Chandu Champion starrer Kartik Aaryan was honored with the Maharashtrian of the Year Award 2025 for his powerful performance in the film Chandu Champion as Murlikant Petkar. Murlikant Petkar was a Paralympic gold medalist who won the first gold in Paralympics for India. Kartik Aaryan immaculately portrayed Murlikant Petkar in Chandu Champion exploring the Paralympian inspiring journey to win the gold in Summer Paralympics 1972 in freestyle swimming.
The film is based on his life and his dedication to winning the gold against all odds. Chandu Champion thus honors this unsung sports hero for his commitment to the sport when representing his country. Kartik Aaryan’s powerful portrayal of the Paralympics brought both recognition and glory to the Maharashtrian star hence getting the much-deserved love from the audiences of the film.
Kartik Aaryan Expresses His Gratitude For The Honour
Kartik Aaryan expressed his gratitude upon receiving the award and shared a few words on the occasion, “I am truly honored to receive the Maharashtrian of the Year 2025 award. This is a proud moment for me and my family. While I hail from Gwalior, Mumbai has been my karmabhoomi—this city has given me my name, fame, home, and everything I have today. Since childhood, my dream was to become an actor and come to Mumbai, and that decision became the turning point of my life.”
He shares a Bhagavad Gita teaching to end his appreciation speech during the award saying, “one should focus on their work without worrying about the results. Awards like the Lokmat Maharashtrian of the Year are a testament to that belief, and I will continue to dedicate myself to my craft.”
In recent years Kartik Aaryan has given numerous hits Pati Patni Aur Woh, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3. However, most of his films were non-biopic movies, unlike Chandu Champion. This role therefore offered a new curve in his acting career that was both emotional and transformative.
He expressed in previous interviews how this role was challenging for him due to the significance of the role. However, with intense physical training and rigorous preparation, he made a remarkable mark on the audience with his portrayal of Murlikant Petkar in the biopic. Next, he will be seen in Aashiqui 3, a romantic musical film staring South sensation Sreeleela.
