Dangal (Hindi: दं गल, lit.

'Wrestling competition') is a 2016 Indian Hindi-

language biographical sports drama film, directed by Nitesh Tiwari and produced by Aamir Khan,
under his studio Aamir Khan Productions with UTV Motion Pictures and Walt Disney Pictures India.
The film is loosely based on the Phogat family, telling the story of Mahavir Singh Phogat,
a pehlwani amateur wrestler, who trains his daughters Geeta Phogat and Babita Kumari to
becomeIndia's first world-class female wrestlers.[8] Aamir Khan stars as Mahavir Singh Phogat,
while Fatima Sana Shaikh andSanya Malhotra portray the adult versions of the two Phogat
sisters, Zaira Wasim and Suhani Bhatnagar their younger versions, Sakshi Tanwar their mother,
and Aparshakti Khurana their cousin. The development of the film began in early 2013 when Tiwari
began writing the screenplay. In 2014, Khan had invited and interviewed the Phogat sisters on his
talk show Satyamev Jayate, before Tiwari approached him with the script months later, after which
Khan became the lead actor and producer. Set primarily in the Indian State of Haryana, principal
photography commenced in September 2015 in the neighbouring Punjab.[9] Satyajit Pande served as
the cinematographer and Ballu Saluja as the editor. Pritam scored the film's background music and
for its soundtrack, lyrics for which were written by Amitabh Bhattacharya. Kripa Shankar Bishnoi, a
coach with the Indian women's wrestling team, trained Khan and the cast for the wrestling
sequences.[10]

After a North American premiere on 21 December 2016, Dangal was released worldwide on 23
December and received positive reviews from critics; praise centered on the film's "honest" depiction
of a real-life story and Khan's performance. It was also screened at the Beijing International Film
Festival in April 2017 and second BRICS festival in June 2017.[11] At the 62nd Filmfare Awards, it
won four awards: Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor (Khan) and Best Action (Shyam).[12] At the 64th
National Film Awards, Wasim won Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Geeta's younger self.
Overseas, Dangal won the inaugural Best Asian Film award at Australia's 7th AACTA
Awards,[13][14]2017's Best Foreign Film and Top Foreign Actor (for Aamir Khan) from China's Douban
Film Awards,[15][16][17] and twoJackie Chan Action Movie Awards,[18] and was nominated in the Asian
Brilliant Stars category at the 68th Berlin International Film Festival.[19]

The film was a record-breaking commercial success, becoming the highest-grossing Indian film ever,
the fifth highest grossing non-English film ever,[20][21] and the highest-grossing sports
film worldwide.[22] Produced on a budget of₹70 crore (US$10 million),[3] the film grossed ₹2,125.3
crore[23] (US$330 million)[7] worldwide, including $216.2 millionin China,[24] becoming one of the
country's top 20 highest-grossing films[25] and the highest-grossing non-English foreign film in
China.[26] The film has also been watched more than 400 million times on Chinese streaming
platforms.[27][28][29]
Plot

Mahavir Singh Phogat, a former amateur wrestler trained in the pehlwani style of Indian wrestling,
was a national wrestling champion residing in Balali. He was forced by his father to give up the sport
in order to obtain gainful employment. Dejected that he could not win a medal for his country, he
vows that his unborn son will. Disappointed upon having four daughters, he gives up hope. But when
his older daughters Geeta and Babita come home after beating up two boys in response to
derogatory comments, he realises their potential to become wrestlers and begins coaching them.

His methods seem harsh, including grueling early morning workouts and short haircuts. Despite
facing backlash from the villagers, he goes ahead with them, training them in his makeshift mud pit.
Initially, the girls resent their father for his treatment but soon realise that he cares for their future.
Motivated, they willingly participate in wrestling tournaments where they defeat boys. Unable to
afford wrestling mats, he uses mattresses and trains them in freestyle wrestling to prepare them for
competitive events. Geeta goes on to win the junior and senior championships at the state and
national level before heading to the National Sports Academy inPatiala to train for the
forthcoming Commonwealth Games.

Once there, Geeta makes friends and begins to disregard the discipline she has been taught by
Mahavir. Her coach Pramod Kadam's (Girish Kulkarni) training methods and wrestling techniques
completely differ from her father's. As a result, she loses every match at the international level.
During a visit home, she defeats a visibly exhausted Mahavir in a ferocious bout after mocking him.
Babita reminds Geeta of her mistake and that she should respect Mahavir. Soon after, Babita wins
the national championship and follows Geeta to the academy. After the two sisters have an
emotional conversation in which Babita provides her encouragement, Geeta tearfully makes peace
with Mahavir.

Before the Commonwealth Games, Pramod forces Geeta to compete in the 51 kg weight
class rather than her usual 55 kg. Irritated upon learning this, Mahavir goes to Patiala with his
nephew Omkar (Aparshakti Khurana) and begins coaching the girls secretly. Learning about this,
and furious with Mahavir's interference, Pramod wants the girls expelled; the sports authority issues
a warning but allows them to continue. Mahavir is barred from entering the academy, and the girls
are forbidden to go out. Determined to continue assisting his daughters, Mahavir obtains tapes of
Geeta's previous unsuccessful bouts and coaches her by pointing out her errors over the phone.

At the Games, competing in the 55 kg class, Geeta eases her way into the final. Mahavir constantly
contradicts Pramod's instructions while sitting in the audience, which she follows. Just before the
gold medal bout, jealous Pramod conspires to lock Mahavir in a closet.

In the bout, Geeta manages to win the first session but loses the second. Trailing 1–5 in the final
session and with nine seconds left, she recalls the tactics taught by her father and a 5-pointer, and
executes it on her opponent in the final three seconds, taking the score to 6–5 in her favour, thus
winning the session, and the bout 2–1. In the process, she becomes the first Indian female wrestler
to win gold at the Games. Mahavir returns just in time to embrace his daughters, frustrating
Pramod's hopes of obtaining credit before the news media.

