Sultan directed by Ali Abbas Zafar and produced by Yashraj Films, is an over-wrought, over-blown, over-stretched sports saga, says Anupama Chopra, in her review. Yet she says she was left with moist eyes and a big grin, at the end of the movie. Describing the mood of the film, she says emotional core comes from a strong love story where Sultan only becomes a wrestler because he falls in love with one. "In addition to this relationship drama, Ali bungs in uplifting life lessons and unabashed dollops of patriotism. Sultan is a mud wrestler and the akhade ki mitti fuels his bullish strength. So much so that when Sultan goes to Delhi to fight foreigners in a mixed martial arts contest, he takes a sack-full of mitti with him", Chopra says in her review.

According to her, Salman is convincing as the heart and brawn village boy. She also says it refreshing to see a female character have substantial role and feels Anushka did justice to it.

However, she feels the martial arts sequences were exhausting and other fighters were utterly lacking in personality. But felt that the movie has different flavours to it.