Shriyam Bhagnani is earning appreciation for her portrayal of Hetal Dave, India's first female sumo wrestler in Sumo Didi. The actor dedicated nine months to the role and gained weight to get into the character. However, her friends and casting directors warned her that the physical transformation could lead to her being stereotyped, potentially limiting her opportunities to play glamorous roles. Despite those concerns, Shriyam chose not to back down, believing that Hetal's journey was worth the professional risk.

Shriyam Bhagnani was given multiple warnings before signing Sumo Didi

While speaking exclusively to Mid-Day, Shriyam was asked if she worried that gaining weight for the role could hamper her future opportunities to play glamorous characters; she responded, "I didn’t think much of it initially, but when I started working on this film, everyone around me began telling me I won't get such roles. Be it my well-wishers, casting directors or friends, everyone had something to say."