Ganapath: A Hero is Born is a 2023 Indian Hindi-language dystopian sports action film written and directed by Vikas Bahl, who also produced the film in association with Jackky Bhagnani, Vashu Bhagnani and Deepshikha Deshmukh. It stars Tiger Shroff in a dual role alongside Kriti Sanon, Amitabh Bachchan, Elli AvrRam and Rahman.
Ganapath: A Hero is Born | |
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![]() Theatrical release poster | |
Directed by | Vikas Bahl |
Written by | Vikas Bahl |
Produced by | |
Starring | |
Cinematography | Sudhakar Reddy Yakkanti |
Edited by | Ritesh Soni |
Music by | Songs: Vishal Mishra Amit Trivedi White Noise Studios Dr. Zeus Background Score: Salim–Sulaiman |
Production companies | Good Co Pooja Entertainment |
Distributed by | PVR Inox Pictures |
Release date |
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Running time | 133 minutes[1] |
Country | India |
Language | Hindi |
Budget | ₹200 crores[2] |
Box office | est. ₹13.38 crore[3] |
The film was announced in November 2020 and underwent a long, heavy pre-production stage. Principal photography commenced in November 2021 and wrapped up in February 2023 with filming taking place in United Kingdom, Ladakh and Mumbai.
Ganapath was released theatrically on 19 October 2023 and received negative reviews from critics. The film was a box office bomb.
Plot
editIn the year 2070, a destructive war leaves the world divided by a towering wall, with the rich people residing in a city called Silver City led by the Dalini, while the poor people survives in a destroyed city and struggles for basic necessities as it was controlled by the Silver City.
Meanwhile, Guddu resides in the Silver City and works for Dalini's henchmen John, who conducts boxing matches and earns money through the bets placed by the rich people. One day, John tells Guddu to take Dimple, John's girlfriend, to a nightclub as he is busy on a meeting. Dimple gets physical with Guddu, where John catches them red-handed and buries them alive. Guddu miraculously survives and Kaizad asks him to move away to the city of poor people and meet Shiva, a combat trainer.
Guddu learns that he is actually Ganapath, a legendary saviour of the poor people, as predicted by Maharishi Dalapathi. Guddu receives combat training under Shiva and his confident Jassi, where he ultimately embraces himself as Ganapath and deceives John, Dalini and their henchmen into believing that he is on their side. Trained as an accomplished fighter, Guddu wins matches for them, while pretending to Jassi and Shiva that he is uninterested in their cause.
After securing victories in most of his matches, Guddu persuades John and Dalini's associate to bet their money on his opponent in the final match as Guddu plans to lose intentionally in the match. Guddu also convinces them to allow the poor to wager their savings on this match, where John and his associates to profit further by snatching money from the poor people, leaving them in a miserable state. However, this is Guddu's way of exacting revenge as he intends to follow a different course.
While releasing Jassi from her confinement, Guddu discreetly instructs her to encourage the poor people to place their savings on the match. Guddu executes the plan, which he shared with John, easily dominating his opponent in the first two rounds. In the third round, Guddu feigns defeat, but realises that John has placed his and Dalini's money on the opponent. Guddu stages a comeback and defeats his opponent, causing substantial losses to John and Dalini. Guddu subsequently reveals his actions on television, watched by both the poor and rich people, and confesses that Shiva is his biological father.
Guddu tells that he has given a chance for the poor people to challenge the rich people with their winnings, while donning the mantle of Ganapath. Guddu also challenges Dalini to reveal himself, where Dalini reveals himself as Guddu's doppelgänger and it is revealed that Dalini is actually a form of AI. Guddu challenges Dalini to a fight, thus hinting a sequel titled Ganapath 2: Rise of the Hero.
