mid 2017. Recalling how the project fell into place, the film journalist-turned-script writer revealed that a chance encounter with the actor set the ball rolling. "It was amazing to have Sushant come on board immediately," Prashant says, adding that even Petkar was delighted about having Sushant fill his shoes, when he was informed about thee casting. "Even though other actors and filmmakers were keen to acquire the rights to Murli sir's journey, he zeroed in on Sushant since he confessed to being a fan of the actor," reminisced Prashant. "Murli sir has lived an unbelievable journey. If someone had written this as a fictional story, the writer would've definitely been laughed at," Prashant smiles.
Sushant, who will be training in swimming, boxing and other combat sports as part of his prep, is equally excited. "I was amazed by his journey and immediately agreed that these stories need to be told. Petkar's journey is extra-ordinary and so compelling that it can change many lives by motivating people to accomplish the unthinkable. I am extremely excited to be associated with this project from its nascent stage," says the actor.
When contacted, Murli told Mirror, "It is an honour that a famous star like Sushant has shown interest in portraying me on screen. Till date, many people met me with lots of promises but nothing came of it."
Petkar himself admits to have lived a an enthralling life. At 12, he ran away from home and survived a violent mob who wanted to lynch him. He learnt life skills by hanging out with a few men from the Indian army, before he became a fierce boxing champion for the army and mercilessly beating six opponents in Tokyo.
"The film will touch upon incidents in his life that range from his road trip to Kashmir to being shot by seven bullets in the 1965 war against Pakistan. In fact, a bullet is still in his spine! Left a paraplegic, young Petkar tried to commit suicide, but survived that too and finally won the Paralympic gold," Prashant informs.
In 2013, Sushant had been signed as the leading man of Shekhar Kapur's ambitious futuristic drama about water wars in India, Paani, but the film never took off due to several reasons. But this has not dampened the relationship between the filmmaker and actor. In fact, the Award winning Bandit Queen-director has come on-board to help the unit hunt for the perfect director to helm the project and Kapur will also be presenting the biopic.
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