4 min readMumbaiJul 7, 2026 11:30 AM IST A decade after its release, Sultan continues to be regarded as one of the defining sports dramas in Hindi cinema, driven largely by Salman Khan’s transformative performance. Stepping away from his larger-than-life screen persona, the superstar played an ageing wrestler battling not just opponents in the ring but also his own self. Reflecting on the film’s journey, director Ali Abbas Zafar recently revealed how Sultan came together and why Salman was always the only actor he envisioned for the role. ‘Salman Khan was the only choice for Sultan’ Speaking to Variety India, Ali said, “The idea came from a one-line story of a man who rises against all odds and fights his own ego. I have always been a big fan of sports drama. I wanted to make a film which was rooted and earthy, as you call it a “desi” film. So, we chose wrestling because it is a sport that has a long history in India, and it’s all about mud, earth, soil, falling down, …