Cast
edit- Tiger Shroff in a dual role as Ganapath alias Guddu and Dalini[4]
- Kriti Sanon as Jassi Singh[5]
- Amitabh Bachchan as Maharishi Dalapathi, Ganapath's grandfather (cameo appearance)[6][7]
- Elli AvrRam as Dimple Bajwa[8]
- Rahman as Shiva, Ganapath's father[9]
- Gauahar Khan as Meera, Ganapath's mother
- Jameel Khan as Kaizad
- Girish Kulkarni as Senior
- Shruthy Menon as Shaina
- Ziad Bakri as John English, Dimple's boyfriend
- Jess Liaudin as Tabahi
- Brahim Chab as Bloodbath
Production
editDevelopment
editThe film was announced on 6 November 2020 by Pooja Entertainment, to be directed by Aditya Kumar starring Tiger Shroff.[10] It was originally supposed to release in parts, and had a working title of Ganapath: Part 1,[11] though this plan was abandoned and the film was re-titled Ganapath: A Hero is Born.[12] Though a sequel is still teased at the ending of the film titled Ganapath: Part 2: Rise of the Hero.[13] The film marks the collaboration of Sanon and Shroff after nine years since their Hindi film debut in Heropanti (2014).[14] It was produced by Pooja Entertainment in association of GoodCo.
Filming
editThe principal photography began on 2 November 2021 in United Kingdom.[15][16] In May 2022, the final schedule was held in Ladakh with some additional scenes being shot in February 2023.[17] The film's shooting was wrapped up by August 2023.[18]
Soundtrack
editGanapath | |
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Soundtrack album by | |
Released | 13 October 2023[19] |
Genre | Feature film soundtrack |
Length | 19:00 |
Language | Hindi |
Label | Zee Music Company |
Official audio | |
Ganapath – Full Album on YouTube |
The music of the film is composed by Vishal Mishra, Amit Trivedi, White Noise Studios and Dr. Zeus. The background score is composed by Salim-Sulaiman. The first single titled "Jai Ganesha" was released on 18 September 2023 on the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi.[20] The second single titled "Hum Aaye Hain" was released on 5 October 2023.[21] On 13 October 2023, the entire album consisting was released by Zee Music Company.[22]
No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Singer(s) | Length |
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1. | "Hum Aaye Hain" | Priya Saraiya | White Noise Studios | Siddharth Basrur, Prakriti Kakar | 3:30 |
2. | "Jai Ganesha" | Akshay Tripathi | Vishal Mishra | Vishal Mishra | 3:36 |
3. | "Sara Zamana" | Priya Saraiya | White Noise Studios | Benny Dayal, Prakriti Kakar | 3:18 |
4. | "Lafda Kar Le" | Swanand Kirkire | Amit Trivedi | Amit Trivedi, Nikhita Gandhi | 5:02 |
5. | "Time 2 Shine" | Priceless, Dr Zeus, Roach Killa, Ikka Singh | Dr Zeus | Priceless, Roach Killa, Dr Zeus | 3:34 |
Total length: | 19:00 |
Release
editTheatrical
editThe film was initially supposed to release on 23 December 2022, coinciding with Christmas Eve, but was later postponed and was released theatrically on 19 October 2023, during Dussehra, in Hindi, along with the dubbed versions in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada languages.[11]
Home media
editIt was supposed to be telecasted on Sony Max in March 2024, but was postponed five times. It was finally telecasted on 26 May 2024.
Reception
editCritical response
editGanapath received negative reviews from critics with praise for its action sequences, but criticized its script and VFX.
