Sumo Didi Review: Shriyam Bhagnani Is Sensational In This Gripping Sports Drama About India’s First Female Sumo Wrestler Hetal Dave

Title: Sumo Didi

Director: Jayant Rohatgi

Cast: Shriyam Bhagnani, Chaitanya Sharma, Nitesh Pandey, Anubha Fatehpura, Kazumasa Sato, Raghav Dhir and others

Where: ZEE5

Rating: 3.5 stars

How many times have you looked at a mirror and thought, ‘I am not good enough?’ How many times has your family, society and even you allowed self doubt to creep into your being to crush the flame of your spirit? Sumo Didi, a biographical sports drama about India’s first female Sumo wrestler raises these hard-hitting questions and so much more. There are very few Hindi sports films that get it right and this is one of them.

Direction

Jayant Rohatgi makes his directorial debut with the film. He has chosen a very difficult subject but has managed to pull it off well. In a very clever move, the way he begins the film almost feels like it is the climax but it actually isn’t! If he continues to make the films he believes in, he will have a very loyal fan following.

Music And Aesthetics

Amar Mangrulkar and Diptarka Bose have composed the film’s two songs Junoon Hai and Ziddi Jaan. They are average. The film lacks that one sporty anthem. However, Amar, who has also given the film’s background score, impresses in this department.

Special mention to action director R.P. Yadav for the way the shots of the sumo wrestling matches have been choreographed. Editing by Dev Rao Jadhav is well done and smooth.

DOP Akash Agarwal, who has previously worked on sports films like Dangal (2016) and Bhaag Milkha Bhaag (2013), impresses us with his craft. Especially when the way he has shot Japan, one falls in love with the country’s beauty all over again. The only gripe is that the film lacks solid dialogues. The screenplay and dialogues by Nikhil Sachan are okay but the “doubt” dialogue stands out.

Actors Performances

Shriyam Bhagnani as Hetal Dave is exceptional. She breathes life and fire into the role. The actress had put in months of rigorous preparation to train for such a physically demanding role and it shows. No make up, no designer clothes and yet she shines. Chaitanya Sharma as her best friend, shadow and coach lends a very good supporting performance. Watch out for the two in the ‘mirror’ scene, they both will feel relatable. The late Nitesh Pandey as Hetal’s dad will make every girl wish she had a father like him. Nitesh has aptly portrayed the nuances of a supportive father. Anubha Fatehpura as Hetal’s mom is very annoying (in a good way) as a mother obsessed with getting her overweight daughter lose the kilos so that she can get her married as soon as possible. Kazumasa Sato as Hetal’s sumo wrestling master Taoshi does a fine job and the rest of the cast have acted well.

FPJ Verdict

In a country obsessed with cricket, arranged marriages and body shaming people, a girl, who was the butt of all jokes for her weight, dared to dream of rising above societal (and her mother’s) pressures. She not only honed her skills in an environment, which had zero infrastructure to support her training, but represented India in a sport that had never been played before professionally by any female in the country. The film will make you laugh, cry, root for Hetal and wonder how trivial the whole idea of getting a girl married off to a random stranger is when she has so much more to offer. It will surely inspire many to quieten the mind so that no challenge feels impossible. A must-watch, especially for everyone who dares to dream.

Published on: Friday, October 23, 2026, 12:02 AM IST