Kartik To Step Into Sushant Singh Rajput's Shoes

Kabir Khan's next venture, Chandu Champion, is based on a true story and stars Kartik Aaryan.

A source in the know tells Subhash K Jha, "Kartik is playing the paralympics champion Murlikant Petkar. It is the same role that Sushant Singh Rajput was to play seven years ago. The physically disabled army man-turned-sportsperson Murlikant Petkar won a Gold Medal at the Commonwealth Games in 1970 and at the Paralympics in Germany in 1972.

"Chandu Champion will be quirky and authentic. It is not a glamorous film like Kartik Aaryan's earlier films. He will play a character totally opposite to what he is in real life. The walk, the dialectic speech, the clothes will be alien to Kartik's personality. He will be doing a transformative drill before getting into character."

Sushant had told this writer in 2016: 'The minute I heard his story, I was on. I wanted to do it without a second thought. What an inspiring story! After playing Dhoni, I'm looking forward to playing Petkar, who never allowed his physical hurdles to stand in the way of his dreams. I like playing characters who dream big.'

Chandu Champion is expected to go on floors by the end of the year and release on Eid 2024.