Sultan (Film)

Sultan is a 2016 Indian cinema film in the genres of drama, sports, action, and romance. The film is directed by Ali Abbas Zafar, who also wrote the story; the screenplay was penned by Aditya Chopra. The film centers on the rise of professional wrestler Sultan Ali Khan, his personal life transformations, and his subsequent comeback struggle in the discipline of mixed martial arts (MMA). The Indian production has a runtime of 170 minutes (2 hours 50 minutes).

^Sultan (IMDb)

The film is produced by Aditya Chopra, with music composed by Vishal-Shekhar and Julius Packiam. The cinematography is handled by Artur Zurawski. The production is colorful in visual format and its primary language is Hindi. The film was imported into Türkiye by Soundspace International and released in cinemas on 15 July 2016 through CGV Mars Dağıtım.

^Sultan (IMDb)

The film portrays the life of Sultan Ali Khan, a local wrestler from the state of Haryana who aims to represent India at the Olympic Games. His meeting with Aarfa, a fellow wrestler and dreamer from the same town, triggers the romantic and motivational arc of the story. As the character ascends the ladder of fame, his professional achievements intertwine with personal losses and inner conflicts. After losing everything, Sultan rises again despite social scorn and enters the world of mixed martial arts tournaments to fight for his life once more.

The lead roles are played by prominent figures of Bollywood cinema:

• Salman Khan: Portrays the protagonist Sultan Ali Khan.
• Anushka Sharma: Plays Aarfa Ali Khan, Sultan’s wife and also a wrestler.
• Randeep Hooda: Brings to life the character of Fateh Singh, Sultan’s coach.
• Amit Sadh: Plays the character of Aakash.
• Kumud Mishra: Appears in the role of Barkat.
• Marko Zaror and Tyron Woodley: Appear as fighters portraying themselves.

The film’s estimated budget is listed at 10.4 million US dollars. It achieved financial success with a worldwide gross of 102 million US dollars. According to Turkish box office figures, the film, which entered cinemas on 15 July 2016, reached 2,192 viewers in its opening weekend and, after a three-week theatrical run, accumulated a total of 9,466 viewers and 115,565 Turkish lira in revenue.

Lead actor Salman Khan gained approximately 10 kilograms during production to embody the physique of a wrestler and adopted a shaved head and beard for the role. Before Anushka Sharma was cast as “Aarfa,” other actresses including Deepika Padukone and Parineeti Chopra were considered for the part. This production marks Salman Khan’s third project with Yash Raj Films.