Chandu Champion, the highly anticipated sports biopic directed by Kabir Khan, has gotten off to a disappointing start at the Indian box office. Despite positive reviews for the film and Kartik Aaryan’s acclaimed performance, the movie recorded the lowest opening-day numbers for the actor since his breakout hit Pyaar Ka Punchnama 2 in 2015.
According to early estimates, Chandu Champions earned only 4.75 crore on its opening day on June 14, 2024. This marks a significant drop from Aaryan’s last two releases – Satyaorem ki Katha, which opened at 8.25 crore, and the blockbuster Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, which had a 14.11 crore debut.
The film’s underwhelming start is particularly surprising given the positive critical reception. Based on the extraordinary story of Indin’s first Paralympic gold medalist Murlikant Petkar, Chandu Champion has been praised for Aaryan’s powerful performance and Kabir Khan’s sensitive direction.
“Kartik Aaryan‘s portrayal of a boxer, wrestler, and soldier in the film has left fans intrigued, particularly after the release of his fierce new look, “wrote Hinsudtan Times in their review of the film’s trailer. “The trailer offers a glimpse into the emotional journey of Chandu, showcasing his determination to overcome adversity and become a champion.”
However, these positive reviews have not yet translated to strong box office numbers. The film struggled with low occupancy rates, particularly in the morning and afternoon shows, with the overall occupancy on the opening day standing at just 16.84%.
The disappointing start for Chandu, Champion continues a rough patch at the box office for director Kabir Khan. His last film, the cricket drama 83, also faced a challenging theatrical run, beginning with a 12.64 crore opening before being cut short by the Covid-19 pandemic. The film ultimately grossed 193 crore globally.
One of the key factors behind Chandu Champion’s underwhelming debut seems to be the stiff competition it is facing from the sleeper hit supernatural thriller Munjya. Released a week earlier, Munjya has continued to draw audiences, earning nearly 1 crore more than Chandu champions on its eighth day with 3.35 crore.
“Chandu Champion is facing stiff competition from supernatural thriller Munjya, which has emerged as a sleeper hit at the box office,” noted CNBC TV18 in their report on the film’s opening day numbers. “The Aditya Sarpotdar directorial was released on June 7 and collected 3.75 crore on its second Friday (Day 8), taking its total collection so far to 40.25 crore.”
Despite the extensive promotion and marketing efforts, including a grand trailer launch event in Kartik Aaryan’s hometown of Gwalior, Chandu Champions has struggled to capture the audience’s attention in the face of this unexpected competition.
“To essay the titular role, Kartik Aayan underwent a massive weight loss, from 90 kg to 72 kg,” noted Times of India in their report. “Speaking about the prep, he had told ETimes, ‘Both of them(emotionally and physically getting into the part) was difficult and they were co-related. Building this body was a work of a lot of patience and it took long.”
Aaryan’s dedication to physically transforming himself for the role has been widely praised, but it remains to be seen whether the audience’s appreciation for his performance will translate to stronger box office numbers in the coming days.
The film’s producers, Sajid Nadiawala and Kabir Khan will be hoping that positive word-of-mouth and strong weekend collections can help Chandu Champion recover from its disappointing start. The sports drama faces an uphill battle, however, as it continues to compete with the surprise success of Munjya.
In the end, the fate of Chandu Champion will serve as a crucial test for Kartik Aaryan’s star power and Kabir Khan Khan’s ability to deliver a commercially successful sports biopic. With the film’s 120 crore budget, a lot is riding on the movie’s performance in the coming weeks.
Only time will tell whether Chandu Champion can overcome its challenging start and emerge as a box office champion, or if it will be remembered as a missed opportunity for the talented team behind the film.