Actor Kartik Aryan has officially received his first National Film Award Chandu ChampionHis profound physical and mental transformation turned into ultimate cinematic gold.

In an exclusive interview with India TodayDirector Kabir Khan talks about his immediate reaction to the historic win, including Kartik’s celebratory video call, and why he called it an “unforgettable performance for the ages”.

Q: You directed Kartik Aryan for his first National Award. This is for a film that’s very close to you, and I think it’s extremely personal, right? I wanted to know what came to your mind when you heard about it? And did you talk to Karthik? What happened till now?

Kabir Khan: Yeah, you know, it’s weird. Actually, I had missed Kartik’s video call. I was busy in the meeting and when I came out of the meeting I saw that he had made a video call. By that time, a member of my team came to me and said that the national awards had been announced and Karthik had won. So, of course, I immediately called him and we had a conversation.

I am really happy for Karthik. I’m really proud of what he’s done Chandu Champion. And yes, of course, I take that as a victory for all of us. This is a film that we all have worked really hard on, and Karthik has undergone a complete transformation both physically and mentally. I’m very happy that the hard work he put in paid off because it’s always nice when an actor puts in this kind of effort.

Question: Absolutely. Were you expecting this?

Kabir Khan: If it hadn’t come to them I would have been very disappointed because I really believe – and I don’t say this because it’s my film – that this is a performance for the ages.

Sometimes it happens that his stardom with mainstream actors overshadows his acting ability. They are often placed in a certain category. But whatever Karthik did Chandu Champion – I know because I’m a director and I can see it – it wasn’t easy.

There was an extreme level of dedication and hard work. It was not just about physical changes, and it was not limited to one aspect. There were many different physical challenges, including playing an older man, learning a new dialect, and mastering skills that are clearly visible on screen.

Learning boxing and doing boxing is not as easy as them. He had to train for a year and a half to fight against international level boxers because they were not actors – they were real boxers.

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Then learned to swim without using legs. Anyone who swims knows how hard it is. If you ask someone to swim without their legs in an Olympic-sized pool against international swimmers and still look confident, it’s incredibly difficult.

So yes, I’m really happy for him and for all of us. For me this is a personal victory.

Question: It is. An actor is only as good as his director, as everyone says. And let’s be honest – if he worked so hard, you’ve worked just as hard to help him put on that performance. So congratulations to you too.

Kabir Khan: Thank you. Thank you.

Q: Are you guys planning any celebrations? I mean, it’s worth celebrating.

Kabir Khan: It goes without saying – we will celebrate, 100%. Kartik and I are actually shooting our second film together right now, so we are still working together. But we will definitely take some time out and celebrate. A big party will definitely come.