Discovery+ has launched India’s original investigative documentary series ‘Dangals of Crime: The Untold Truth About Indian Wrestling’.
The series traces the meteoric rise of the Olympic sport, in which India has seven summer Olympics medals, and also explores its dark underbelly.
Wrestling’s popularity reached a crescendo in India after iconic wrestlers Sushil Kumar and Yogeshwar Dutt secured three medals collectively across the 2008 Beijing games and the 2012 London games.
Disney’s wrestling-based 2016 film ‘Dangal’, starring Aamir Khan, is India’s highest-grossing film of all time with $270 million, The Variety reported.
The series, produced by Vice Studios Production and directed by Niyantha Shekar (Tribeca X award finalist ‘The Mind Behind’), has contributions from several former coaches and wrestlers, including Satbir Singh, Virender Kumar, Anil Mann, and Ramphal Mann,
Commenting on the docuseries, Megha Tata, MD, South Asia, Discovery, Inc. said, “’Dangals of Crime’ delves deep into the realms of wrestling, a sport that has churned out some of India’s greatest homegrown champions. Reflecting on the sport in the most informative way, the Discovery Plus original dissects every aspect of the making of a Pehelwan [wrestler], coupled with its current realities.”