The makers of Dada: The Sourav Ganguly Story unveiled the film's first-look poster on Sourav Ganguly's 54th birthday, offering the first glimpse of Rajkummar Rao as the former India captain. Recreating Ganguly's iconic shirt-swinging celebration at Lord's after India's 2002 NatWest Trophy triumph, the poster also confirmed the film's 2027 theatrical release.
The reveal quickly became one of the biggest talking points on social media, but not entirely for the reasons the makers may have hoped. While many welcomed the announcement of the long-awaited biopic, the poster itself drew widespread criticism, with several fans calling it underwhelming and saying it failed to do justice to the iconic moment.
Netizens Slam The First Look
Many users said the poster looked "AI-generated," "photoshopped," or "fan-made," with some even comparing it to a Canva template. Others felt the visual effects looked unnatural and said the image lacked the emotion and intensity of Ganguly's iconic Lord's celebration. Several fans also questioned whether Rajkummar Rao resembled the former captain, with some saying they struggled to recognise him and others joking that he looked more like another cricketer than Ganguly.
Some fans admitted they had high expectations from director Vikramaditya Motwane and were disappointed by the first impression. A few even urged the makers to redesign the poster before the film's release, saying Ganguly's legacy deserved a stronger first look. Others expressed concern that such an iconic moment from Indian cricket should have been presented with greater authenticity.
Here are some more reactions:
Sorry, Rajkumar Rao looks too innocent to do the DADA-GIRI pic.twitter.com/MyaFpcNzol
— Mustafa Moudi (@Mustafamoudi) July 8, 2026
Dada poor casting will make your biopic flop. Sorry.
— The Bitter Reviewer (@Criticskeeda) July 8, 2026
You should have casted someone else to play your charismatic personality on big screen. @RajkummarRao is a super flop actor. Nobody wanna see him on big screen. You still have one year pls change the actor.
Rajkumar Rao looks clown and pathetic as Dada. Totally destroying the aura and personality that Ganguly had. Height of miscast.
— IamArjav (@IamArjav) July 8, 2026
No one except one man can do your role and that's 'you'.
— Nishant Sir (@nishantsir4u) July 8, 2026
You've better looking and voice than any other bollywood actors.
Why didn't you do it yourself Dada?
Doesn't look good. My first impression was "is it photoshopped?"
— Swapna Kumar Panda (@swapnakpanda) July 8, 2026
Several users felt the poster failed to capture Sourav Ganguly's trademark intensity, with some calling Rajkummar Rao a miscast based on the first look. Others described the poster as "cringe" and underwhelming.
I am sorry Dada, Raj Kumar may be a good actor but in the poster he can't even match 1% of your intensity
— ndhi_ni_lolli (@ndhi_ni_lolli) July 8, 2026
I feel it's a miscast
Sourav bhai, we are also waiting to see your story on big screen. Hope it becomes suparhit. Though this poster is not good.
— Pulse Of Desi (@PulseOfDesi) July 8, 2026
With all due respect and having loved the original moment. This looks cringe
— Wolwaren (@wolwaren) July 8, 2026
Despite the backlash, a section of fans came out in support of the film. Many expressed confidence in Rajkummar Rao's performance and trusted Vikramaditya Motwane's filmmaking, saying it was too early to judge the biopic by its first poster. Others said Ganguly's inspiring journey deserved a big-screen adaptation and looked forward to the film's release.
Looking forward to watch 'Dada'. The Sourav Ganguli Story
— Sarang Bodhankar (@Sarangbo) July 8, 2026
Good one dada . Happy Birthday Prince of Kolkata
— ನಿರಂಜನ ರಾಜ್ ಅರಸ್ । Niranjan Raj Urs C G (@NiranjanC70085) July 8, 2026
It looks amazing. Started giving me goosebumps. Eagerly waiting Dada .
— Anurup Chakravarti (@AnurupChakrava1) July 8, 2026
Directed by Vikramaditya Motwane, the film follows Sourav Ganguly's rise from a young cricketer to one of India's most successful captains. Rajkummar Rao stars in the lead role, while Tanya Maniktala plays Dona Ganguly. Produced by Luv Ranjan and Ankur Garg under Luv Films, the biopic is set for a worldwide theatrical release on May 14, 2027.
Despite the largely negative response to the first-look poster, Dada remains one of the most anticipated sports biopics, with many fans hoping the film will live up to Sourav Ganguly's remarkable legacy despite their disappointment with the initial glimpse.
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