Who Is Murlikant Petkar? India's First Paralympic Gold Medalist Who Inspired Kartik Aaryan's Chandu Champion

After leaving his fans intrigued by his look in his upcoming film, Chandu Champion, Kartik Aaryan unveiled the much-awaited trailer for his 'career's toughest' movie in his own hometown Gwalior.

Kartik has stepped into the shoes of Murlikant Petkar, a Paralympic gold medalist. Directed by Kabir Khan, the actor underwent a tremendous physical transformation for the character. The film is slated to release on June 14, 2024.

Chandu Champion trailer

Sharing the trailer on his Instagram, Aaryan wrote, "With immense pride and joy, sharing the trailer of my career's toughest and most special film that too from my hometown Gwalior, where I dreamt of becoming an actor, Chandu Champion, the story of a man who refused to surrender. Hope it touches your heart, entertains and inspires you to achieve your goals just like India's pride, Mr Murlikant Petkar.

Who is Murlikant Petkar?

So, if you are planning to watch Kartik's Chandu Champion, here's everything you should know about Murlikant Petkar.

• Murlikant was born in the Peth Islampur region of Sangli, Maharashtra, on November 1, 1944.

• He was a jawan of the craftsman rank in the Corps of Electronics and Mechanical Engineers (EME) in the Indian Army.

• He started as a boxing enthusiast while in the Army and was enlisted in the Indian Army Corps of Electronics and Mechanical Engineer.

• In the 1965 war against Pakistan, Murlikant sustained nine bullet wounds that crippled him.

• Petkar decided to switch to swimming, where he made history in the 50-meter freestyle with a time of 37.33 seconds in Heidelberg, Germany.

• He also participated in the javelin, precision javelin throw and slalom, where he was a finalist in all three events.

• Murlikant was selected to represent India at the 1968 Paralympics in Tel Aviv, Israel, where he finished second in table tennis.

• Petkar was later employed by TELCO in Pune when he was in his late 50s.

• He was awarded with the Padma Shri in 2018.