Kartik Aaryan receives Best Actor National Award for Chandu Champion; President Droupadi Murmu praises his portrayal of Murlikant Petkar
Kartik Aaryan reached a significant milestone in his career as he received the Best Actor in a Leading Role National Award for Chandu Champion at the 72nd National Film Awards ceremony. President Droupadi Murmu presented the honour to the actor and also acknowledged his portrayal of Paralympic champion Murlikant Petkar. Kartik shared the award with Malayalam actor Mammootty, who was recognised for his performance in Bramayugam.
During the ceremony, President Murmu highlighted the importance of bringing the stories of notable personalities to cinema and specifically referred to Petkar’s journey from soldier to Paralympic champion. She said, “I believe making biopics on such personalities is a highly commendable effort. A soldier, Shri Murlikant Petkar, who dreamt of becoming famous in the world of sports since childhood, was injured during the 1965 war. Despite this, with his courage and determination, he went on to become India’s first para-athlete to win a gold medal at the Paralympics in 1972. He was honoured with the Padma Shri in 2018, and I congratulate Kartik Aaryan for bringing his personality to life through his performance.”
Directed by Kabir Khan, Chandu Champion is a biographical sports drama based on the life of Murlikant Petkar, who represented India in swimming at the 1972 Paralympics. Kartik plays the titular character, with Vijay Raaz, Bhuvan Arora, Yashpal Sharma and Rajpal Yadav among the supporting cast.
The film follows Petkar’s journey across different stages of his life and sporting career, portraying his experiences as a soldier and athlete. It was written by Kabir Khan, Sumit Arora and Sudipto Sarkar, and produced by Sajid Nadiadwala, Kabir Khan and Firuzi Khan. Chandu Champion released theatrically on June 14, 2024.
Kartik’s National Award recognition comes for a performance that required him to portray Petkar across different phases of his life. The actor underwent a physical transformation for the role as the film depicted the athlete’s sporting journey and personal struggles.
The 72nd National Film Awards recognised films and performances from 2024, with Article 370 winning Best Feature Film and Yami Gautam receiving Best Actress in a Leading Role for the same film.
For Kartik, the honour adds a major recognition to Chandu Champion and marks his first National Award for acting, with the award ceremony bringing together performers and filmmakers from across Indian cinema.
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