New film celebrates paralympic gold medalist Murlikant Petkar

Bollywood - at long last - seems to be going big on disabled stories. 

After the release and success of the Rajkumar Rao-starrer Srikanth, based on the life of visually-impaired entrepreneur Srikanth Bolla, director Kabir Khan and producer Sajid Nadiadwala have teamed up on Chandu Champion, which hit theatres today. 

Chandu Champion is a sports drama starring Kartik Aaryan. The film is based on the life of Murlikant Petkar, an ex-jawan in the Indian Army who went on to become India's first Paralympic gold medalist, tracing his journey from soldier to ace sportsman. 

From Sangli to the global stage 

Born on November 1, 1944 in Peth Islampur, Maharashtra, Petkar developed a keen interest in athletics early on in life, particularly wrestling and hockey. Even after joining the Indian Army, he continued to excel in sports. According to his website, the 1965 Indo-Pakistan war left him severely injured and with a permanent spinal cord injury as well as memory loss. 

Acquiring a disability 

Within 2 years, Petkar was well on the road to recovery. In 1968, he was already participating and making a mark in state-level sports such as shot-put, javelin throw, discus throw, weightlifting, table tennis and archery. 

During this time, Petkar trained vigorously, mastering the freestyle swimming technique with just one functional arm. And sure enough, he clinched gold in the 50-metre freestyle swimming event at the 1972 Summer Paralympics held in Germany, showing the world that success in sport isn’t reserved only for those who fit a traditional athletic mould. 

Petkar also set a world record with a time of 37.33 seconds, one that stood for many years. 

Petkar has continued to be involved in sports and has been an advocate for sports and the rights of disabled individuals in India. He has received various awards and recognition, though many feel his contributions and achievements have not received the level of recognition they deserve. 

In 2018, the government of India honoured him with the Padma Shri, one of the country's highest civilian awards, acknowledging his contributions and achievements in sports. 

Recognition and representation 

Chandu Champion releases at a crucial time in history, when discussions around the portrayal of disabled individuals in media are increasingly becoming more and more prominent, and disability advocacy is at the highest it has been. 

But all said and done, as a society we still need to deeply reflect on how disabled athletes - and people in general - are represented in our films and TV. While the stories of disabled people need to be told, we also need to make sure that their portrayals do not oversimplify their lives but instead offer a nuanced view of their lived experiences. 

It is now more crucial than ever to discuss the delicate line between celebrating achievements and veering into the territory of inspiration porn. It is also very important to remember that disabled people do not exist only to make the able-bodied feel better about their own lives. 

If you’ve watched Chandu Champion, we’re keen to hear your thoughts about the disability representation in the movie.