Cast

 Aamir Khan as Mahavir Singh Phogat

 Sakshi Tanwar as Daya Shobha Kaur, Mahavir's wife
 Fatima Sana Shaikh as Geeta Phogat, Mahavir's oldest daughter
o Zaira Wasim as Young Geeta Phogat
 Sanya Malhotra as Babita Kumari, Mahavir's second daughter
o Suhani Bhatnagar as Young Babita Kumari
 Aparshakti Khurana as Omkar
o Ritwik Sahore as Young Omkar
 Girish Kulkarni as Pramod Kadam, coach at the National Sports Academy
 Vivan Bhatena as Harkinder, Mahavir's colleague
 Kaustubh Pile as Male fighter no.2
 Shishir Sharma as Head of Department of the National Sports Academy
 Meenu Prajapati as Jasmeet, Geeta's friend at the National Sports Academy
 Badrul Islam as Shamim, Owner of meat shop [30]
 Karmveer Choudhary as Mahaveer Singh Phogat's father

Production
Development
In 2012, Divya Rao, a member of Disney's creative team, read a newspaper article about Mahavir
Singh Phogat, who trained his daughters to become world champions. She thought this would make
for a great film, and spoke about this to Siddharth Roy Kapur and other Disney personnel. Disney
approached Nitesh Tiwarito write and direct the story. Tiwari met Phogat and his daughters, who
instantly agreed to tell the story.[31][32] Tiwari worked on the screenplay for close to a year before going
to Ronnie Screwvala, the CEO of UTV Motion Pictures, and Kapur with the final script, while
suggesting that Aamir Khan play Phogat.[9]

Months prior to being approached for with the script, Aamir Khan had invited the Phogat sisters onto
his television talk show Satyamev Jayate, interviewing them on the first episode of season three in
2014.[33] A few months after he interviewed them on Satyamev Jayate, he was approached by
Tiwari.[34] Kapur and Tiwari went to Khan with the story, and Khan loved it in its first narration. Khan
had just finished Dhoom 3 and had begun shooting for PK. He wanted to do the film after 5–10 years
when he would turn 60, because the role demanded him to be 55 and he was still doing younger
roles. But the story remained in his mind and a few months later, he called up Tiwari and asked him
to narrate the script once again.[35]

After the release of PK in 2014, Aamir Khan announced that he would play the role of a wrestler in
his next film titled Dangal directed by Nitesh Tiwari, a cinematographic biography of the former
wrestler Mahavir Singh Phogat.[36] It would be produced by Khan himself and Disney India. Khan said
to reporters, "Nitesh has written a wonderful story. The topic is very important, it's very dramatic. It
highlights the discrimination that is meted out to the girl child in India. The best part is that he has
done it in a very entertaining manner. The heart of the story is emotional, but it also has a lot of
humour. Raju Hirani has this unique way to tell a story where he says something socially very
relevant but he tells his story in a very entertaining manner. Similarly Nitesh has written a very
entertaining lovely script, the dialogues are very entertaining. Each time I listen to the dialogues, I
laugh a lot. I cry as well as laugh."[37]

In March 2015, Junior Indian women's wrestling team coach Kripa Shankar Patel Bishnoi was
approached by Aamir Khan Productions to train Khan and the entire crew of Dangal. Bishnoi said
about the film in a Hindustan Times interview, "Very few Indians encourage women for wrestling,
especially because of the uniform. This film will change that perception too. People would hopefully
want to see their daughters taking up wrestling as a sport."[38]

Khan lost some weight and took Haryanvi lessons and dialect training for the film.[39][40] He played two
distinct roles in the film: the 60-year-old wrestler Mahavir Singh Phogat, and the 20-year-old version
of Phogat. Khan reportedly gained 30 kg and weighs 98 kg to play the role of the older Phogat, then
lost the weight to play the younger role in Dangal.[41][42] The film was produced on a budget
of ₹70 crore (US$10 million).[3]

Casting
In March 2015, Taapsee Pannu, Deeksha Seth and Akshara Haasan were being considered for the
roles of Khan's on-screen daughters.[43] In April, Fatima Sana Shaikh and Sanya Malhotra were cast
as the daughters, who hailed from the Jat community of Balali village
of Bhiwani, Haryana.[44][45][46] Geeta Phogat had participated in the London Olympics in 2012.[47] Babita
won gold in 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.[48][49] In June 2015, child actors Zaira
Wasim (from Kashmir) and Suhani Bhatnagar (from Delhi) were roped in for Dangal.[50] Ayushmann
Khurrana's brother Aparshakti Khurrana was also cast.[51] Mukesh Chhabrawas the casting director
of Dangal. Vikram Singh was recruited to play the role of the villain.[52][53] Aamir Khan's nephew Pablo
(son of Mansoor Khan) was the film's assistant director.[54][55] Mallika Sherawat auditioned for a
role.[56] In August 2015, Rajkumar Rao, who previously worked with Aamir Khan in Talaash, was
approached for an important role in Dangal.[57] Finally, after auditioning 70 actresses for the
role, Sakshi Tanwar was brought on as Daya Kaur, the wife of Mahavir Singh Phogat.[58][59][60] Ananya
was chosen to play Sangita, the youngest daughter of Mahavir Phogat.[61][62] In October 2015, Vivan
Bhatena was selected to play a negative role in the film.[63] In an interview in January 2017, Divya
Rao stated, if Aamir Khan had declined the role, the only other choices would have
been Mohanlaland Kamal Haasan.[64]

For the film's Tamil language dub, Aamir Khan initially approached Rajinikanth to voice his role.
Despite Rajinikanth enjoying the film, they both eventually decided against it, as they found
Rajinikanth's voice to be too recognizable to go along with Khan's appearance.[65]

Filming
The shooting schedule of Dangal began on 1 September 2015.[66][67] The villages of Ludhiana were
given a Haryanvi transformation.[68][69] The shooting took place in the villages
of Gujjarwal, Narangwal, Kila Raipur, Dango and Leel in Punjab and Haryana.[70][71] The village
of Dango, which is in the Pakhowal Tehsil in Ludhiana, is veteran actor Dharmendra's ancestral
village.[72]

From September 2015 to December 2015, Aamir Khan gained 9% fat, weighing around 98 kg
for Dangal, and from January 2016 to April 2016, he regained the shape that he had opted for
in Dhoom 3 and will hear the script for next future films, halting shooting of Dangal for said period.[73]

