Kartik Aaryan proved his mettle as an actor with his recently released sports drama Chandu Champion. The film is a biographical adaptation of the life of Paralympic gold medalist Murlikant Petkar. The storyline follows his journey to become an international swimmer after his time in the army, where he survived nine bullets to his body.
Much like Chandu Champion, several biographical sports dramas have been made in Bollywood. The list of such movies is below:
Bhaag Milkha Bhaag
The 2013 sports drama Bhaag Milkha Bhaag narrated the story of legendary Indian athlete Milkha Singh. He goes from facing the independence struggle to reaching the Olympics and becoming a world champion. Much like Chandu Champion, every part of Milkha Singh’s story is inspiring. Farhan Akhtar portrayed the role of the late athlete and received praise for his acting skills. Rakyesh Omprakash Mehra helmed the movie which made over $25 million at the box office.
Maidaan
Ajay Devgn’s latest sports drama, Maidaan, is based on the life of legendary football coach Syed Abdul Rahim. It follows the story of Rahim, also known as the architect of modern Indian football. After over ten years, his team reclaimed the gold in the 1962 Asian Games against South Korea. Amit Ravindernath Sharma directed the movie, which thoroughly entertained the audience.
Mary Kom
In the 2014 biographical sports drama, Priyanka Chopra played the role of Olympic boxer Mary Kom. Hailing from a humble background, Mary Kom follows her passion for becoming a boxer. Despite her father’s disapproval, she proves her talent and becomes the first Indian female boxer to bag an Olympic bronze medal. Omung Kumar directed the movie, which faced criticism for casting Chopra in the titular role and not an actress from the eastern states.
MS Dhoni: The Untold Story
Mahendra Singh Dhoni is among the world’s most appreciated and loved cricketers. However, the story of how he hailed from Ranchi and became the captain of the Indian cricket team was unknown. In 2016, Neeraj Pandey directed the film, while Sushant Singh Rajput played the titular role. The film revealed how MS Dhoni began playing cricket as a child, and it soon became his passion. Moreover, it also highlighted the people who played a crucial role in shaping the cricketer’s career.
Soorma
The 2018 Hindi biographical drama Soorma followed the story of hockey player Sandeep Singh. Diljit Dosanjh and Taapsee Pannu played the lead roles in the movie, while Vijay Raaz, Angad Bedi, and others portrayed supporting characters. Singh’s journey was much like Chandu Champion’s Murlikant Petkar as he also reshapes his life after being left paralyzed due to a gunshot.
Saina
Saina Nehwal, former world no. 1, is one of India’s most successful badminton players. Led by Parineeti Chopra, the movie follows the story of Nehwal and her journey into sports. Parupalli Kashyap directed the movie, while T-Series Film and Front Foot Pictures bankrolled it. Despite receiving mixed reviews, the movie failed to mint good numbers at the box office.
83
Kabir Khan’s 2021 movie 83 narrated how India won the 1983 Cricket World Cup. Ranveer Singh played the role of former Indian cricket team captain Kapil Dev, and Deepika Padukone portrayed his wife, Romi Dev. The movie also starred Harrdy Sandhu, Pankaj Tripathi, Ammy Virk, Saqib Saleem, Tahir Raj Bhasin, Jiiva, and more. Although the movie was unsuccessful at the box office, it received critical acclaim.
Gold
The 2018 sports drama follows the story of India’s national hockey team at the 1948 Summer Olympics. Akshay Kumar plays the role of Tapan Das, who won India its first golf medal. Reema Kagti directed the movie, while Ritesh Sidhwani and Farhan Akhtar produced it.
In conclusion, there are multiple inspiring films in the Hindi cinema like Chandu Champion. These movies demonstrate the strength and passion of the athletes and their struggles to make it to the top. Stay tuned for more entertainment updates!
