“Sumo Didi”, a film billed as an ode to India’s first female sumo wrestler Hetal Dave, will have its world premiere at the ongoing Tokyo International Film Festival.
Featuring Shriyam Bhagnani in the title role, the movie will be screened under the Asian Future segment on October 27 at the gala, according to the festival’s official website.
“Sumo Didi” is directed by Jayant Rohatgi and presented by Jio Studios. Chaitnya Sharma and the late Nitesh Pandey also round out the cast of the movie.
“Tokyo Welcomes Sumo Didi! An ode to India’s first Female Sumo wrestler, the film will have its World Premiere at #TokyoInternationalFilmFestival.
“A tale of empowerment & resilience, ‘Sumo Didi’ starring Shriyam Bhagnani has also been selected in the competition category under the Asian Future section,” Jio Studios posted on X on Wednesday.
“Sumo Didi” follows Hetal (Bhagnani), a talented wrestler, who discovers sumo by chance, but her road to improvement is very steep. Unwilling to give up her dream, she goes to Japan and endures rigorous training, as per the official plotline on the festivals’ website.
The film is produced by Jyoti Deshpande, Akash Chawla, Arunava Joy Sengupta and Amit Chandrra. Chawla and Sengupta are also credited for the story, while screenplay and dialogue is from Nikhil Sachan. It is co-presented by The Japan Foundation.
The movie is a Freshlime Films and Math Entertainment Network Pvt Ltd production.