Advertisement
A Japanese sumo-wrestling champion walks into a Tamil film. Hilarity ensues
- Sumo, a new film about the bromance between an Indian surfer and Japanese wrestler, pays homage to the growing ties between New Delhi and Tokyo
- Director S.P. Hosimin hopes the heartwarming comedy will help bring people together and earn the approval of Modi and Abe
Reading Time:3 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
A new sport-comedy caper starring a former Japanese wrestling champion and a motley cast of Tamil actors is set to entertain audiences in India.
Advertisement
Sumo, directed by S.P. Hosimin, revolves around an unlikely friendship between a surfing teacher and a sumo wrestler who gets washed up on a Chennai shore – a story borne out of the filmmaker’s fascination with sumos and his desire to pen an ode to the growing ties between India and Japan.
“Sumo wrestlers are cherubic gentle giants and loved by everyone,” says Hosimin, who was drawn into the world of ancient Japanese sport after he saw an ad featuring sumo wrestlers.
The movie, starring south Indian actor Shiva and ex-wrestling champion Yoshinori Tashiro, was shot in locations in both countries, including Chennai, Tokyo, Toyama and Mount Fuji.
Advertisement
Casting calls were conducted in Tokyo, where the crew zeroed in on Tashiro as they found him “cute and bubbly”, with comedic flair, Hosimin says.
Advertisement