Kartik Aaryan is making headlines for his physical transformation for his upcoming film ‘Chandu Champion’. His trainer Tridev Pandey told IndiaToday.in that the actor has lost 18 kg for the role. He also claimed that Kartik has taken his dedication to a whole new level. ‘Chandu Champion’ is set to release in cinemas worldwide on June 14.

Tridev Pandey, a well-known fitness trainer in the industry and a national level boxer, is working closely with Kartik on this project. Pandey emphasises that the transformation that Kartik has undergone is not just about beauty, but also about adopting the athletic skills required for the role.

Directed by Kabir Khan, ‘Chandu Champion’ is a sports drama based on the life of a national-level athlete who overcomes immense personal and professional challenges to emerge victorious. The role requires not only emotional depth but also physical fitness, depicting the rigorous life of an athlete.

Speaking to IndiaToday.in, Tridev said, “Karthik’s dedication is unmatched. From working out early in the morning to following a strict diet, he has shown remarkable discipline and consistency. I have been training him for the last 14 months and today, as a coach, I feel very proud and happy because when we started he couldn’t do a single pull-up or push-up – his form was poor and he weighed 90 kg at that time.”

He further added, “We had to first get his form right and then train him. It’s not just about the transformation. My aim was not just the film, I wanted to teach him the right skills. So we started with push-ups, pull-ups and then planks. We started with a 20-second plank hold in the beginning. We started as a beginner and by the end of the training, he could do push-ups with 50 kg on his back – that was a great achievement. The same happened with pull-ups. He couldn’t do a single pull-up. With training, he completed pull-ups of 27.5 kg on his body – that’s body weight plus 27.5 kg of weight. Kartik is now 72 kg. It took him 14 months to go from 90 kg to 72 kg. For other people, it would take longer, but Kartik could do it because we worked completely without any dopes, injections or steroids.”

He further added, “Our goal was very clear – we wanted to do it the right way. Around us, there are a lot of people who encourage you to take steroids. They tell you not to do rigorous workouts and that with steroids, you get results in 4-5 months. But we kept discussing, and we followed the proper scientific process, and keeping all those things in mind, we achieved where we are now.”

Talking about how people initially assumed that his body was achieved through VFX (visual effects), Tridev said, “I will post a picture of me and Kartik and from that picture you will know that there is no VFX done. There are shots of bare bodies in the gym. Yes, there is a little toning done in the pictures, but it is not VFX. See, you can do VFX in a certain way. But as a boxer, when you move around, and constantly move, and swing the pendulum clockwise – it is very difficult to do VFX. He is not just walking, or just standing. There is movement and in boxing there is only movement. So, when you watch the film, you will get an idea of ​​the kind of transformation he has gone through. People who say it is VFX after watching the film, they will feel bad for him.”

Here is a training video:

An important part of Karthik’s transformation was his diet, which was carefully planned to support his training.

Tridev told, “Kartik was not eating sugar, high carbs, processed or junk food. Also, we maintained our sleep pattern, no matter how long our day was. I advised him to sleep for at least seven to eight hours. Yes, if there was an early morning call, we had to get up. Otherwise, I told him to sleep for eight hours properly and then go to the gym for a cardio session. This is a process that athletes follow. So he lived his life like an athlete. He was also doing other things. While he was shooting for 14 months, he continued to do other ads and then for about 85-90 days we shot for ‘Chandu Champion’. During this process, he constantly trained and took care of his body. It was not just training and resting. That was the toughest part, and we did very well.”

It was not easy at all for Kartik as he injured himself multiple times. Talking about this, Tridev said, “He had multiple injuries – an ankle injury and the biggest injury was to his right shoulder. It was very difficult for him because he had to box and the army scenes where he had to lift people on his shoulders were testing him. He also had fever during the swimming scenes. It was a tough time while shooting. We had a physio on the set, so he and I used to take care of his shoulder because as a boxer I know how important it is to throw punches at the right time, especially hardcore punches. You have to put in all the effort and full potential and in this film, you will not see 10-15 seconds of fights but proper fight scenes.”

He further added, “We had to take care of his entire body during the bout. He got punched a lot on his face, even during practice, I accidentally injured him two or three times.”

Watch the trailer here:

Talking about her experience of working with Kartik, she said, “I feel he respects my work, and I am very grateful. He never treated me as a coach or trainer. It was a very good bonding. We still train together, he has made it his lifestyle now.”

Director Kabir Khan’s ‘Chandu Champion’ is a sports drama based on Paralympic gold medalist Murlikant Petkar. The film stars Kartik Aaryan, Bhuvan Arora, Yashpal Sharma and Rajpal Yadav in lead roles.