Bollywood star Kartik Aaryan felt he earned a medal when he met with Paralympic champion Murlikant Petkar on the set of Chandu Champion, the actor said in a video that he shared on Thursday.
The 33-year-old actor recalled how they got a taste of Murlikant’s willpower and determination on the day of the shooting for the Olympic swimming scene.“Couldn’t have imagined a non-swimmer like myself Swimming without the use of Legs.. Meet The Real Champion who inspired me to achieve the impossible Padma Shri @murlikantpetkar,” he said.
Kartik also recalled Murlikant, despite being 79 years old, insisted on climbing the stairs to the second floor instead of taking the elevator. “I was just amazed to see that he has such a strong will power,” he said.
The Chandu Champion star, who portrayed the role of Murlikant in the Kabir Khan-helmed movie, also expressed his fascination with the athlete’s ability to stay humble and grounded despite his achievements. “It felt so powerful to meet him. It felt so nice to meet him,” he said.
Calling Murlikant a living inspiration, Kartik recalled the time when Kabir Khan had approached him for the biopic. “Your story was important for everyone to know — to make everyone believe in themselves. When Kabir sir narrated Chandu Champion for the first time, I didn’t believe that this could be a true story.”
The actor also said that it was an “incredible experience” to live Murlikant’s life for almost two years to portray him on the big screen. “I have never received so much love and appreciation for my work before as I’m getting for Chandu Champion. It’s overwhelming!! Really fortunate that I got the opportunity to meet you and relive some unbelievable, magical and inspiring moments of your life.”
Kartik wondered why most people aren’t familiar with Murlikant’s life after seeing the athlete’s medals. “First thing that he said was, mere jaise kar rahe ho aap (you are doing it just like me). It just made my year,” the actor said, adding, “It felt like I got a medal that day.”
Chandu Champion is a biographical drama based on the life of India’s first Paralympic champion Murlikant Petkar, who represented India at the Olympic Games and won a gold medal in the 1972 Summer Paralympics.
