In 2020, during the COVID-19 lockdown,
Murlikant Petkar
saw the news of
Sushant Singh Rajput
's death on TV. He was shocked and devastated, finding it hard to believe. Sushant had visited him in August 2019, promising to tell Murlikant's story on screen. Since Sushant's untimely death, Murlikant hasn't spoken much about him but can't forget their time together.
Murlikant Petkar shared with IndianExpress.com that before Kabir Khan,
Sushant Singh
Rajput was working on a film about his life and journey as a paralympian.
Sushant had already completed 10 to 15 percent of the film. He was passionate about telling Murlikant's story and spent considerable time with him, learning how he won multiple gold medals despite being shot nine times and falling into a coma. However, Sushant's sudden death halted the project. It was only after
Kabir Khan
read about Murlikant in a newspaper article that he decided to take on the film.
Petkar got injured in the 1965 war with Pakistan, which ended his Army career. Despite a bullet still in his spine, he chased his dream and won a gold medal at the 1972 Summer Paralympics in Germany. He set a world record in the 50-meter freestyle swimming event and reached the finals in the javelin throw, precision javelin, and slalom.
Murlikant also remembers that Sushant used to visit him often, listening eagerly to his stories and finding inspiration in how Murlikant achieved gold medals despite his disability.
Murlikant Petkar expressed deep shock over Sushant's sudden passing, describing the loss as personal. He sees the release of '
Chandu Champion
' on this date as a tribute to Sushant, honoring the young talent who was eager to portray his story on screen but left the world too soon, leaving his story unfinished.
English (US) ·