This Independence Day, Kartik Aaryan shared a truly inspiring moment with his fans. On social media, the actor posted a powerful scene from his latest film ‘Chandu Champion’, where his character wins a gold medal.
Alongside the video, Kartik wrote, “My Pride ❤️ Happy Independence Day .”
‘Chandu Champion’, directed by Kabir Khan and produced by Sajid Nadiadwala under Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment, tells the remarkable real-life story of India’s first Paralympic gold medallist, Murlikant Petkar.
Kartik portrays Petkar, whose journey to victory in the 1972 Summer Paralympics in Heidelberg, Germany, remains a historic achievement.
Kartik Aaryan recalls his ‘Chandu Champion’ moment:
Petkar’s accomplishments are extraordinary. He won an individual gold medal in swimming, setting a world record in the 50-meter freestyle with a time of 37.33 seconds. In addition to swimming, he competed in javelin, precision javelin throw, and slalom, reaching the finals in all three events.
His remarkable dedication to sports earned him the Padma Shri in 2018. And he was recently honoured with the Arjuna Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2024, which was presented in January 2025.
For Kartik Aaryan, bringing Petkar’s story to life was no small feat. The actor underwent a dramatic physical transformation for the role.
Over 14 months, he reduced his body fat from 39% to just 7%.