Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- inspirational
- melodramatic
- energetic
- sports movie night
- bollywood marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly viewed the film as an entertaining and emotionally effective sports drama powered by Salman Khan's performance, while finding its lengthy, conventional formula uneven.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Sultan returns to wrestling after years of estrangement, physical decline, and remorse, pursuing a difficult comeback.
Sultan and Aarfa begin as local wrestling rivals, with their shared athletic aspirations becoming central to their romance.
The Haryanvi setting, local wrestling culture, and Sultan's representation of India connect personal victory to regional and national pride.
The film emphasizes wrestling bouts, combat choreography, Olympic competition, and mixed martial arts showdowns.
Films like Sultan, and why
Mary Kom
Shared underdog sports drama, comeback narrative, intense training, and emotionally direct romance.
Dangal
Shared wrestling-centered action, family emotion, national sporting ambition, and inspirational tone.
Chak De! India
Shared sports biopic-style structure, personal redemption, romantic stakes, and crowd-pleasing Bollywood melodrama.
Movie Details
- Director
- Ali Abbas Zafar
- Release Date
- 2016-07-06
- Runtime
- 170 min
- Rating
- 6.8 / 10 (273)
Cast
- Salman Khan
- Anushka Sharma
- Randeep Hooda
- Amit Sadh
- Kumud Mishra
- Parikshat Sahni
- Tyron Woodley
- Marko Zaror
- Ron Smoorenburg
- Marrese Crump
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads
- Rent
- Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
- Buy
- Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Sultan about?
- A disgraced wrestling champion fights his way back to glory while repairing the love and identity he once sacrificed for victory.
- What is Sultan like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Sultan as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Sultan violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Sultan as moderate.
- What did critics think of Sultan?
- Critics broadly viewed the film as an entertaining and emotionally effective sports drama powered by Salman Khan's performance, while finding its lengthy, conventional formula uneven.
- Which films are like Sultan?
- Films with a similar feel include Mary Kom, Dangal, and Chak De! India.
- How long is Sultan?
- Sultan runs 170 minutes.
- Where can I watch Sultan?
- In United States, Sultan streams on Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads.
