2016 · Film
Dangal
Nitesh Tiwari's biographical sports drama starring Aamir Khan as Mahavir Singh Phogat, a former wrestler who trains his daughters in wrestling despite criticism from his community.
Reviewed by Movie Mandala, Sun, 18 Oct, 2026
Where to watch
IndiaAs of 18 October 2026, Dangal is streaming in India on Netflix with a subscription.
The story
Mahavir Singh Phogat, a former national wrestling champion in Balali, Haryana, gave up the sport for a steady job and dreams that a son will one day win a medal for India. When he has four daughters, he assumes the dream is over, until his eldest, Geeta and Babita, beat up two boys who insulted them. Spotting their strength, he starts training them hard in wrestling, despite mockery from the village.
Spoiler-free: only the set-up.
Who it suits
Families with children, and anyone who likes true-story sports dramas, will enjoy this tale of perseverance, a demanding father-daughter bond and girls breaking gender barriers in wrestling.
Genres:SportsTrue storiesFamilyDrama
Curation to help you choose, not a review.
Background
Dangal tells the true story of Mahavir Singh Phogat, a former amateur wrestler from Balali in Haryana, and his daughters Geeta and Babita, whom he trained as wrestlers. Geeta went on to win gold at the 2010 Commonwealth Games, and Babita won gold at the 2014 Games in Glasgow.
The film opened in India on 23 December 2016. Tamil and Telugu dubs were released as Yuddham. It also had a large run abroad: it opened in China on 5 May 2017 on about 9,000 screens, trimmed by 20 minutes, and later released in Japan and South Korea. Wikipedia lists worldwide gross estimates from ₹1,968 crore to over ₹2,000 crore, which makes it the highest-grossing Hindi film. It won four Filmfare Awards, including Best Film, Best Director and Best Actor for Aamir Khan. Zaira Wasim, who plays the young Geeta, won the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress.
The facts
- Language
- Hindi
- Hindi
- Hindi original
- Genre
- Biographical sports drama
- Runtime
- 161 min
- Certificate
- U
- Director
- Nitesh Tiwari
- Cast
- Aamir Khan, Sakshi Tanwar, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Sanya Malhotra, Zaira Wasim
Questions people ask
- Where can I watch Dangal in India?
- As of 18 October 2026, Dangal is streaming in India on Netflix with a subscription.
- Is Dangal in Hindi?
- Yes. Dangal is a Hindi-language film.
- Is Dangal suitable for children?
- Dangal has a CBFC U certificate, which means it is suitable for viewers of all ages.
- How long is Dangal?
- Dangal runs for 2 hours 41 minutes (161 minutes).