The first scene was taken on 21 September 2015 in Ludhiana with the presences of Mahavir Singh
Phogat and his both daughters Geeta Phogat, Babita Kumari.[74]On 14 November 2015, while
shooting in Ludhiana, Khan suffered minor injuries resulting in muscle spasms in his back.[75][76] On 20
November 2015, Khan collapsed after sustaining a shoulder injury on the set.[77] After suffering an
injury Aamir Khan resumes shooting in Pune on 9 December 2015.[78]

The team filmed in and around stadiums at the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex in Pune. At
the time, the complex hosted the 2015 Roll Ball World Cup, and athletes of the Netherlands national
rollball team and Slovenia women's national roll ball team were recruited to play background athletes
in the film. The team also shot some portions of the film in Symbiosis International University,
Pune.[79][80]

On 19 January 2016, Khan and the entire crew of the film shot in Delhi, at Talkatora Stadium, to film
wrestling sequences. The crew then moved to Thyagaraj Stadium to shoot sequences
of Commonwealth Games and National Games.[81] The first schedule of shooting was also done in
schools and in Dango village, located in Pakhowal Tehsil in Ludhiana.[82]

The second schedule of the film started on 16 June 2016 at the Akhada Leel near Toosa village,
in Ludhiana district. It is one of the largest villages in Punjab, India. Khan said, "When I came to
Ludhiana, I was very fat. At that time, we shot for the scenes where Mahavir has become old. 85 per
cent of the film is about his 'old' look only. Now we are shooting for the portion when Mahavir was
young."[83]
With the film being set in multiple decades, the cinematographer Satyajit Pande
and colorist Ashirwad Hadkar experimented with a number of tests for skin tones and costumes
during the pre-production stage. Natural light was majorly employed in the film. To portray the
1980s, the "sources [were kept] white hot and the skin tones yellow-warm" for the day sequences,
and "a consistent bulb warm tone was maintained" for the night sequences. With varying colour
temperatures in the process of filming over an entire day starting early mornings until late evenings,
visual effects plates were used and digital intermediate process employed.[84]

Release

Dangal was released in the United States on 21 December 2016 and worldwide on 23 December
2016.[96] The film was shown on an estimated 4,300 screens in India and 1,000 screens
internationally.[97][98] It was also released in Tamil and Telugu dubbed versions as Yuddham.[99][100] It
was declared tax-free in six Indian states –Uttar
Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Chhattisgarh, Delhi and Madhya Pradesh – to promote Beti
Bachao, Beti Padhao, a Government of India's social campaign aiming to reduce the selective
abortion of females, to protect girls, and to educate them.[101][102][103][104][105][106]

Dangal's second phase of release was in the Chinese markets of East Asia, starting with Taiwan on
24 March 2017.[107] Dangal was screened at the 7th Beijing International Film Festival, the first Indian
film to be screened at the festival, in the non-competing panorama section in April 2017 as Shuaijiao
Baba (Let's Wrestle, Father!), and received a standing ovation. The screening was attended by a
number of Chinese celebrities, including actress Liu Yifei and actor Wu Gang.[108] It released
theatrically in China on 5 May 2017, on 9,000 screens, "the widest ever release for an Indian film in
any territory", and opened to overwhelming response from critics and audiences
alike.[109][110] However, the film was trimmed by 20 minutes "to be in line with what the Chinese are
used to."[111] The film released in Hong Kong on 24 August 2017.[112]

In June 2017, Aamir Khan announced plans to release the film in Japan and South
America.[113] Dangal released in Japan on 6 April 2018,[114][115] and was the first film to be co-distributed
by Disney with Japan's Gaga Corporation.[116] Its Japanese language title is ダンガル きっと、つよくなる
(Dangaru Kitto, Tsuyoku Naru), which has some similarity to the Japanese title of 3 Idiots (Kitto,
Umaku Iku).[117] A preview of Dangal was held on 25 January 2018 by the Japan Wrestling
Association, whose chairman recommended the film as inspiration for the 2020 Tokyo
Olympics.[118] Another preview screening was held for the Japan Olympicwrestling team during
training camp in February 2018, and was well received by the audience.[119][120]

Dangal is set to release in South Korea on 25 April 2018.[121] The film will have its South Korean
premier on 23 April 2018, which will be attended by the South Korean female wrestling team for
the 2018 Asian Games.[122]
Critical reception

Review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reports that the film holds a 92% approval rating,
based on 13 reviews by critics, with an average score of 8.1 out of 10.[123] On the Chinese
website Douban, it maintains a rating of 9.1 out of 10, upon evaluation by over 400,000 users.[124]

Critics often praised portrayal of the subject matter in Dangal. Rachit Gupta of Filmfare magazine
gave the film a full five star rating calling it "perfect in every sense of the word." He added, "The
film’s direction and writing is so riveting that it coaxes it’s viewer to stand up and applaud. Great
editing and filmmaking technique aside, Dangal features wrestling matches that are authentic and
real." [125] Meena Iyer of The Times of Indiacalled it "inspiring and entertaining" and awarded a four-
and-a-half out of five star rating. She commended the writing of being for "tongue-in-cheek quality,
peppered with humour and several poignant father-daughter emotions."[126] Shubhra Gupta of The
Indian Express gave a three out of five star rating and stated that the film worked on two parameters:
that it is a "straight-forward film about a popular sport" and the "strong feminist statement about girls
being the equal of boys, if not better, in an area they've never been seen, let alone
accepted."[127] Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV gave the film four out of five stars and calling it a "hugely
entertaining sporting saga", pointed out that unlike other Bollywood films, Dangal does not "go for
broke in terms of melodramatic flourish" and that it refrains from "demonstrative chest-thumping and
flag-waving". He felt it blended "humour with intensity, and intimacy with spectacle, to perfection."[128]