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 18% of 11 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 4.5/10.[23]
Bollywood Hungama gave 2.5/5 stars and wrote "Ganapath – A Hero is Born fails to impress due to a clichéd storyline, poor VFX and predictable second half."[24] Renuka Vyavahare of The Times of India gave 2.5/5 stars and wrote "In a world where the rich are getting richer and poor, poorer, Ganapath imitates our hard-hitting reality but feels like a huge potential wasted."[25]
Avinash Lohana of Pinkvilla gave 2/5 stars and wrote "This futuristic drama headlined by Tiger Shroff and Kriti Sanon needed to do some solid work in the past before bringing it to the audience."[26] Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV gave 1.5/5 stars and wrote "Ganapath is painfully pea-brained pulp that makes a meal of a terribly thin storyline."[27]
Bhavna Agarwal of India Today gave 1.5/5 stars and wrote "'Ganapath' offers absolutely no respite. If you expect it to get better in the second half as Gen Z are often heard saying ‘you are in delulu’."[28] Hiren Kotwani of Mid-Day gave 1.5/5 stars and wrote "What makes Ganapath different from the saviour-hero films of yore is that director Bahl has tried to make it look like the desi Mad Max of sorts, albeit with unimpressive design and poor packaging".[29]
Swetha Ramakrishnan of OTTplay gave 1.5/5 stars and wrote "Ganapath is a dated Hindi film with an identity crisis. It is a scary mish-mash of tropes “borrowed" from films like Hunger Games, Mad Max, Dune and KGF.[30] Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express gave 1/5 stars and wrote "What comes as a surprise is just how terrible this film is, with practically no redeeming feature in its nearly two and half hours run-time."[31]
Anuj Kumar of The Hindu wrote "Tiger Shroff kicks and moves the way only he can, but the Vikas Bahl film doesn’t have the chutzpah to use his talent."[32] Monika Rawal Kukreja of Hindustan Times wrote "Watch Ganapath if you can limit your idea of watching a film to some brilliant dance and action moves, and don't expect anything beyond this."[33]
References
edit- ^ "Ganapath (15)". British Board of Film Classification. 17 October 2023. Archived from the original on 19 October 2023. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
- ^ "Ganapath: Tiger Shroff's Rs 200 Crore-Budgeted Film to Recreate Futuristic Mumbai in Far East Asia". 30 July 2021. Archived from the original on 4 July 2023. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
- ^ "Ganapath Box Office". Bollywood Hungama. Archived from the original on 23 October 2023. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
- ^ "Tiger Shroff, Kriti Sanon's Ganapath to release on THIS date, Amitabh Bachchan to play key role". India Today. Archived from the original on 22 February 2023. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
- ^ "Kriti Sanon to reunite with Tiger Shroff for Vikas Bahl's 'Ganapath'". The Hindu. PTI. 11 February 2021. ISSN 0971-751X. Archived from the original on 10 November 2021. Retrieved 10 November 2021.
- ^ "Tiger Shroff announces new schedule of Ganapath with an action packed promo. Watch". The Indian Express. 6 November 2021. Archived from the original on 10 November 2021. Retrieved 10 November 2021.
- ^ "Amitabh Bachchan to make a cameo appearance in Tiger Shroff's 'Ganapath': Report". The Times of India. 6 July 2022. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 28 December 2023. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
- ^ "Elli AvrRam confirmed to play the second lead in Tiger Shroff and Kriti Sanon starrer Ganapath". Bollywood Hungama. 14 December 2021. Archived from the original on 14 December 2021. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
- ^ "Actor Rahman makes his Bollywood debut with this film". Cinema Express. 8 December 2021. Archived from the original on 14 October 2023. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
- ^ "Tiger Shroff's next is post-pandemic action thriller 'Ganapath'". The Hindu. PTI. 6 November 2020. ISSN 0971-751X. Archived from the original on 10 November 2021. Retrieved 10 November 2021.
- ^ a b "Tiger Shroff starrer Ganapath Part 1 to now release during Dussehra on October 20". Bollywood Hungama. 22 February 2023. Archived from the original on 22 February 2023. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
- ^ Tiger Shroff [@tigerjackieshroff] (18 September 2023). "Usko koi kya rokega...jab Bappa ka hai uspe haath. Aa Raha Hai Ganapath… karne ek nayi duniya ki shuruwat #GanapathAaRahaHai. #Ganapath in cinemas this Dussehra, 20th Oct. @amitabhbachchan @vashubhagnani #VikasBahl @deepshikhadeshmukh #GoodCo @zeemusiccompany @vishalmishraofficial @elliavrram @ziadmbakri @girishkulkarni1 @rahman_actor @shruthymenon @jameel.mumbai @slglobal001 @timman79" – via Instagram.
