Indian action star Vidyut Jammwal makes his Hollywood debut as the iconic yogi Dhalsim in the live-action Street Fighter film released on October 16, 2026.
IGN India got the opportunity to speak with Vidyut Jammwal about playing Dhalsim in the upcoming Street Fighter movie. Jammwal merges his lifelong mastery of Kalaripayattu with the character’s spiritual and physical power, and the actor broke down his process for bringing the iconic character to life on the big screen.
Dhalsim is the Street Fighter roster’s peaceful yogi, a fighter who stretches his limbs across the screen, breathes fire, and enters tournaments for reasons larger than prize money. In the new live-action Street Fighter film, he is played by Vidyut Jammwal, one of Indian cinema’s most prominent action stars, in what is his Hollywood debut. Jammwal had never played the games when director Kitao Sakurai called him in India and began by asking whether he had. He said no, listened to Sakurai explain Ken, Ryu and Dhalsim, and came away convinced the third one was his. Asked how he approached a character built from yoga, flame and elastic limbs, Jammwal gave me a simple answer: “Dhalsim is me.”