Ananya Bhattacharya of India Today gave a four out of five star rating and wrote, "the fights,
emotional turmoil, the father-daughter tiffs, take centre-stage inDangal." She added, "Tiwari uses
every single trope in the book of Bollywood sports films ... with a freshness and expertise seldom
seen."[129] Awarding the film a full five stars, Rohit Bhatnagar of Deccan Chronicle called it "an
unmissable epic". Terming the narrative "engaging to the core", he drew comparisons to Chak De!
India, while commending the acting performances and cinematography.[130] Sukanya Verma
of Rediff.com felt that Dangal was "one of those few films that discuss strategy and technique in a
manner that's easy and entertaining to grasp". Calling it an "exhilarating creation" and praising the
acting performances, she wrote, "the raw, rough, visceral choreography of the fights ... evokes sheer
awe".[131] Lisa Tsering of The Hollywood Reporter felt the film is driven by "emotional resonance,
technical artistry and compelling performances" while adding that "it’s so thrilling to watch. Not only
do the family scenes ring true, but Tiwari approaches the wrestling sequences with intelligence and
sensitivity."[132]
There is not a trace of superstar about [Aamir Khan] or a hint of vanity. For most of the film, he's an old, overweight
man. Given the Bollywood obsession with looking youthful and flaunting six packs, this itself is an act of courage. But
Aamir doesn't just look the part. He also becomes it. He is by turns, ferocious and tender ... It's a masterful
performance.

Anupama Chopra of Film Companion[133]

While commending the acting performances of all the lead actors, most critics focused praise on
Khan's performance. Deepa Gauri of Khaleej Times wrote "Aamir Khan ... puts in such an earnest
and inspired performance that will go down in the history of Indian cinema as one of the
finest." [134] Maitland McDonagh wrote for Film Journal International that "[a]ll four actresses playing
Geeta and Babita are strikingly good, and Khan stands out as the deeply flawed
Mahavir."[135] Aniruddha Guha of MensXP.com thought that Khan captured the character's "highs and
lows with flourish" and called it a "truly great performance", while adding that "the girls of 'Dangal' are
a real find."[136] Rohit Vats of Hindustan Times called it "best performance till date".[137] Raja Sen
ofRediff.com felt Khan's character was "both fascinating and flawed" and added, "a winner utterly
sure of his beliefs who bends the world around him to his will. It is the performance of a
lifetime".[138] Baradwaj Rangan ofThe Hindu noted in his personal blog that Khan brought out the
contradicting nature of the character "beautifully" and called it "one of his finest
performances."[139] Variety magazine's Owen Gleiberman felt that Khan, despite looking like a
"jock version of Salman Rushdie ... with a tight-lipped mask, he finds a hundred ways to
communicate emotion."[140]

The film had its share of detractors who, while praising the narrative and performances, felt that the
concept of feminism portrayed in the film was flawed. They pointed out that the wrestler-father, in
pursuit of his goal of winning a medal for the country, trains his daughters against their will.
Reviewing for The Hindu, Namrata Joshi wrote that the film despite aiming not to hide "chinks in the
feminist armour", it does not explore its "dilemmas and complexities" and only "brush[es] things
under the easy nationalistic carpet" by "justifying everything with "nation before the individual" logic."
She complained of the "easy celebration of the supposed fall of patriarchy" depicted in the film and
maintained that "men actually still remain very much in control."[141] The view was echoed by Vartika
Pande, in her "Feminist Reading" of the film for feminisminindia.com, who wrote, "Dangal ends up
being a film about a patriarch at the helm who "empowers" women and obviously takes all the
accolades."[142] Al Jazeera's Azad Essa, while reviewing the film for Independent Online observed
that "the elevation of women is still a manifestation of an unfulfilled male dream. It is the male coach
who emerges as the true hero, and not the women."[143] Strong responses on similar lines from a
small section of the Chinese viewers met the film, where, following the release, a fresh debate on
feminism began.[144] A viewer complained that the film "reeks of patriarchy and male chauvinism".[145]

Criticism was also directed at other areas of the film such as the characterization of the coach at the
academy. Uday Bhatia of Mint felt it was "incompetent and vindictive".[146] Rajeev Masand felt it was
"shoddy" and that the "twist in the film's final act ... came off as completely unconvincing".[147] Tanul
Thakur of TheWire.inalso felt that the coach was "reduced to a caricature" and that "he simply exists
because Aamir can become a hero." Thakur wrote that the second half of the film was "repetitive and
bloated" and that it uses "clichés ... needlessly trying to inject drama".[148]
In Hong Kong, Nicola Chan of South China Morning Post rated the film 5 out of 5 stars.[149] In Japan,
Yuri Wakabayashi of Eiga gave the film a positive review.[150]Yoshika Yamada of IGN Japan called
the film a "masterpiece" and rated it 9 out of 10.[151] Zakzak rated the film 4 out of 5 stars.[152] The film
has received praise from a number of Japanese celebrities, including film critic Takeo
Matsuzaki, television personality Tsutomu Sekine, video game developer Hideo
Kojima, manga authorsKeisuke Itagaki and Noboru Kawasaki, and athletes including Olympic
wrestlers Saori Yoshida and Kazuhito Sakae, professional wrestlers Antonio Inoki and Tatsumi
Fujinami, tennis player Shuzo Matsuoka, and weightlifter Hiromi Miyake.[153] Upon release in Japan, it
ranked first among early April 2018 releases in audience polls conducted by Filmarks (4.22 out of 5
stars)[154] and PIA[155] (93.3 out of 100).[156]

Box office
See also: List of highest-grossing Indian films

Dangal grossed ₹716 crore after its initial run. It included ₹511 crore in India and ₹205 crore
overseas.[157] After it collected a nett of ₹345 crore over its third weekend from release, it beat the
record held by PK for the highest grossing Indian film.[158] Dangal became highest grossing Indian
film worldwide in July 2017, with a gross of ₹2,000 crore, after its second phase of release in China
and Taiwan.[159][160] The worldwide distributor share of Dangal was ₹525 crore as of
1 June 2017.[161][159] As of June 2017, the worldwide gross of Dangal stood at US$307 million (₹2,000
crore).[20][21] Dangal emerged as 30th highest-grossing film of 2016 worldwide and the fifth highest-
grossing non-English film of all time.[21][162][163] The Movie was marketed by a Mumbai Based company
named Spice PR owned by Prabhat Choudhary.[164]

Dangal worldwide gross revenue breakdown

Footfalls
Territories Gross revenue
(est.)

