Kartik Aaryan’s first film of the year ‘Chandu Champion’ is going to release tomorrow i.e. on 14th June. All eyes are on the box office figures of this film produced by Kabir Khan. The year 2024 has not been very good for the Hindi film industry. Bollywood is now in dire need of a hit after struggling in the first half of the year. Will ‘Chandu Champion’ be successful? Know what trade experts have to say.

“There hasn’t been as much buzz about it as there should have been,” trade expert Taran Adarsh ​​told IndiaToday.in exclusively. “But the thing is, people know that it’s a biopic and it’s not just any biopic. Spices film. There is a lot of difference between Kartik Aaryan in ‘Chandu Champion’ and Kartik Aaryan in ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa’. ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3’ is definitely going to hit the ball out of the park. But for ‘Chandu Champion’, a film like this needs to be nurtured. Biopics take time to develop. If the film is worth it, it will catch on.”

He added, “I am really hoping that the film will be a box office success as it is a big film and it is coming after the summer holidays.” Estimating the film’s first day collection, Adarsh ​​said, “I think it will be anywhere between Rs 7 crore and Rs 10 crore or maybe cross Rs 10 crore.”

‘Chandu Champion’ is not just a biopic of a man who won medals for the country. It is the story of a real-life hero, Murlikant Petkar, who faced many difficulties and achieved something that no one could have imagined. It is a story of love and defeat, failure and victory. And to some extent – of life and death.

Watch the trailer of ‘Chandu Champion’ here:

Estimating the film’s box office figures, trade analyst Akshaye Rathi said ‘Chandu Champion’ could have an opening of around Rs 7 crore or Rs 8 crore. “But after that, it completely depends on the merit of the film, which we will know only on Friday,” says Rathi.

He further added, “And given this collaboration with a producer like Sajid Nadiadwala, who puts in extra effort in enhancing the look and feel of a film, with Kabir Khan, who brings some gravitas and sensibility to the storytelling and with a mainstream commercial actor like Kartik Aaryan, I hope they hit that right spot or that balance that can cater to the widest possible audience. If it happens with the right kind of story, the sky is the limit for these kinds of films, because we Indians love underdog dramas. We love films in which we can cheer for our heroes in the cinema halls. And if that’s what this team has brought, anything can happen at the box office.”

2022 turned out to be a blank year for the box office. People said the industry has lost its sheen. This was the same year when the Bollywood vs South debate broke out. But 2023 turned out to be a game changer for the film industry, with films like ‘Pathan’, ‘Jawan’, ‘Gadar 2’ and more such films reviving the trade numbers.

2024 also looked promising for many reasons. There were big-budget films like ‘Fighter’, ‘Bade Miyan Chote Miyan’ and many more that should have worked as expected. But sadly, nothing worked at the box office. As a result, the film industry is struggling again.

Will ‘Chandu Champion’ be able to join the list of successful films of 2024? Rathi told us, “All I can say is that I hope so because it has been a very tough year for all of us exhibitors. And we can take any film that comes out at the box office as a win because this is a time when the sector is struggling. To keep things together and stay in the green, and whether it is ‘Chandu Champion’ or any film that comes out, Hindi or South fraternity or something else or Hollywood, we definitely need very massive revenues right now.”

It is being said that Kartik Aaryan is emerging as a bankable actor in Bollywood. His last five films have been a mix of hits and misses. His 2023 film ‘Satyaprem Ki Katha’ earned Rs 77.55 crore in India. Before that, there was ‘Shehzada’, which failed to impress critics and earned a meager amount of Rs 32.20 crore.

His blockbuster hit in 2022 was Anees Bazmee’s ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2’. The film earned Rs 185.92 crore. ‘Love Aaj Kal’ was a flop again. It earned 34.99 crore. His 2019 hit film ‘Pati Patni Aur Kaun’ earned Rs 86.89 crore.

The opening day and the week after that will be crucial not only for the makers of ‘Chandu Champion’ but for the entire film industry. The film may get more viewers on the Eid holiday (17 June).

A lot depends on ‘Chandu Champion’ as it will decide whether Bollywood’s box office card will be green or red in every half year. Will the film be successful? Only time will tell.