Chronicling Kartik’s transformation to play the role of a Paralympics athlete in ‘Chandu Champion,’ the actor’s trainer Tridev Pandey takes us through the rigorous process of turning him into an athlete.
Kartik Aaryan, known for his boy-next-door image, has undergone an extraordinary physical transformation for his upcoming movie ‘Chandu Champion,’ where he plays the role of India’s first Paralympic gold medalist, Murlikant Petkar. At the onset of his journey, the actor’s fitness metrics were far from athletic. Accumulating a 39% body fat percentage, Aaryan was classified as obese and weighed a hefty 90 kilos after concluding the film ‘Freddy’. The magnitude of the task ahead was daunting, but with the guidance of his national-level boxer trainer, Tridev Pandey, Aaryan embarked on a fitness journey that would span over a year, reshaping his body and mastering the art of boxing.
“When we began, it was quite a challenge,” recounts Pandey. “On day one, he couldn’t perform a single full-range push-up or a pull-up. My task for Kabir Khan’s film was two-fold: first, to alter Kartik’s body composition so that he looked fit and second, to train him so he could convincingly portray a boxer in six proper fight sequences.”
In a significant year-long partnership, Pandey taught Aaryan not just the techniques required for boxing but also the stringent fitness regimens followed by athletes. The training started with bodyweight exercises, deemed essential for developing speed, strength, and agility — crucial elements in boxing.
“Bodyweight training is critical,” emphasizes Pandey. “He needed to develop endurance and accuracy. Over the 14 months, Kartik began to command his bodyweight. By the end of our training, he could undertake push-ups with a 50-kilo plate on his back and pull-ups with 27.5 kilos attached to him.”
Pandey meticulously divided Aaryan’s training days into two segments: boxing sessions in the morning and strength training routines in the evening. He adjusted workouts based on Kartik’s recovery, ensuring a blend of strength-based sets or cardio and boxing basics like jabs or straight hooks.
While the routine was described as “pretty simple,” it was anything but easy. The actor started with 15 to 20 repetitions of exercises, gradually increasing weights to induce muscle fatigue and subsequently enhancing strength by executing more reps with added weights. As his proficiency grew, more complex techniques were integrated into the workouts.
“We had to incorporate skipping because initially, Kartik couldn’t do it,” Pandey shares. “Skipping is essential for boxers to develop agility, stamina, and calf muscle strength.
. Three-minute matches in boxing require the athlete to stay on their toes, and skipping is the best preparation for that. By the end, he managed to pull off 15 variations of skipping.”
Kartik’s rapid progress is a testament to his dedication and adaptability. In a short timespan, he learned an array of skills that many might take years to master. Pandey proudly notes, “You can see him performing handstand push-ups without breaking form. No body doubles were used; all the fitness-related scenes in the film feature him.”
Importantly, Kartik achieved all this without resorting to any steroids, which are often tempting shortcuts for many athletes. “He wanted to keep things natural,” says Pandey. “Although he is a vegetarian, he included eggs in his diet during this period. He relied on protein supplements, multivitamins, and other products for recovery. We also reduced his calorie intake from 2,200 to 1,800 calories per day.”
The results of this strenuous regimen are nothing short of remarkable. Aaryan’s fat percentage dropped from an alarming 39% to a lean 7%, a figure typically associated with professional athletes. “That seven percent is a significant testament to his dedication,” Pandey beams.
During the filming process, Aaryan had the honor of meeting Murlikant Petkar, the inspiration behind his role. Petkar, celebrated for winning an individual gold medal in freestyle swimming at the 1972 Summer Paralympics in Germany, left a lasting impression on both Kartik and Pandey. “To achieve so much in wrestling, boxing, and swimming requires immense mental fortitude,” says Pandey. “Petkar’s remarkable physical resilience and achievements were incredibly inspiring. At 83, he still commands great respect and walks with pride, showcasing his military decorations.”
As the filming for ‘Chandu Champion’ wrapped up, it wasn’t just Kartik Aaryan’s body that had transformed; his mindset and lifestyle had also seen an incredible shift. His fitness journey from a novice unable to complete a push-up to an agile, strong, athlete-worthy of depicting a national hero like Murlikant Petkar on the big screen is indeed a magnificent story of perseverance and transformation.
