Vidyut Jammwal Debuts as Dhalsim in Street Fighter

Vidyut Jammwal, one of Hindi cinema's best-known action stars, made his Hollywood debut this weekend as Dhalsim in Street Fighter. Critics are split on the film but kinder to him, and a few wished he had more screen time.

The role and the reviews

Hindustan Times gave the film 3 out of 5 and called it fun, zany and faithful to the arcade game. Its reviewer, Abhimanyu Mathur, wrote that "not seeing more of Vidyut Jammwal is a loss," adding that the actor "is perfect for Dhalsim," and that he grounds a character built on an impossibly racist caricature into a real man fit for a film released in 2026. The same review praised David Dastmalchian as M Bison and Noah Centineo as Ken.

The Guardian was harsher. Its headline reads "nostalgia only goes so far in junky fighting game movie." So the film's reception sits between a fan-service crowd-pleaser and a messy reboot, depending on the outlet.

Mid-day's weekend roundup also lists Street Fighter, noting that the film leans on witty banter and a lively ensemble led by Andrew Koji and Noah Centineo, with Vidyut Jammwal making his Hollywood debut as Dhalsim.

The film

Kitao Sakurai directs. The cast includes Noah Centineo, Andrew Koji, Callina Liang, Roman Reigns, David Dastmalchian, Cody Rhodes, Eric Andre, Andrew Schulz, 50 Cent and Jason Momoa alongside Jammwal, per Hindustan Times. The premise starts in 1987 with Ryu winning the first World Warrior Tournament, then jumps to 1993, when the villain M Bison launches a second tournament to lure Ryu out of hiding.

The box office

A weekend table from the tracker Sacnic puts Street Fighter at No. 1 in the United States for Oct. 16 to 18, with $13 million domestically, ahead of Whalefall at $3 million. GameSpot's headline asked whether the film could be in for "a rough first round at the box office." Reports we saw put the budget at about $82 million, which would make the opening modest against the cost, though final numbers will take more than a weekend.

Why Indian readers care

Hollywood debuts by Hindi film stars tend to be small roles, and Jammwal's is no different in screen time according to the Hindustan Times review. Still, a martial artist best known for Hindi action films now has a credit in a major studio franchise.

What happens next

Street Fighter ends on an ambiguous note that leaves room for a sequel, Hindustan Times says. Whether Dhalsim returns depends on grosses, which will become clearer after the second weekend. Meanwhile, Hindi audiences have a crowded theatrical slate, with Ramayana due in early November.

What we could not confirm

We could not confirm Street Fighter's international opening, since no worldwide figure was available in what we found. We could not confirm the budget from an official studio source, and the figure is from a trade report. We have not seen the film, and we did not find an interview with Jammwal about the role, so we have not quoted him. Reviewer opinions are the outlets' own.

Sources

*Cover photo: Bollywood Hungama, Wikimedia Commons, *[*https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Vidyut_Jamwal_walks_for_Manish_Malhotra_&_Shaina_NC's_show_for_CPAA_22.jpg*](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Vidyut_Jamwal_walks_for_Manish_Malhotra_&_Shaina_NC's_show_for_CPAA_22.jpg)* (CC BY 3.0).*