New Delhi, July 8 -- The wait is over for Sourav Ganguly fans. The much-awaited first look of 'Dada: The Sourav Ganguly Story' featuring Rajkummar Rao was unveiled on Wednesday, on the ex-Indian cricket captain's 54th birthday, making the day even more special for millions of fans across the world. Along with the reveal, the makers also announced the film's theatrical release on May 14, 2027, over an extended holiday weekend.
The official first-look poster captures Rajkummar in a cinematic recreation of Ganguly's iconic jersey-waving moment at Lord's balcony following India's historic NatWest Trophy triumph over England in 2002. Widely regarded as one of the most iconic images in cricket, the celebration came to symbolise a fearless new era of Indian cricket under Ganguly's leadership and remains an enduring emblem of confidence, defiance and belief. Sharing the look, Rajkummar Rao wrote, "Happy Birthday, our dearest Dada."
Ganguly, who in an interview said that Rajkummar is the best choice to play him onscreen, also shared the poster and wrote, "The Best Gift Ever! Can't wait to see you play my cover drive! @rajkummar_rao (sic)."
Even a month back, director Vikramaditya Motwane was in Kolkata at the ex-Indian cricketer's Behala home and shot several crucial portions of the film in the City of Joy. Bengali actress Aparajita Auddy will be seen playing Nirupa Ganguly, the cricketer's mother, in the film. Saswata Chatterjee will be seen as his father, Chandi Ganguly and actor Rahul Dev Bose will be seen playing Dada's brother Snehasish Ganguly. Rajkummar shot several scenes in and around Kolkata, including at the famous Eden Gardens.
Now, the makers might have rightly chosen Ganguly's Lord's moment as the first look of the biopic, but then the netizens and fans of Dada aren't really impressed. While members of Bollywood like Ayushmann Khurrana (who was reportedly in the race to play Ganguly on screen), Ali Fazal, Patralekha, Neha Dhupia and Aparshakti Khurana praised Rajkummar's look, the netizens raised concerns.
"Official poster backlash button," posted one user. Several users mentioned that even 'ChatGPT' could have done a better job. Some criticised the poster being made with artificial intelligence (AI). A user wrote, "Even fan-made posters have better efforts and effects than this." "Need a better poster. Also, frankly, I needed another actor. He hardly looks like you," wrote another user. A die-hard Ganguly fan wrote, "One of the worst posters I have seen. Dada deserves better."
Only the first look of the biopic has been unveiled and here's hoping the makers will do justice to the journey of Ganguly, one of India's most successful cricket captains.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.