₹538.03 crore (US$80.07

India 36,996,000[166]
million)[165]

₹217.2 crore(US$31.8
Overseas (2016) 2,880,832
million)[21][167]
 Dangal worldwide gross revenue breakdown

Footfalls
Territories Gross revenue
(est.)

United
US$12.4 million[168] (₹85 crore)[167] 1,406,400[169]
Statesand Canada

Arab Gulf States US$8.8

923,400[170]
(GCC) million [168]
(₹60.104 crore)[167]

£2.6 million[168] – ₹24

United Kingdom 348,134[172]
crore(US$3.5 million)[171]

A$2.63 million[168] – ₹14

Australia 190,580[173]
crore(US$2.0 million)[165]

Belgium,
Luxembourg, 12,318[172]
Norway

Chinese ₹1,344–1,437 crore(US$206

45,984,728
markets(2017) million)[174]

¥1,299.12 million[175] –US$196.89

China million[174](₹1,280–1,400 44,897,623[177]
crore)[176][174]

Taiwan 730,000[180]
NT$167 million[178] – ₹41
 Dangal worldwide gross revenue breakdown

Footfalls
Territories Gross revenue
(est.)

crore(US$5.9 million)[179]

HK$27,139,998[181] – ₹23.1
Hong Kong 357,105[183]
crore(US$3.3 million)[182]

Overseas (2018) ₹12 crore (US$1.7 million) 511,669

₩906.42 million[184] –
South Korea 109,500[184]
US$850,000[185] (₹6 crore)

₺1,556,553[186] –
Turkey 364,146[172]
US$428,201[187](₹3 crore)

¥50 million – ₹3
Japan 38,023[189]
crore(US$430,000)[188]

Overseas total ₹1,519 crore (US$233 million) 49,377,229

₹2,060–2,100
Worldwide total 86,373,229
crore [4][5][6]
(US$312–340 million)[7]

Dangal is the first Indian film to gross $300 million worldwide,[21] and one of the top 30 highest-
grossing 2016 films. Dangal is also the highest-grossing sports film, and Disney's fourth highest-
grossing film of 2017.[190] Dangal is also the first Indian film to exceed $100 million[191] and ₹1,000
crore overseas,[192] grossing around ₹1,459 crore (US$210 million) in overseas markets by June
2017.[193]
India
Dangal collected ₹29.8 crore on its opening day of release in India, and recorded as the second
highest non-holiday opening after Dhoom 3.[194][195] On its second day, the film collected ₹348
million (US$5.0 million) and on the third day collections were ₹424 million(US$6.1 million) taking the
first weekend collections to ₹1.07 billion (US$15 million).[196] On 9 January 2017, Dangal became the
highest grossing Indian film domestically, beating Aamir Khan's previous film PK.[197] It eventually
grossed ₹538.03 crore (US$80.07 million) from all languages in India.[165] The film's footfalls at the
domestic Indian box office was about 37 million admissions.[166]

Overseas
Deadline Hollywood reported that Dangal would open in 331 North American screens, the hitherto
highest for a Bollywood film, on 21 December 2016.[198] Releasing in 279 theaters in the United
States, it collected US$282,280 and US$42,816 from 24 theaters in Canada on the first day; an
overall occupancy of 65 per cent was reported.[199] It grossedUS$12.4 million in North America
becoming the highest grossing Indian film there, to be surpassed only months later by Baahubali 2:
The Conclusion.[200][201] Dangal was released in 95 screens across the Gulf countries and was last
reported to have collected ₹59.04 crore from the region.[202] It also received the highest opening in
Australia for a Bollywood film (41 screens), and collected US$528,000 in its first weekend, opening
at second spot, behind Rogue One.[203] Having collected over ₹12.65 crore in the country,[a] it became
the highest grossing Indian film there.[206] It collected US$460,000 (₹2.98 crore) in New
Zealand,[207] and was last reported to have collected US$4 million (₹25.78 crore) in the UK.[208]

Dangal emerged as highest-grossing Indian film of all time in international markets, when it had
grossed around ₹1,459 crore (US$210 million) overseas by June 2017,[193] during its second
overseas phase, while running in Taiwan and China.[161][159][209][210]

Taiwan

Upon theatrical release in Taiwan, Dangal earned over US$3 million and emerged as thenumber
one film there, also becoming the highest grossing Indian film in the region.[211][212]Its final gross in
Taiwan was NT$167 million as of October 2017,[178] or ₹41 crore(US$5.9 million).[213] The film ran in
the country for four months, with a final gross 101 times greater than its opening day gross, setting a
record at Taiwan's box office.[179]

China

In China, a nation where Indian films were rarely shown, it became the highest grossing Indian film.
It was initially released in six Chinese cities and on Youku under the Chinese title 摔跤吧!爸爸
(pinyin: Shuāijiāo ba bàba, "Let's Wrestle, Father").[214][215] It grossed US$2.48 million on opening
day,[216] and grossed $14.5 million in just three days from theatrical release.[217] The collections totaled
to ₹300 crore at the end of day nine from release, taking the overall collections past ₹1,000 crore,
becoming second Indian film to reach the mark.[218][219]

In its second week, it emerged as the number one film in the country,[220][221] outselling Guardians of
the Galaxy Vol. 2 by US$15 million according to China's film ticketing portal Maoyan,[222] with
collections totaling to over US$84 million (₹544 crore) by the end of 15 days.[223] In the process, it
beat the record held by the 2016 Japanese anime film Your Name for the highest grossing foreign-
language non-Hollywood film in China.[224] It held the number one position for the second consecutive
week taking the overall collections past ₹1,500 crore.[225] As the film neared its one-month run, it had
a cumulative gross equal to 70 times its opening day figure, breaking the record set
by Zootopia (2016), following which the Chinese government gave the film a "rare extension" beyond
the typical 30-day window.[226][227] As of 4 July 2017, Dangal had a cumulative China gross 87 times its
opening day haul and 15 times its debut weekend, having been number one for 16 consecutive days
and in the top three for 34 straight days, and out-lasting and out-grossing heavily
marketed Hollywood movies such as Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, King Arthur: Legend of the
Sword, Life, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, Wonder Woman and Alien:
Covenant.[228] When its worldwide gross reached ₹1,930 crore on 11 June 2017, it became the fifth
highest-grossing non-English film of all time.[21]

