Jayant Rohatgi’s feature directorial debut “Sumo Didi” will have its world premiere in the Asian Future section of the Tokyo International Film Festival.
The film is based on the life of Hetal Dave, India’s first professional female sumo wrestler. Rohatgi, a veteran of TV commercials, was looking for a story with a strong human connection to make his feature film debut. When Joy Sengupta of FreshLime Films shared Dave’s story with Rohatgi, the spark was lit.
“As a middle-class girl from a conservative household, Hetal had seen it all – social prejudices, patriarchal mindsets, lack of opportunities and disdain for dreaming outside the box, especially as an overweight woman. These are things we saw around us growing up. But Hetal went one step further and chose a sport that did not even exist in our country. The scale of her dream was unimaginable. But she found a way to make it happen. Her sheer tenacity to overcome all obstacles with relentless focus and determination moved me immensely,” Rohatgi told Variety.
“I hope that through our film we can convey that every human being is unique and has unlimited potential waiting to explode. We just have to believe, find our own voice and keep moving forward to make even seemingly impossible dreams come true,” Rohatgi added.
To play the lead role of Dave, Rohatgi cast Shriyam Bhagnani (Disney+ Hotstar series “City of Dreams”). “The mere opportunity to play a character inspired by real life, and a sportswoman who has represented India on the international stage, was an absolute honour. The producers made it a condition that I had to prepare myself physically and this was my biggest challenge. Not only did I have to embody the character through acting, I also had to physically transform myself to match the visual definition of a sumo wrestler,” Bhagnani told Variety.
“Knowing that I was going up against a professional sumo wrestler in the film, I took my training very seriously, essentially starting from scratch as a beginner in the gym. My character had to be proficient in both judo and sumo, so mastering both martial arts became a crucial requirement. Under the expert guidance of a physical trainer, yoga instructor, sports physiotherapist and dietician, I underwent a significant physical transformation, gaining around 14 kilos to portray the character authentically. I was also trained by Hetal Dave, the real-life inspiration for the film. In fact, all the athletes who portrayed other female sumo wrestlers in the film helped us improve our performance by coming to India before the shoot to prepare for the fight sequences,” added Bhagnani.
The film is produced by billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s Jio Studios, FreshLime Films and Japanese advertising giant Hakuhodo’s MA&TH (Marching Ants & Trigger Happy).
Talking about a film on sumo premiering in the country of the sport’s origin, Rohatgi said, “I started from scratch to understand the sport and the euphoria around it. As I got deeper into it, I understood many subtleties like ‘sumo is about winning over yourself’, inside and outside the ring. This resonates with the story of our protagonist. It is a surreal feeling that even after the film is finished, our connection with Japan has not ended. What better way to celebrate this journey than to compete and showcase our film in Japan – the birthplace of sumo wrestling”.
“There are some nerves as I await the reaction of the Japanese audience to a film based on their national sport,” added Rohatgi.
