Rajkummar Rao recreates Sourav Ganguly's iconic lord's moment in ‘Dada’ first look

The makers of ‘Dada – The Sourav Ganguly Story’ have unveiled the first-look poster of the much-awaited biopic on former Indian cricket captain Sourav Ganguly, coinciding with his 54th birthday. Starring Rajkummar Rao in the lead, the poster recreates one of the most unforgettable moments in Indian cricket history, Ganguly waving his jersey from the Lord's balcony after India's dramatic NatWest Trophy triumph over England in 2002.

Sharing the first look on social media, Rajkummar Rao wrote, "Happy Birthday, our dearest Dada."

Responding to the poster, Sourav Ganguly shared it on his own social media and wrote, "The Best Gift Ever! Can't wait to see you play my cover drive! @rajkummar_rao."

The first-look poster captures Ganguly's famous shirt-waving celebration that became a defining image of India's fearless new era in cricket. The moment came after India pulled off a memorable chase of 326 against England in the 2002 NatWest Series final at Lord's.

England had posted 325/5, powered by centuries from Marcus Trescothick (109) and captain Nasser Hussain (115). India began strongly with Sourav Ganguly (60) and Virender Sehwag (45), but a collapse left them struggling at 146/5. Just when England looked certain to win, Yuvraj Singh (69) and Mohammad Kaif (87 not out) stitched together a game-changing 121-run partnership. Kaif and Zaheer Khan (4 not out) eventually guided India to a thrilling two-wicket victory in the final over.

In celebration, Ganguly famously removed his shirt and waved it from the Lord's balcony before rushing onto the field to embrace the players. The gesture was widely seen as a response to Andrew Flintoff, who had celebrated England's series draw in Mumbai earlier by taking off his shirt on the field.

Directed by Vikramaditya Motwane, ‘Dada – The Sourav Ganguly Story’ is produced by Luv Ranjan and Ankur Garg under Luv Films, and presented by Gulshan Kumar, Bhushan Kumar, T-Series and DBL. The film will chronicle Ganguly's journey from a young cricketer to one of India's most influential captains, highlighting the grit, resilience and conviction that transformed Indian cricket.

The supporting cast includes Tanya Maniktala as Dona Ganguly, with the film also expected to explore the couple's relationship through a musical sequence. To lend authenticity to its Bengali setting, the makers have cast Aparajita Adhya as Ganguly's mother Nirupa Ganguly and Saswata Chatterjee as his father Chandi Ganguly, alongside several other Bengali actors.

Speaking to PTI in July 2025 about the casting, Ganguly had said, "I think the right person is doing it… I'll help him with everything."

‘Dada – The Sourav Ganguly Story’ is scheduled for a worldwide theatrical release on May 14, 2027.