As of July 2017, Dangal has grossed about ¥1.3 billion ($196 million) in China.[229][175] Its overseas
gross in China more than doubled its domestic gross in India.[21]In China, Dangal became one of
the top 20 highest-grossing films of all time,[175] the 8th highest-grossing foreign film,[230][231] had the
most consecutive days with a ¥10 million ($2 million) gross (surpassing the 30 days of Transformers:
Age of Extinction)[232] and $1 million gross[231] (38 days),[233] was the highest-grossing film in May 2017
(ahead of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales[234] and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.
2),[191] and is the year's second highest-grossing foreign film (after The Fate of the Furious).[235] In the
month of May, Dangal drew 35 million viewers at the Chinese box office.[236] In 52 days, the film had
44,897,623 admissions at the Chinese box office.[237] Aamir Khan's earnings from Dangal is
estimated to be ₹300 crore (US$43 million),[238] one of the highest paydays for a non-Hollywood
actor.[239] By the end of its run in China, its final gross there was ¥1,299.12 million,[175] equivalent
to $216.2 million[24] (₹1,400 crore).[176] This was about 86 times its opening day gross, a record in
China's box office history.[240]

Turkey and Hong Kong

In Turkey, where the film released on 18 August 2017, Dangal grossed US$428,201 as of
15 October 2017.[187]

Dangal released in Hong Kong on 24 August 2017,[241] and grossed HK$5.2 million (₹4.26 crore) in
its opening weekend including previews.[242] It opened at number-two at the Hong Kong box office in
its first day, before rising to the top spot the following day.[243] It held onto the top spot at the Hong
Kong box office through to the week ending 17 September 2017.[244] It surpassed the US$3 million
milestone of Aamir Khan's previous hit 3 Idiots (2009) to become the highest-grossing Indian film
ever in Hong Kong, where Dangal grossed HK$24.57 million (US$3.15 million, ₹20.42 crore) as of
26 September 2017.[245] By 2 October 2017, the film had grossed HK$25,430,761, equivalent
to ₹21.31 crore (US$3.1 million).[246] As of 10 October 2017, the film has grossed ₹23.1 crore
(US$3.5 million) in Hong Kong.[182] On its eleventh weekend, the film's gross in the city-state reached
about HK$27 million, as of 6 November 2017.[247] The film has grossed HK$27,139,998 in Hong
Kong, as of 19 January 2018.[181]

Japan and South Korea

In Japan, where the film released on 6 April 2018, Dangal has grossed ¥50 million, equivalent to ₹3
crore (US$430,000), as of 22 April 2018.[188]

In South Korea, prior to release, the film was number-four at the box office on 24 April 2018, from
preview screenings which grossed ₩154.41 million[248](US$144,443).[185] On opening day, 25 April
2018, the film had grossed ₩220 million[249] ($205,800).[185] It opened at number-three, behind
Hollywood filmAvengers: Infinity War and domestic Korean film Intention.[249] In eight
days, Dangal grossed ₩415.412 million,[250] equivalent to $389,000[185] (₹2.53 crore). In 15 days, the
film grossed ₩564 million,[251] equivalent to $528,000[185] (₹3.43 crore). As of September 2018, the
film has grossed ₩906.42 million,[184] equivalent to $850,000[185] (₹6 crore).

Commercial analysis
India

Despite the hype created by the film prior to its release, it was not expected to perform very well on
two accounts. Aamir Khan's comment in November 2015 during the ongoing intolerance debate in
India had sparked outrage and backlash from certain sections of people. Despite his clarification that
the statement made was taken out of context and publicized, the criticism, primarily on social media,
continued to the extent that prior to the film's release, campaigns calling for boycotting the film
began, on ground that Khan was "anti-national".[252][253] Secondly, after the government of
India demonetised India's banknotes in November 2016, film businesses drastically fell owing to the
fact that tickets were paid for mostly in cash, more so in the 8,500 single screen theatres of a total of
12,000, which accounted for 45 per cent of the total box-office revenue in India. Following the
exercise, it was reported that business fell by 60 per cent and that 700 theatres even
shut,[254]including a few that deciding not to renew their licenses, converted into wedding halls. The
earnings of films Dear Zindagi, Kahaani 2: Durga Rani Singh and Befikrethat were released around
this time were significantly affected, and their corresponding producers had handed out
limited prints to single-screen theatres, to keep losses at a minimum.[255]

However, that neither of the two affected the performance of Dangal was evident in that the online
ticketing platform BookMyShow hit its fastest one million tickets booked before the release. An
average occupancy of over 60 per cent was reported on the first few days in multiplexes.[256] The film
performed well on single-screen theatres as well that saw a surge, after two consecutive years of fall
in business accentuated further by the demonetisation exercise.[257][258] The film proved to be an end
to the "dry spell" to cinemas across India.[259] On 25 December, its third day from release, it
earned ₹42.35 crore in India, setting a record for the highest ever single-day earning.[260] After strong
performance over its first two weeks, it emerged as the highest-grossing Indian film beating PK over
its third weekend.[261]

China

Dangal performed particularly well in China. This was attributed partly to Khan's popularity in China
owing to the success of his previous films 3 Idiots (2009) and PK(2014) there.[262] When 3
Idiots released in China, the country was only the 15th largest film market, partly due to China's
widespread pirate DVD distribution at the time. However, it was the pirate market that introduced 3
Idiots to most Chinese audiences, becoming a cult hit in the country. It became China's 12th
favourite film of all time, according to ratings on Chinese film review site Douban, with only one
domestic Chinese film (Farewell My Concubine) ranked higher. Aamir Khan gained a large growing
Chinese fanbase as a result. By 2013, China grew to become the world's second largest film market
(after the United States), paving the way for Aamir Khan's Chinese box office success, with Dhoom
3 (2013), PK, and eventually Dangal.[263] His TV show Satyamev Jayate also had a cult following in
China, establishing Khan as someone associated with quality films and committed to social
causes.[264]

