The Emotional Journey Behind the Transformation
Kartik Aaryan is taking a trip down memory lane as his film ‘Chandu Champion’ completes two years since its release. The actor marked the occasion with a heartfelt note on Instagram, looking back at the transformative experience of portraying Paralympic gold medallist Murlikant Petkar. He called it the most special project of his career, sharing how the role changed him beyond just the visible physical transformation.
In his post, Kartik wrote, “Two years ago, I stepped into the shoes of a man the world had forgotten, and he ended up reminding me of everything I believed in. I’m not sure I’ve fully put it into words yet, but I’ll try. This film isn’t just about a man who refused to give up, it’s about the scars that become medals, setbacks that become comebacks.” The actor went on to reveal that while he shed 18 kilos for the role, the personal lessons he gained were far more significant. “The 18 kilos I lost were nothing compared to everything I gained. #ChanduChampion is the most special film of my life. To play Murlikant Petkar, I had to become someone I’d never been before. Every early morning, every drop of sweat, every moment of self-doubt on set- it wasn’t acting. It was living.”
How He Achieved the Dramatic Weight Loss
Kartik’s dramatic physical transformation became one of the most talked-about aspects of the film. The actor reduced his weight from 90 kg to 72 kg without the aid of any performance-enhancing substances. A source close to the production reveals that when he began training, he reportedly struggled to perform even a single push-up. By the end of the process, he was able to do push-ups with 50–60 kg of additional weight placed on his back. His progress extended to other areas as well — from finding basic skipping routines challenging, Kartik eventually mastered 14 to 15 advanced skipping variations as part of his preparation for the role.
In an exclusive chat during the release of the film, Kartik had opened up on his transformation, saying, “Both of them (emotionally and physically getting into the part) were difficult and they were co-related. Building this body was a work of a lot of patience and it took really long. I had never imagined a film like this, genre like this and this is something I’ve never attempted. For me, I was trying to give my 200 percent – be it the psyche or physique in every way possible. We did a lot of workshops, reading sessions. We did a lot of workshops with a dialect expert to get the Marathi lingo and to not overdo it. There’s always a thin line between making it sound correct and overdoing it. It’s been quite a while that we started prepping for this film. All said and done, I’m really proud of this film.”
The Vegetarian Diet That Built the Body
One of the most surprising aspects of Kartik’s transformation was that he achieved it on a vegetarian diet. The actor is an eggetarian, meaning he includes eggs but no other non-vegetarian food. His trainer Tridev Pandey had shared earlier, “Kartik is an eggetarian and there were many people who were suggesting that he start eating non-vegetarian food, but he only took my advice. Being a vegetarian myself, I knew how to get the body without eating non-veg food, and he really appreciates my physique. So he only asked me ‘aise body ban jayegi na?’ and I told him yes.”
The transformation required months of discipline and intense training. Kartik’s fitness regime was designed to mirror the training schedule of a professional boxer preparing for competition. The actor’s dedication paid off, as he not only achieved the look required for the role but also earned widespread praise for his commitment. As he marks two years since the film’s release, Kartik’s journey from 90 kgs to 72 kgs remains an inspiration to fans and fitness enthusiasts alike.