Rajkummar Rao addresses criticism over Dada poster, says makers learnt their lesson

Rajkummar Rao (Pic/Instagram)

After the release of Prahaar, Rajkummar Rao is gearing up to step into the shoes of former Indian cricket captain Sourav Ganguly in the biopic Dada. While the poster generated buzz online, it also received a wave of criticism from social media users. Addressing the backlash, Rajkummar admitted that the makers learnt a lesson about taking their time and not rushing the process.

Rajkummar Rao on Dada poster criticism

Speaking to Mashable India, Rajkummar acknowledged the criticism and said, "The ones who made it, they learnt the lesson that they shouldn't have rushed it. Take your time, there's no hurry. I think the team learnt their lesson. But they also learnt another thing with this, that Dada has a crazy fan following."

In the same chat, he also discussed the increasing usage of AI in movies and said, "Technology has pros and cons. AI will come, you can't stop it, but we should use it as a supporting tool. You can't be totally dependent on it. You can't be making everything from AI."

Rajkummar hinted that the film will cover the bad patches of Ganguly's life as well. "I have met him many times. We shot at his house as well. We also shot at Eden Gardens. We were in Kolkata for a while. I spent a lot of time with him, spoke a lot to him," he said, and added, "It was very important to know what was happening behind the scenes as well. He was very open about sharing his life with us. He is a legend. He made the Indian team. The team that is renowned today, he laid the foundation for that."

More about the film

On former India captain Sourav Ganguly's 54th birthday, Luv Films dropped the first look of the cricketer's upcoming biopic, DADA: The Sourav Ganguly Story. It chronicles the extraordinary journey of the man who didn't just play the game but changed it.

The official first-look poster captures Rajkummar Rao in a cinematic recreation of Sourav Ganguly's iconic jersey-waving moment at Lord's balcony following India's historic NatWest Trophy triumph over England in 2002. Tracing his rise from a talented young cricketer to one of India's most influential captains, the film celebrates the grit, resilience, and conviction that redefined Indian cricket and inspired an entire generation.

DADA: The Sourav Ganguly Story is directed by Vikramaditya Motwane and is set for a May 2027 release.