After much anticipation, the trailer of Kartik Aaryan and director Kabir Khan's first film together, Chandu Champion, was released by the makers on Saturday. And what made it even more special was that it was launched in Kartik's hometown Gwalior, where he had first dreamt of becoming an actor.
In the film, Kartik is set to portray the role of India's first Paralympic gold medalist, Murlikant Petkar, who, despite all odds and after failing multiple times, got back on his feet, and every time, stronger than before. During the launch, Kartik stated that he could not believe the story was real and not fictional when Khan first narrated it to him. "When he told me the story, I actually asked him if it was fiction. Because facing so many hurdles in life and still being so strong feels impossible to me. But Murlikant Petkar did it. And when I heard the story, I knew I had to do this at any cost," he said.
Becoming Chandu for Kabir Khan was not an easy task and it involved a lot of sacrifices. "I didn't eat sugar for a year, and there was a time when I was having just one meal a day. I didn't do any other film for one and a half years. I had become like a robot, a machine. I would just wake up and do what Kabir sir instructed and this is the one film in my career that I'll always be very proud of," he shared.
The actor also opened up on feeling helpless in his career at one point but not giving up, just like his character in the film. "It's natural to feel helpless and it happens with everyone in life, and it happened to me to. Everyone has their ups and downs, and struggles, including myself. But having said that, I do not want to change a single thing about how my journey has been. I would rather relive the same journey that led me up to this point," he asserted.
Director Kabir Khan mentioned that Kartik was the obvious choice for Chandu Champion. "When I heard the story, I was so moved and I knew people had to see it. And Kartik was my first and only choice because he has this boyish charm and this 'son of the soil' feel to him. And I'm glad he agreed to do it, because it was a delight working with him. He was so dedicated throughout and the amount of hard work and honesty he has put in for the role is commendable," he gushed.
Producer Sajid Nadiadwala, too, was seen getting emotional after dropping the trailer on such a grand scale. "I had tears in my eyes when I saw the film and even now, I feel so overwhelmed looking at how the film has panned out. I've been making films for the past three decades and it's films like these that keep us all going. I'm sure the audience will love the story and even more so because of Kartik's stellar performance in it," he stated. Chandu Champion is set to hit theaters on June 14.
