Feb 27, 2026 3:35pm IST
Kartik Aaryan to Play a Kickboxing Coach In Kabir Khan’s Next Sports Drama Inspired by True Story (EXCLUSIVE)
After the critically acclaimed “Chandu Champion,” a biopic on India's first Paralympics gold medallist, Murlikant Petkar, Kabir Khan and Kartik Aaryan are reuniting for another sports drama. Variety India has exclusively learned that Kartik will play a kickboxing coach in their next collaboration, inspired by another incredible true story.
Kartik is believed to have undergone intense physical training for his role. He essays a coach who makes a young Kashmiri girl get to the championship from a conflict-affected region. Shooting has already kicked off in Kashmir, with Kartik having finished his first schedule and set to resume the full-fledged shooting in March. The film will largely be shot in Srinagar and Pahalgam and is expected to be wrapped by October 2026, targeting a theatrical release in mid-2027. Sameer Nair's Applause Entertainment is producing it.
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The yet-untitled film is based on the life of Tajamul Islam, India's youngest kickboxing world champion and the first Kashmiri to win a sub-junior world championship. A young kickboxer from North Kashmir's Bandipora district, she achieved that feat at the age of seven. The film will narrate the inspiring life story of Islam, shedding light on her incredible achievements and the obstacles she overcame, inspiring along the way the youth who wish to aspire for excellence but are bound and constrained by their circumstances.
Kabir Khan, who's best known for directing blockbusters like “Ek Tha Tiger” and “Bajrangi Bhaijaan,” has always been drawn towards real-life stories. Previously, he directed “The Forgotten Army – Azaadi Ke Liye,” based on the true story of Indian soldiers allied with the Japanese army, who marched towards the capital with the war cry 'Challo Dilli' to gain Indian independence from colonial rule. His latest film with Kartik marks his second consecutive real-life-based film project following “Chandu Champion.”
Meanwhile, Kartik is also doing one more film based on true events. After completing Kabir Khan’s project, he will dive into Shimit Amin’s “Captain India.” He plays a captain who spearheaded the rescue mission in this film, based on ‘Operation Rahat,’ which is considered one of India's most successful rescue missions to evacuate citizens from a war-torn country. Kartik is currently shooting for Dharma Productions’ “Naagzilla: Naag Lok Ka Pehla Kaand.” His upcoming lineup also includes Anurag Basu’s musical romance with Sreeleela, expected to release in theatres later this year.
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