“Mauj Kare Audience, Magar-Theatre-Mein-Ja-Ke”
Warning – this will be full of spoilers. Avoid reading if you haven’t watched it yet. Dekh aao fir padhna. Aur agar sirf verdict chahiye toh you can skip directly to the last paragraph. Kyuki, ‘Champions na spoiler dete hain, na dusro ka maza kharab karte hain.’
Chandu Champion Ka Intro
The police station scene surprising us with Shreyas Talpade’s cameo, leading to Murlikant Petkar’s childhood was very interesting. Ayan Khan Sroha as young Murlikant was very real and engaging to watch. A light-hearted good start, leading to the first Dangal as adult Kartik and finally the title reveal was a good decision as per writing and direction point of view.
Actors and Characters
Vijay Raaz did a fantastic job as always. Equally balanced between being funny and a serious coach. Rajpal Yadav was a surprise. Reminded me of the Bhool Bhulaiyaa combo. They both had made a reel on the Satyanas song as well on the sets of Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3, in their respective costumes. Shreyas Talpade was a sweet surprise along with Brijendra Kala, who made the police station scenes interesting.
Bhuvan Arora was a dear friend and a very funny character. Loved all his scenes. Yashpal Sharma as training officer Uttam Singh, Bhagyashri Borse as Nayantara, and Sonali Kulkarni as Journalist, also did well in their limited roles. Aniruddh Dave as Murlikanth’s elder brother Jagannath Rajaram Petkar made quite a mark in his two emotinal scenes.
Writing and Direction
I liked how Kabir Khan told the story. For me, the story of Murlikanth Petkar is the hero in Chandu Champion. The writing, screenplay and direction is quite good, though there are downs in the story and the pacing is bound to slow down here, the movie keeps you engaged throughout. That is a very good aspect of a good director. Yet, it was not from start to end, but let’s discuss that in the next section.
The Problem With Biopics
Biopics are usually the story of underdogs becoming Champions in their field. And hence the writing of such films also follow a certain pattern.
Childhood > Dream/Discovery > Rejection > Stubbornness > A coach/mentor who realizes the potential > Training Montage > Little Success > Some form of hiccup > In case of sports biopics, lack of government support or favouritism > Continuation of Struggle > Final battle/match/event > Success.
Just think about it, at the core, aren’t all biopics, especially sports biopics, the same?
Plus the fact that we have seen a lot of biopics and sports biopics, even the fictional sports films, it is very difficult for the audience to like a biopic, even though it is completely new as it is based on a different person and theme, because at the core, it follows the same writing pattern. Sab dekha dekha sa lagta hai.
Music
Not impressive. the music works well with the scenes in the theatre. But none of the song elevate the scenes as they should. Satyanas, though it was shot very well, could not generate the euphoria like how Hawan Karenge did in Bhaag Milkha Bhaag. Tu Hai Champion also could not elevate the emotions as it should have. Some of the top songs for me during training montage are – Sultan, Chak De India, Bhaag Milkha, Zinda, Brothers Anthem, Chak Lein De, Ziddi Dil, Get Ready To Fight and Dangal. Just close your eyes and listen to any of these songs. I’m pretty sure you will not only feel energized, but will see flashes of the film and smile. Chandu Champion songs fail to do that.
The War Scene
Have been hearing about this scene since it was shot. First the PR praised it and now every one else is too. Even some of the good movie reviewers I like to listen to. For me, it was quite okayish and I feel too much credit is being given to it. And I think that is because it was shot in one take. One-takes are always impressive but I feel sometimes people give too much credit to one-takes and go overboard with it. The war scene in Chandu Champion was definitely good, I don’t dislike it, but I feel, it is getting more credit than it deserves. Is it due to the PR and marketing that plays with our minds?
Kartik Aaryan
Kartik Aaryan has really done well this time. I would say it was his best performance yet. I loved how he had transformed into the boxer. His body language and mannerism were so on point. But despite all of that I still feel he has a long way to go. He is a good actor, comedy and romance are still his strongest aspects, but he is not very impressive in emotional and dramatic scenes. People give too much praise for his box office collections and good looks. While all that is great, acting wise he is very average and maybe he is surrounded by too many ‘yes men.’ Growth only comes when we work on your weaknesses, not when we ignore them.
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My brother is a huge huge fan of him. I am a fan too, and hence I would want him to do better. Kartik, if you or anyone from you team is reading this, please work on your voice modulation. While you are getting better in expressing and emoting, the tone of your voice feels the same in all the scenes.
Theatrical Experience
After all the criticism and critical analysis, I would like to come back to the appreciation. Chandu Champion is a very good film that engages you from start to end. There is a lack of highs and lows that takes a film from being good to brilliant. Average music and repeated biopic factor would be the letdown for most people.
The overall appreciation by the audience on the internet is mostly genuine, except the part where they are praising Kartik more than Kabir Khan or rooting for a National Award for Kartik Aaryan. Wo thoda zyada ho gaya. But maza ata hai theatre mein. All the jokes worked, people were laughing. Everyone clapped in the end. I was teary-eyed, almost cried.
Verdict/Recommendation
If you are wondering if you should go or not, I don’t see any reason why you should not watch it. Don’t wait for OTT. Don’t go for pirated prints. Try watching in a packed theatre as community experience is best. Chandu Champion will be worth your time and money.
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