Kartik Aaryan: “Chandu Champion” actor Kartik Aaryan has congratulated Murlikant Petkar, India’s first Paralympic gold medallist, after he was named for the Arjuna Award (Lifetime).
Petkar, who won the top honours in the 50m freestyle swimming event of the 1972 Heidelberg Paralympics, was portrayed by Aaryan in “Chandu Champion”, the 2024 sports drama film from acclaimed filmmaker Kabir Khan.
“Huge Huge Huge Congratulations to Sri Murlikant Petkar Ji. Our film, #ChanduChampion begins with the scene of you fighting for the Arjuna Award and now seeing you getting the biggest sports honour of the country… the journey feels complete. Your win feels personal Sir,” Aaryan said in a post on Instagram alongside a picture of Petkar and the film’s poster.
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“Congratulations to the real Champion! Words cannot amply express this emotion. You are finally getting your due and we are all so proud of you Sir,” he added.
Petkar, who was earlier honoured with Padma Shri in 2018, was selected for the Arjuna Award alongside 16 other para-athletes.
Petkar, originally a boxer in the Indian Army and switched to swimming after losing his legs in the 1965 India-Pakistan war. His incredible journey led to India’s first-ever medal in freestyle swimming at the Paralympics in Heidelberg, Germany, in 1972.
“Chandu Champion”, produced by Sajid Nadiadwala’s Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment and Kabir Khan Films, was released in June 2024. The movie also featured Vijay Raaz, Bhuvan Arora and Rajpal Yadav in pivotal roles.
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