- ^ "Ganapath review: Tiger Shroff's futuristic action film has very bleak future". Hindustan Times. 20 October 2023. Archived from the original on 21 October 2023. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
- ^ "Watch: Tiger Shroff and Kriti Sanon take on a mysterious villain in Ganpath's trailer". The Times of India. 9 October 2023. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 10 October 2023. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
- ^ "Tiger Shroff and Kriti Sanon's futuristic action thriller Ganapath's UK schedule begins; makers share a new jaw-dropping action video". Bollywood Hungama. 6 November 2021. Archived from the original on 6 November 2021. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
- ^ "Kriti Sanon begins shooting for 'Ganapath' in UK – The New Indian Express". The New Indian Express. 10 November 2021. Archived from the original on 10 November 2021. Retrieved 10 November 2021.
- ^ "Tiger Shroff starts shooting for the final schedule of Ganapath in Leh Ladakh". Bollywood Hungama. 9 May 2022. Archived from the original on 9 May 2022. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
- ^ "It's a wrap for Tiger Shroff Ganapath: Part 1; Jackky Bhagnani comments". Bollywood Hungama. Archived from the original on 21 August 2023. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
- ^ "Ganapath (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)". Apple Music. 13 October 2023. Archived from the original on 13 October 2023. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
- ^ "'Jai Ganesha' song from the movie 'Ganapath' starring Tiger Shroff out ahead of Ganesh Chaturthi 2023!". Mirchi Plus. Archived from the original on 3 October 2023. Retrieved 19 September 2023.
- ^ "Ganapath: Tiger Shroff and Kriti Sanon are 'here to slay' as they unveil dance number 'Hum Aaye Hain' – WATCH". Times of India. Archived from the original on 17 January 2024. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
- ^ "Ganapath (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) on Apple Music". Apple Music. 13 October 2023. Archived from the original on 13 October 2023. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
- ^ "Ganapath on Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on 11 December 2023. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
- ^ "GANAPATH – A HERO IS BORN Movie Review". Bollywood Hungama. 27 October 2023. Archived from the original on 28 December 2023. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
- ^ "Ganapath Part-1 Movie Review: A Solid Concept Marred By Shoddy Execution". The Times of India. 20 October 2023. Archived from the original on 18 December 2023. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
- ^ "Ganapath Movie Review: Tiger Shroff and Kriti Sanon's film fails in execution". Pinkvilla. 20 October 2023. Archived from the original on 28 December 2023. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
- ^ "Ganapath Review: Tiger Shroff Bulldozes His Way Through The Rubble". NDTV.com. Archived from the original on 20 October 2023. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
- ^ "'Ganapath' Movie Review: Tiger, Kriti's 'Mad Max'-inspired world deserved better". India Today. Archived from the original on 20 October 2023. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
- ^ "'Ganapath: A Hero Is Born' movie review – Sad Max, anyone?". Mid-day. 21 October 2023. Archived from the original on 21 October 2023. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
- ^ "Ganapath: Chat GPT Could Write A Better Film Than Tiger Shroff, Kriti Sanon's". OTTPlay. Archived from the original on 24 October 2023. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
- ^ "Ganapath review: This Tiger Shroff-starrer is a terrible film". 20 October 2023. Archived from the original on 21 October 2023. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
- ^ Kumar, Anuj (20 October 2023). "'Ganapath' movie review: Tiger Shroff struggles to salvage this still-born franchise". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Archived from the original on 21 October 2023. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
- ^ "Ganapath review: Tiger Shroff's futuristic action film has very bleak future". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 24 October 2023. Retrieved 21 October 2023.