With the unveiling of the first look of ‘Dada: The Sourav Ganguly Story’, Rajkummar Rao will step into the shoes of India’s most derided cricket captain. However, the announcement has also caused waves of interest and painful memories online. Long before Rajkummar Rao was roped in to remake the shirtless Lord festival under the direction of Vikramaditya Motwane, the late Sushant Singh Rajput chased the project dangerously. Fresh off the huge success of ‘MS Dhoni: The Untold Story’, Rajput was eager to portray ‘Dada’ on screen and started talks with the cricket legend in 2018 to get the rights of his life.
Sushant Singh Rajput also expressed interest in the biopic
According to Pinkvilla, Sushant Singh Rajput was keen to do a film based on the life of Sourav Ganguly after he won praise for his performance. Mahendra Singh Dhoni in ‘MS Dhoni: The Untold Story’. The actor says he wants to continue watching the game and believes that Ganguly’s journey will make an inspiring story for the movie. Reports suggest that Sushant was interested in portraying the former Indian captain and had also started efforts to get the rights to Ganguly’s biopic. The report said, “He was also trying to get Sourav Ganguly’s life rights as he was very happy to play him on screen. Sushant loved Dada and after meeting him, he asked his team to start a conversation with the former Indian captain. “Reports said that talks between Sushant’s representatives and Sourav Ganguly took place in 2018. However, Ganguly said that he was not ready to have a film made on his life at that time. The report added, “Ganguly was not keen on a film being made on his life at that time and politely declined the offer. Sushant was a bit upset about it but he also asked the cricketer to give him the rights of his biopic, as he felt comfortable.” He smiled again and agreed at that time. ” Although the project did not take place at the time, the statement continued to be remembered by fans after Sushant’s death.
Sushant Singh Rajput’s sudden death and what the family wants to answer
In June 2020, Sushant Singh Rajput was found dead at his home in Mumbai. His death became one of the most talked about cases in the country, leading to several investigations and public attention. Over the years, his sister Shweta Singh Kirti continued to seek updates about the investigation. In March 2024, he shared a video message encouraging the Prime Minister Narendra Modi intervention.
Rajkummar Rao steps into Ganguly’s shoes
The biopic has now gone ahead with Rajkummar Rao playing Sourav Ganguly. The newly released footage also shows Ganguly’s famous celebration on the balcony of Lord’s Cricket Ground following India’s memorable victory in the 2002 NatWest Trophy final. Before Rajkummar Rao’s identity was confirmed, reports were also linked. Ranbir Kapoor to the project. However, Sourav Ganguly later announced that Rajkummar was the director of the film.Directed by Vikramaditya Motwane, ‘Dada: The Sourav Ganguly Story’ is slated to hit the theaters on May 14, 2027.