The much-anticipated film “Chandu Champion”, directed by the renowned Kabir Khan and headlined by Bollywood star Kartik Aaryan, has opened to a lukewarm response at the box office. Released on Friday, the biographical sports drama chronicles the life and achievements of India’s first Paralympic gold medalist, Murlikant Petkar. Despite receiving largely positive reviews from critics and audiences alike, the film managed to garner only Rs 5.4 crore on its opening day.
Trade analyst Taran Adarsh took to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to provide an update on the film’s box office performance. He noted that “#ChanduChampion was expected to start slow and its Day 1 numbers have opened on expected lines. While morning shows were way below the mark, the evening shows did witness some improvement, especially at urban centres.”
He further elaborated that even though the ticket pricing for Day 1 was set at an affordable rate of ₹150, this strategy did not significantly impact the overall revenue. According to Adarsh, national chains and urban centres were the primary contributors to the Day 1 total, whereas mass pockets and single screens underperformed. However, he emphasized the potential of strong word-of-mouth promotion to enhance footfall over the weekend and the upcoming holiday on Monday.
“The affordable ticket pricing on Day 1 [₹150/-] did not make much of a difference, going by the overall total. National chains/urban centres were significant contributors in *Day 1* total, but mass pockets/single screens are a downer. The silver lining is the strong word of mouth, which should convert into footfalls on Sat – Sun – Mon [holiday],” Adarsh mentioned in his tweet.
Given this scenario, the film’s success hinges on a significant business uptick over the extended weekend. “#ChanduChampion has to cover lost ground on Sat – Sun – Mon,” Adarsh warned, adding that a massive jump in business is extremely crucial for the turnaround at this juncture. “It’s a wait-and-watch situation right now,” he concluded.
Regarding the casting choice of Kartik Aaryan for the titular role, director Kabir Khan shared his insights during an interview with IANS. Known for his standout directorial work on films like ’83’ and ‘Bajrangi Bhaijaan’, Kabir Khan explained why he felt Kartik was the perfect fit for ‘Chandu Champion’. “When I was writing the script of ‘Chandu’..
.. obviously, when you are writing the script, you have an image in your mind. And that image, that character, has an age, personality, attitude… So, when you have these pointers, the next step is to identify which actor can embody all these characteristics. Very strongly, I felt those characteristics in Kartik Aaryan,” said Kabir.
Kabir Khan, who had never worked with Kartik nor met him properly before this project, recounted their first meeting which lasted around two and a half hours. “We had a lot of conversations about the film. As a director, during our talks, it’s my job to gauge whether he is the right fit for this character. A director’s gut instinct is very strong. After that 2.5-hour meeting with him, I was very clear that Kartik would be the ‘Chandu Champion’,” he shared.
Elaborating further on his decision, the ‘Ek Tha Tiger’ director revealed that he posed two critical questions to Kartik during their discussions. “I only had two questions, which Kartik answered without batting an eye on it — firstly, about getting a haircut, and secondly, about a very tough body transformation because he (Petkar) is a top athlete of international level. Kartik had no hesitations with both questions. I knew he would go the extra mile to do it,” concluded Kabir Khan.
The movie’s storyline, acting performances, and production quality have garnered appreciation, yet its box office performance remains a significant area of concern. The industry now eagerly watches to see if “Chandu Champion” can pick up momentum over the weekend and beyond, capitalizing on its strong initial reviews and word-of-mouth marketing. With the extended weekend providing an additional opportunity for audiences to catch the film, the coming days will be crucial for its overall success and longevity at the box office.
