Chandu Champion is based on the unbelievable life story of Murlikant Petkar. The film is well-paced and keeps one engaged from start to finish. A lot happens in the first half and it keeps the interest going. The intermission comes at a dramatic juncture and the second half gets a bit serious. The narrative goes back and forth and it happens very smoothly. It adds to the interest level, especially in the second half. On the flipside, the ending is not nail-biting and is very predictable. The film comes at a time when we have seen Maidaan and other sports biopics and hence, the impact is not as much. Most importantly, the film rushes through key incidents of Murlikant’s life. Certain events are described verbally; they should have been depicted visually for a better impact. And this was very much possible as the film’s runtime is just 139 minutes. Hence, the film could have been longer by 10 minutes. Kartik Aaryan, however, is terrific and you need to see to believe how he has gotten into the skin of his character. His transformation as an old man will also astonish viewers. Vijay Raaz is dependable as always. Bhuvan Arora (Garnail) lends able support. Bhagyashri Borse (Nayantara) is lovely in a cameo. Rajpal Yadav (Topaz) is adorable, as always. Yashpal Sharma, Ganesh Yadav (Ganpat) and the actors playing Murlikant’s family members are fair. Shreyas Talpade is the surprise factor of the film while Sonali Kulkarni is great in a cameo. All in all, Chandu Champion makes for a nice one-time watch.
My rating – *** out of 5!