Mumbai – The late Sushant Singh Rajput continues to be remembered not just for the films he delivered but also for the ones he was meant to be a part of. In a recent revelation, actor Bhuvan Arora shared that Sushant was originally set to play the lead in Chandu Champion, the biopic based on the life of Murlikant Petkar — India’s first Paralympic gold medalist. The role eventually went to Kartik Aaryan, and the film was directed by Kabir Khan.
Sushant, who tragically passed away in June 2020, had acquired the rights to Murlikant Petkar’s life story, indicating how invested he was in bringing the inspiring tale to the big screen. Known for his dedication to biographical roles, with MS Dhoni: The Untold Story being one of his most iconic performances, Sushant’s vision for Chandu Champion highlights yet another instance of his passion for portraying real-life heroes.
In a chat with Hindi Rush, Bhuvan Arora shared a heartfelt memory of his interaction with Sushant regarding the film:
“Ironically, I did a movie Chandu Champion. Initially, Sushant was supposed to do it. He had the rights to that film. Story rights were also with Sushant. He must have bought it from Murlikant Petkar. Even Murlikant sir said it in one of the interviews. I bumped into Sushant at the airport and he told me that he was going to do a film about a Paralympic swimmer. We both loved acting and used to talk to each other, we discussed on the film”.
He went on to express the emotional irony of eventually being part of the project without Sushant:
“Obviously, it slipped off my mind. Recently, when Chandu Champion was released, I saw an interview of Murlikant sir in which he said that Sushant was supposed to do this film initially. I don’t know the details of it but ironically, that time I wasn’t there in that movie. Now, I was a part of this film but Sushant wasn’t there”.
The revelation has stirred emotions among fans who still deeply miss Sushant and admire his commitment to meaningful cinema. Chandu Champion, now featuring Kartik Aaryan, has been lauded for telling Petkar’s inspiring journey, but this insight adds a poignant layer to the film’s backstory — a tribute, perhaps, to the star who once dreamed of bringing it to life.