It was also reported that Chinese audiences could relate to the underlying social theme of Dangal in
that it portrayed the success story of sisters in the backdrop of apatriarchal and gender
inequal society, much like the conditions inherent in China.[265][266] Another factor was that the film
filled a "vacuum" created by lack of interest among filmgoers due to "poor quality of domestic films"
and China's ban on the "wildly popular" Korea dramas on television and streaming platforms due
Korea's acceptance to the deployment of American THAAD missile defense system, in August
2016.[267][268] Consequently, an earning of between ₹200 crore and₹300 crore was expected.[269] On
the day of its release, 5 May 2017, Dangal had a screen share of 13.3 per cent with 30,000
screenings,[270] much lower thanGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, (43.9 per cent), the number one film
for the previous week. On its fourth day, the first Monday, it rose to 17.7 per cent, and an occupancy
rate of over 33 per cent was reported, as against a highest of 24.7 per cent for Guardians of the
Galaxy Vol. 2.[271] Immediately after, aided by word-of-mouth publicity,[272][273] people reportedly
thronged the theatres, and screenings were increased to 35,000 on the second Saturday and 55,000
the following day.[274] During the time, the film began trending in Sina Weibo,[109] where
the hashtag #摔跤吧爸爸# (#LetsWrestleDad) has been mentioned over 470 million times.[275][276] The
run continued into its third week with 2.7 million tickets sold on the Sunday.[225] With 27 per cent
share in ticket sales, it was the highest earning film in China for the month.[277]
According to Chinese media, Dangal is one of the highest-rated films on Chinese film
sites Douban[278][279][280] and Maoyan,[281] which helped the film generate strong word of mouth.[282] The
film's word of mouth was also helped by discussion generated on Chinese social media sites such
as WeChat and Sina Weibo, including discussion surrounding Aamir Khan's previous work in film
and television, as well as a number of prominent Chinese celebrities recommending Dangal to their
fans, including stars such as Deng Chao, Wang Baoqiang, Yao Chen, Feng Xiaogang, Lu
Han and Fan Bingbing.[264] According to Maoyan, the film's audiences were 59% female and 41%
male, and the majority were in the 20-34 age group.[283]

Since Dangal's release in May 2017 through to October 2017, it has significantly out-grossed nearly
every Hollywood film released in China during that time, with the only exception being Transformers
5. The big-budget Hollywood films that Dangal out-grossed include Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.
2, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, Wonder Woman, The Mummy, Alien:
Covenant, Despicable Me 3, Dunkirk, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, Spider-Man:
Homecoming, War for the Planet of the Apes, The Hitman's Bodyguard, and even The
Foreigner starring Jackie Chan.[284] Dangal also surpassed the China gross ofCaptain America: Civil
War (2016).[230] According to The Beijinger: "In this atmosphere of poor Chinese films, Hollywood
franchise fatigue and an ongoing ban onSouth Korean entertainment, Dangal has made the most of
its opportunity to win over the Chinese film market."[236] Its gross in China is notably higher than the
gross of any non-English foreign film released in North America, where the highest is Crouching
Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) with $128 million.[26][285][286]

Awards and nominations

Date of Recipient(s) and

Award Category Result Ref(s)
ceremony nominee(s)

Best Film Dangal

Best Director Nitesh Tiwari

Filmfare
14 January 2017 Won [287]
Awards
Best Actor Aamir Khan

Best Action Shyam Kaushal

 Date of Recipient(s) and
Award Category Result Ref(s)
ceremony nominee(s)

Best Film Dangal

Best Actor Aamir Khan

Best Lyricist Amitabh Bhattacharya

Best Director Nitesh Tiwari

Best Supporting
Zaira Wasim
Actress

Best Debut
Fatima Sana Shaikh
(Female)

Sanya Malhotra

Best Film (Viewer's

Dangal
Choice)

Best Supporting
Zaira Wasim
Actress

Telstra People's
Dangal
Choice Award

Best Director Nitesh Tiwari

Home media

The film's official trailer has over 60 million views on YouTube, as of 11 May 2018.[304] The film's
Chinese trailer also has nearly 60 million views on Tencent Video, as of November 2018.[305]

The satellite rights of Dangal were sold for ₹110 crore (US$17 million) in India, the highest for a film
up until Race 3 (2018).[306] Dangal premiered on television in India in 2017. Its television premiere
on Zee TV in May 2017 drew 16.263 million viewers, the second highest for a film on the network,
after Prem Ratan Dhan Payo(2015).[307] This made Dangal the second-most watched Hindi-language
film of 2017 in India, behind only the Hindi-dubbed version of Baahubali 2: The Conclusion, which
drew 26.054 million viewers in India.[308] Dangal's television premiere on Zee Tamil in August 2017
drew 33.4 million viewers, the highest ever for a film on the network.[309]

The film has been released on several Chinese online streaming platforms. As of
November 2018, Dangal has been watched more than 400 million times across three Chinese
streaming platforms: nearly 200 million on Tencent Video (140 million in Hindi, nearly 60 million in
dubbed Mandarin),[27] more than 144 million on IQiyi(120 million in Hindi, over 24 million in
Mandarin),[28] and over 80 million on Youku.[29]

Impact

Dangal, along with Japanese anime film Your Name (which Dangal overtook as the highest-grossing
foreign film), began a new trend at the Chinese box office, with Chinese audiences slowly moving
away from Hollywood blockbusters and taking more interest in films from other countries, such as
Thailand's Bad Genius and Spain's Contratiempo.[310] As of 5 November 2017, non-Hollywood
imports account for 72 per cent ($519.7 million) of the year's foreign film box office revenue so far
(US$723 million), with Dangal alone accounting for 27 per cent.[311] An EntGroup survey in China
found that the preference for Hollywood films declined from 61 per cent in 2016 down to 55 per cent
in 2017, as Chinese audiences increasingly develop preferences for Chinese, Indian and Japanese
films.[312]

