Odia film, Champion, featuring actor Archita Sahu as a boxer will hit the theatres in December. Ahead of its release, the actor revealed she was inspired by Bollywood actor Priyanka Chopra for her role. "I dreamt of playing a similar character as Priyanka did in Mary Kom's biopic. I was lucky to have got an opportunity to do the same. Though the story is very different, I have followed Priyanka's film," said Archita.

In the film, Archita's character has multiple shades. In the first half, she will be seen playing the character of a simple village girl who goes on to become a Jatra artiste. "Throughout the film, my character will undergo several transformation. From being a knave girl, she will set on a journey of being empowered and independent. Later on, certain circumstances will compel her to enter the boxing ring," added Archita.

Beginning in June, the film's shoot got over in October. Currently, it is in the post-production stage. For Archita, it was a year-long project. "I had started preparing for the film since last December. It is not easy to play the role of a boxer. You need to look athletic and undergo body transformation. Thus, I took almost a year to be able to look and act like a boxer," she explained.

The actor revealed how she had to gain muscles by undertaking a rigorous fitness regime and following a 'no carb, all protein' diet. "People have seen me as a slim lady. Within three months of my special gym training, I started looking muscular. So, everyone kept wondering what has happened to my body. I kept it a secret until the posters of the movie were out. I had to do a lot of heavy weight-lifting exercises to get the desired look," she said.

To look more real and convincing as a boxer, Archita was trained by a national-level Ludhiana-based boxing referee. She was coached alongside real boxers on the ground. "I insisted that I should be trained like boxers. I used to do the exercises they do on the field," she added.

The actor claimed she felt empowered after her tryst with the boxers. "Thanks to the film, I am trained in self-defense. I learnt several techniques of boxing. My favourite move is the knockout punch," she chuckled.

The film is being produced under the banner of Dongyue Entertainment. It is being co-produced by N Gangadhar. Filmmakers P Deeptirani and K Murali Krishna are donning the director’s hat.

Meanwhile, the film's crew claimed that they had used 164 lights and four movie cameras to shoot the fight scenes inside the boxing ring. Moreover, they have re-created a boxing ring of Olympic standards. Real-life boxers have also acted in the film, they said.