Sumo (2025) – A Disjointed Storyline Sinks a Fun Premise

I enjoy seeing RJ Shiva onscreen, so I had good expectations for his latest movie featuring a Japanese sumo wrestler. Did Sumo (2025) meet them? Unfortunately, no. An energyless screenplay and disconnected dialogues made the film a disappointment. Sorry, Shiva, but Mangoidiots gives the movie a Rotten.

The story starts with a Japanese sumo wrestler, who has lost his memory, washing ashore near Mahabalipuram. He is rescued by Shiva, played by RJ Shiva. Not knowing who he is or where he is from, Shiva develops a brotherly bond with him and names him Ganesh. About halfway into the film, Shiva and his boss Jacky, played by VTV Ganesh, discover Ganesh’s true identity. In the second half, the three travel to Japan, and the story unfolds about why and how Ganesh ended up in India. I must congratulate myself here, as I have probably given you a clearer plot summary than what would’ve been in the production script.

RJ Shiva has tried his best to bring humour into an otherwise dull script, and in places, he managed to get a smile from me — mostly because I enjoy watching him. Priya Anand, who plays his love interest, has been given limited screen time. There are some positives. Despite having a sumo wrestler character who is constantly shown eating — a practice common to their profession — the film steers mostly clear of body-shaming or foreigner clichés. No one jokes about Ganesh being a foreigner, in India or in Japan, about Shiva. And thankfully, VTV Ganesh does not resort to his usual broken vinyl record shouting.

The screenplay feels completely disjointed, with dialogues and explanations often arriving after we have already deduced what happened. The second half, set in Tokyo, felt like a missed opportunity. Yogi Babu and Sathish have been underutilised, left with little to do apart from filling a few scenes.

Near the climax, when the story moves to the sumo rings in Japan, there is a brief moment of engagement. But whatever positive impact it made was quickly undone by closing the scene with just a voiceover, missing the chance for having a feel-good moment on screen.

Overall, Sumo (2025) is best avoided.