Photo via The Free Press JournalRajkummar Rao confirms Dada's team learned from poster backlash; film still set for May 2027 release
The first look of Dada: The Sourav Ganguly Story didn’t just land with a thud — it detonated. Rajkummar Rao’s poster, unveiled on July 8 to coincide with Ganguly’s birthday, was instantly flagged as AI-generated by a wave of online scrutiny. Now, months later, Rao has finally responded, quietly, but pointedly.
'The ones who made it have learnt their lesson,' he told Mashable India. Not the film. Not the casting. The poster.
And the lesson? Patience. No more rushing. No more shortcuts.
The backlash wasn’t about the actor or the subject. It was about the execution. The fanbase is ‘crazy,’ Rao noted. That’s not hyperbole.
It’s a warning sign. The makers knew they’d crossed a line when fans didn’t just mock the image. They questioned its authenticity. And that’s rare for a biopic.
Especially one starring a national icon. The film’s release date remains unchanged: May 14, 2027. But the pressure is real. This isn’t just another cricket biopic.
It’s a cultural moment wrapped in celluloid. Tanya Maniktala steps into Dona Ganguly’s shoes, Vikramaditya Motwane directs, Luv Ranjan and Ankur Garg produce. The stakes are high. The timing is tighter than ever.
Meanwhile, Rao’s own next film, Prahaar: The Ujjwal Nikam Story, hits theatres October 16. A different kind of story. A different kind of scrutiny. One thing’s clear: the industry’s learning curve is no longer optional.
It’s survival.
About the film
Dada
24 December 2026 · in theatres · cast, trailer and release details
This article was written by the CutMirchi desk from the reporting above. Facts are attributed to their original publishers.
Taran Adarsh has praised Rajkummar Rao's performance as public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam in Prahaar, calling it a reminder of the actor's range as he continues portraying real-life figures on screen.
Rajkummar Rao’s Prahaar: The Untold Story of Ujjwal Nikam aims for ₹50 crore at the Indian box office to be a clean hit, with a reported budget of ₹25–30 crore. The film releases on October 24, 2026.
Nayyi Navelli collected Rs 2 crore on day six, taking its India total to Rs 20.65 crore and its worldwide gross past Rs 27 crore, per Free Press Journal, as the film edges past Yami Gautam's Haq.
Prahaar box office collection day 2: ₹3.25cr net in India — Bollywood Hungama reports the film collected ₹3.25 crore nett on Saturday, October 17, across 4,133 screens in India. That pushes its two-day total to ₹5.25 crore, according to early estimates. The jump from Friday’s ₹2.5 crore nett is modest, and while it exceeds initial trade projections of ₹3 crore, it falls short of what was needed to
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