‘My first biopic and I feel the pressure’

One look at Kartik Aaryan’s filmography and one would know how he has always managed to work his charm. From his boyish charm in ‘Akaash Vani’ to his comedic acts in ‘Pyaar Ka Punchnama,’ ‘Luka Chuppi’ and ‘Pati Patni Aur Woh’ and his romantic role in ‘Satyaprem Ki Katha’, Kartik has consistently won hearts. This Gwalior-born biotech engineering graduate continues to woo audiences with his powerful performances and dimpled smile. But then, Kartik decided to shift gears and take on the challenge of portraying India’s first Paralympic Gold medallist, Murlikant Petkar, in Kabir Khan’s directorial ‘Chandu Champion’.

Over 18 months, the 33-year-old actor dedicated himself to rigorous training and a strict diet regimen to transform his physique. Today, it’s hard to recognise the actor from ‘Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety’, who just a year and a half ago had 39 percent body fat. Now, Kartik aims to maintain the disciplined routine he adopted during his preparation for the role.

“‘Chandu Champion’ is dramatically opposite to what I have done before. Till now, I have only played fictional characters. This is my first biopic and there’s added pressure because I’m portraying a living legend. It was challenging, but I hope audiences enjoy the film. Working on it was an amazing experience - from the rigorous training to the workshops. I’ve never felt this way about a film before,” he said, his dimples intact.

The director didn’t let Kartik meet Petkar before filming began. It was only during the shoot that the actor finally met the Padma Shri awardee sports star. “I’m portraying him primarily from a young age to his older years in the film. Kabir sir didn’t want me to adopt all the qualities Murlikant sir has now. I relied on Kabir sir’s research,” he said.

The life and struggles of Petkar have deeply influenced Kartik. Despite facing challenges, Petkar never gave up, overcoming his injuries to excel in various sports and ultimately becoming India’s first Paralympic gold medallist. The actor could relate to the character because Kartik, who didn’t come from a film background, had to strive hard to pave his own path in Bollywood. “His journey and struggles are so huge that my own challenges felt insignificant. Playing Chandu made me realise the importance of valuing the smaller things in life,” he said.

Meanwhile, Kartik will dive straight into shooting for ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3’ soon after wrapping up promotion and release duties for ‘Chandu Champion’. Over the past year, if there’s one character of Kartik’s that resonated most with audiences, it’s ‘Rooh Baba’ from ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2’. The film’s massive success prompted the makers to announce the next instalment in the franchise. This time, Kartik will be joined by Vidya Balan, who played ‘Manjulika’ in the original.

“It’s been an incredible journey so far. Once again, I’m learning a lot from this project and Vidya ma’am brings such effortless grace,” Kartik said.