Rating: ****
Chandu Champion stands tall, and it stands in a league of its own. It is a fluent, furiously passionate look at the life of an extraordinary achiever who plunges headlong into whatever takes his fancy and then thinks about the consequences.
Murlikant Petkar’s stunning achievements are not so much in the public eye. If the truth be told, most of us never heard of him until this film. It therefore comes as a surprise to see his breathtaking achievements being so diligently recreated on screen. This is the way a bio-pic should be: celebrating but not salivating over a remarkable life.
Kartik as Murli comes into his own with a performance that is redolent with industriousness . While Ranveer Singh as Kapil Dev in Kabir Khan’s 83 attempted to impersonate the original, Kartik Aaryan doesn’t try to walk, talk and behave like Murlikant Petkar.
Also,lest we forget, Ranveer played a cricket celebrity who is very much in our midst, constantly seen in the media’s eye , and much loved by his fans. Kartik while playing an unsung hero,brings a cheerful tuneful vibe to the character.I don’t know how likeable Murlikant is in real life. But Kartik makes him eminently endearing on screen.
We have seen an abundance of bio-pics in recent times about sung and unsung heroes, about politicians, gangsters and sportspersons. Chandu Champion navigates through the underdog’s climb to the top, negotiating all the predictable tropes but ensuring that none of it feels over-familiar or remotely jaded.
Kabir Khan who channelized Kapil Dev’s energy in 83, gives us no reason to compare that film with Chandu Champion. The only point of comparison is that both of Kabir Khan’s films are about real-life characters who made a deep impact in their spheres of activity.
I would say ’83 was a sports drama. Chandu Champion is much more than that.
As for comparing Ranveer Singh with Kartik Aaryan, they are two different entities, different individuals with a completely different approach to their character. It’s like comparing apples with pears.
But if you insist, here is my verdict Kartik Aaryan in his scene-chewing avatar gives his character the kind of spin that we get to see only in the best bio-pics featuring the finest actors in the moment. In his game-changing performance, Kartik proves you don’t need pedigree to prove yourself in your chosen field. You only need talent and balls. Murlikant Petker will agree.
Technically sound—and a special nod to cinematographer Sudeep Chatterjee, every frame looks beautiful in a lived-in kind of way—Chandu Champion is among the bio-pics this country has produced.
