Kitao Sakurai was told not to include Dhalsim in Street Fighter as it 'may feel like a caricature', Vidyut Jammwal made him authentic | Exclusive

Kitao Sakurai wanted the Street Fighter movie to bring the game’s major characters together, but including Dhalsim was not straightforward. The filmmaker was reportedly warned that the character could feel like a caricature, creating a challenge around how he should be presented.

Sakurai, a fan of the games, said he was confident about one central point when he joined the project: “I really wanted every major Street Fighter II character in the movie.” That ambition connected the film to the 1991 arcade title, which remains one of the bestselling video games in history and has grown into a wider pop culture phenomenon.

Vidyut Jammwal helped shape the portrayal

The concern surrounding Dhalsim was addressed through Vidyut Jammwal’s involvement. According to the source, Jammwal helped make the character authentic, providing a way for the film to include Dhalsim without reducing him to a caricature.

The episode highlights the difficulty of adapting recognisable video game characters for the screen. While fans may expect familiar figures to appear, their portrayal still has to work within a movie and avoid an approach that feels superficial. For Sakurai, Dhalsim became one of the roadblocks to his goal of including the major Street Fighter II cast.

A significant character from a major game

Street Fighter II’s lasting commercial and cultural importance gives the film’s character choices added significance. Dhalsim’s inclusion, and the effort to make him authentic, reflects the broader challenge of translating a celebrated arcade game into a movie.