Dangal, along with Aamir Khan's next blockbuster Secret Superstar, has drove up the buyout prices
of Indian film imports for Chinese distributors.[313] The success ofDangal and Secret
Superstar contributed towards Salman Khan's Bajrangi Bhaijaan (2015) securing a wide release in
China,[314] along with Irrfan Khan's Hindi Medium (2017) getting a release in the country,[315] followed
by a number of other Indian films in 2018.[316]

The film has also had an impact on Chinese cinema. The film's success has led to Chinese
filmmakers becoming more confident in tackling social realist themes concerning Chinese
society.[310] The film's influence can be seen in the 2018 blockbuster Dying to Survive, for
example.[316][317]
Dangal has had a political impact, with the film being screened at the Indian parliament in a bid to
spread the message of women empowerment.[318] It has also had an effect on China–India relations,
with Chinese president Xi Jinping saying he enjoyed the film when he met Indian prime
minister Narendra Modi.[319] The film resonated with Chinese audiences, with Diangying Yishu (Film
Art) magazine stating, "It is like the story of a Chinese village girl becoming an Olympic
champion."[320]

Controversies
Political controversies
There was political controversy upon Dangal's release in India. In November 2015, Aamir
Khan expressed the feelings that he and his wife Kiran Rao had about growing intolerance in
India,[321][322] which led to Khan facing intense backlash for the comments,[322][323] including violent
threats.[324][325] As part of continued backlash against Khan's comments, there were calls for protests
and boycotts against his film Dangal. In October 2016, the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) called for
protests against the film.[326] Following its release in December 2016, #BoycottDangal was trending
on Twitter,[327][328] and BJP general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya called for protests against the
film.[329]

There was also controversy over its release in Pakistan. In response to the Indian Motion Picture
Producers Association (IMPPA) banning Pakistani film artists and technicians from working in Indian
films, Pakistani theater owners and exhibitors responded by temporarily putting a stop to screening
Indian films. Due to Aamir Khan's popularity, however, Dangal was set to release in Pakistan, but
the Central Board of Film Censors demanded that scenes featuring the Indian flag and Indian
national anthem be omitted. Khan refused, thus the film was not released in Pakistan, where it was
predicted to gross up to ₹12 crore (US$1.7 million).[330]

Award controversies
At the 64th National Film Awards in 2017, there was controversy over the National Film Award for
Best Actor, which the committee awarded to Akshay Kumar for his performance
in Rustom,[331][332] instead of Aamir Khan's performance for Dangal.[333][334][335] Committee
member Priyadarshan, who has worked with Kumar on several films,[331][335] gave the following
explanation for awarding Kumar instead of Khan:[335]

Why should we have given the Best Actor award to Aamir Khan when he has made it very clear that
he doesn’t attend awards functions? If he doesn’t want to accept the honour, what is the point in
honouring him? Nowadays, we have seen people returning their awards. We didn’t want to take that
risk.

Similarly, Dangal was not awarded at the 18th IIFA Awards, where Kumar was also not awarded.
According to the IIFA Awards organizers:[336]
So basically, in IIFA, forms are sent to various production houses. They fill those forms up and send
it back to us. Those forms are then put out to the industry for voting and from there it becomes a
nomination. So, Dangal has not sent their entry in. We would love Dangal to be a part of it. I think it's
a movie that's broken all records. We love Aamir Khan and the two little girls. They did a great job.
But unfortunately, they didn't send their entry in.

What message does the Dangal movie by Amir Khan

gives in the end?
Nothing can be conquered without the support of your family. They will always be
there for you, in your success and in your failure too. This is what the movie Dangal
conveyed to us. Dangal isn't a film just about women wrestling but it is about daring to
dream, challenging the society, not just determined but being obsessed about your dream. It
also shows the sacrifices made by the parents to make our dream true. They leave their
dreams to live ours.

As we all know each coin has two sides, it shows the strict nature as well as the soft corner of
a father. It’s true that our parents walk along with us through the path to our success. Our
success is not only the outcome of our efforts, the support by our family is equally
responsible.

Do all you can to let your parents celebrate your success.

There are other small messages:

 Hard work and sticking to your basics leads to success

 In a gold medal boxing match or life - you are always alone. There may be others
close to guide you, but in those crunch moments it's only your acumen and desire
to succeed that makes you win
 Sometimes your parents do something you don't like. It can be their calls every
morning and evening to check if you have had food, or asking you to be safe while
you take a train journey ( even though you have travelled the route alone tons of
times). Just ask them why are they doing this- their reasons will be always full of
love and care for you.
Lesson for a parent: Keep an eye on your children and realise their talent and push them
towards it with confidence that because only your support and love can help them grow in
their tender age.

And girls are no less. Give them wings and they will fly. There's a dialogue in the movie
which asserts the same-

“Gold to gold howe hai- Chora laaye ya chori.”

Lesson to an individual: Your parents aren't your enemy. Sometimes try keeping faith
on them and support them. You never know what they might be going through to help you
grow.

 There's a scene where all th villagers are gathered at Mahavir Phogat's house to
congratulate him and take credit if a son is born to him.
Lesson learnt: A lot of people around you are waiting for you to do something so that they
could steal your thunder. A little advice from them and they think they've mastered you and
if you fail, they bash you because you might have not followed them.

Remember, whatever you do and you don't is entirely yours. You shouldn't allow anyone to
steal your thunder or blame you if they didn't bother much. Let your actions make noise.

 3. I find this the most important one. At the end, when Geeta Phogat is wondering
how to score points and win, she uses the only left move and wins it. Also,
remember the flasback as well.
Lesson learnt: Sometimes in life, you will be left alone and you will have to make your
own choice. Trust your instincts, take a leap of faith and allow yourself to fly at once.

Also, Save the best for your last, because that would eventually come as a surprise and your
strongest weapon.

Dangal had a lot of messages being circulated throughout the movie.

 The story is based in Haryana, a place where the sex ratio is so less but Mahavir
Singh Phogat even after hearing a lot of taunts from the society continuted to
teach Geeta and Babita Phogat after realising their talent.