Monday, August 12, 2024

Chandu Champion - Movies

 2024. Hindi

Kabir Khan digs this one out of the archives and captures the biopic of Murlikant Rajaram Petkar of Karad, Maharashtra who has had the most interesting of lives. He is not named 'Chandu'- that'swhat they call losers in his village. So Murlikant decides early upon seeing a medal winning Olympian get a heroes welcome that he will also win a gold medal in the Olympics. His brother joins him in a wrestling akhara where he works diligently and beats an opponent he is not supposed to beat - to escape his goons he runs and climbs a train full of army hopefuls. He joins the army, switches to boxing and does extremely well to represent India in the Military Games in Tokyo and wins a silver. Back home he fights the Pakistan war in 1965 and survives nine bullets including one in his spine and is paralysed waist below. Urged to compete in paralympics he wins a gold medal in the 1972 Olympics in Munich (also being witness to the deadly Munich attack which left 11 Israeli athletes dead). Turns out he also participated in several other events and made it to the finals.

A true all rounder and inspiration. He was finally awarded a Padmashri in 2018. Well done Kabir Khan and well done Kartik Aryan.       

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