The story of a group of young men that practice the ancient art of "pehelwan," or mud wrestling, at the Bhuteshwar Akhara in the town of Mathura, India. We witness the strict yet ultimately joyous way these men live, the tight bond they have with each other, and the reverence for the soil they wrestle upon.
'Pehelwani' premiered worldwide at the American Documentary Film Festival in Palm Springs, CA in April, 2017 and has been screened at the Brooklyn Film Festival and New Orleans Film Festival, among others.
Director: João Canziani
Editor: Ben Stamper
Cinematographer: João Canziani
Interviewer & Fixer: Kunal Shah
Sound Recordist: Subbu Subramanian
Sound Mix: Jacob Blumberg
Color: Kath Raich at Company 3
Music: "Hey Gobind Hey Gopal" by Jagjit Singh