The film follows Mahavir Singh Phogat (Aamir Khan), a former national wrestling champion who was forced to give up his Olympic dreams due to a lack of financial support. He vows that his son will one day win a gold medal for India, only to have four daughters instead.
Unlike typical Bollywood sports movies that focus solely on the victory, Dangal tackles deep-rooted misogyny. It highlights the stigma surrounding female athletes in India and the concept that girls are only meant for household chores or early marriage. The film empowers its female protagonists not by making them "damsels in distress," but by showing their grit and eventual dominance in a male-dominated sport.