Rajkummar Rao recreates Sourav Ganguly's iconic shirtless Lord's celebration in Dada first poster; leaves fans divided

The first-look poster for Dada: The Sourav Ganguly Story, starring Rajkummar Rao, has sparked mixed fan reactions.

Days after videos of Rajkummar Rao shooting for former cricketer Sourav Ganguly's biopic — Dada: The Sourav Ganguly Story — went viral, the makers have unveiled the film's first poster. For Sourav Ganguly and cricket fans alike, the first look recreates one of the most iconic moments from the former Indian captain's illustrious career. The poster was unveiled on Wednesday on the occasion of Ganguly's birthday.

Rajkummar Rao will play lead role in Dada: The Sourav Ganguly Story,

First look poster of Dada

The first-look poster takes fans back to the unforgettable moment when Sourav Ganguly famously took off his jersey and waved it from the balcony of the Lord's Cricket Ground in London after India pulled off a historic two-wicket victory over England to win the NatWest Series final in 2002. Ganguly's shirt-waving celebration came in response to English all-rounder Andrew Flintoff, who had taken off his shirt and celebrated in similar fashion at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai a few months earlier.

Recreating the legendary celebration in the first poster of his biopic, Rajkummar Rao is seen standing on the iconic Lord's balcony, waving his jersey triumphantly in the air as the Indian tricolour flies in the background. The joy, intensity and aggression on his face instantly remind fans of Ganguly's unforgettable celebration, making the poster a nostalgic tribute to one of Indian cricket's most defining moments.

Rajkummar also shared the poster on his Instagram Stories and wished Sourav Ganguly on his birthday. He wrote in the caption, "Happy Birthday our dearest Dada. @souravganguly #Dada #DadaTheSouravGangulyStory."

Fans react

Fans had mixed reactions to the film's first-look poster. One fan questioned Rajkummar's resemblance to the former cricketer and wrote, "He is not even remotely looking like Ganguly." Another cooment read, "Is this AI generated?"

Another fan, however, called it perfect casting. The comment read, "There can't be a better actor Than Rajkummar to do this role." One more comment read, "Bhai after seeing Rajkummar Rao's transformation it seems he can play any role in the world😂 Seeing that iconic scene of him taking off his Tshirt on the Lord's balcony on the poster brought back old memories. Super excited🏏🔥"

About Dada: The Sourav Ganguly Story

Dada: The Sourav Ganguly Story is directed by Vikramaditya Motwane, produced by Luv Ranjan and Ankur Garg, and presented by Gulshan Kumar, Bhushan Kumar, T-Series and DBL. The film is a Luv Films production and is scheduled to release in theatres on May 14, 2027, coinciding with the extended Eid holiday weekend.