'Chandu Champion' records Kartik's lowest opening in nearly a decade
Kartik Aaryan's latest offering, Chandu Champion, had a disappointing start at the box office on Friday, earning only ₹4.75cr on its opening day. This is the lowest opening for an Aaryan film since his breakout hit Pyaar Ka Punchnama 2 in 2015. Despite positive reviews, the sports biopic directed by Kabir Khan and based on the life of India's first Paralympics gold medalist, Murlikant Petkar, failed to draw audiences.
Occupancy rates for 'Chandu Champion'
Chandu Champion observed an overall occupancy of 16.84% on its opening day, with tickets sold at ₹150. In Mumbai, the occupancy was slightly higher at 19.25% across 723 shows, while in Delhi and NCR, it was marginally better at 19.50% across 870 shows. The Sajid Nadiadwala-backed flick also stars Bhuvan Arora, Palak Lalwani, and Adonis Kapsalis in significant roles, alongside Aaryan. Read our review here.
Aaryan's 'Chandu Champion' struggles in comparison to his previous releases
Aaryan's previous release, Satyaprem Ki Katha, earned an impressive ₹8.25cr on its first day last year, nearly double the opening day collection of Chandu Champion. Going further back, his first post-pandemic film, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, had a significantly higher opening day collection of ₹14.11cr and eventually grossed ₹265.5cr globally. The stark difference underscores the underwhelming performance of Aaryan's latest cinematic outing.
'Chandu Champion' faces stiff competition from 'Munjya'
Despite extensive promotion for over a month, Chandu Champion faces tough competition from the supernatural thriller Munjya—released on June 7. The latter continues to attract audiences despite limited promotions and no major stars. On its eighth day of release, Munjya earned around a crore less than Aaryan's film (₹3.35cr), but had made ₹4cr on its opening day, closely rivaling the opening collection of Chandu Champion.
'Chandu Champion' X review: Fans call Aaryan phenomenal
Box office aside, Aaryan's diligent efforts have certainly impressed his fans. One ecstatic fan drew comparisons to Bollywood's Mr Perfectionist Aamir Khan, stating, "Who would have thought Kartik would evolve into such a phenomenal actor? Simply outstanding in every scene!! Nails the emotional parts like a veteran, achieving what even Aamir Khan couldn't in LSC!, (sic)." "His body language, mannerisms, and expressive eyes, combined with heartfelt dialogue delivery, make for a brilliant performance," said another fan.
