Rajkummar Rao, who is gearing up for his upcoming film Prahaar, will soon be seen headlining Dada, the biopic of legendary cricketer Sourav Ganguly. The first poster of the film was released a few months ago, and was met with brutal backlash on social media by netizens who called out the plainness of it. Some also alleged the makers of using AI for the poster. Now, in a recent interview, Rajkummar Rao has addressed the criticism.

Speaking to Mashable India, Rajkummar said about the poster, “The ones who made it, they learnt the lesson that they shouldn't have rushed it. Take your time, there's no hurry. I think the team learnt their lesson. But they also learnt another thing with this, that Dada has a crazy fan following.” Further addressing the use of AI in creative fields, the actor added, “Technology has pros and cons. AI will come, you can’t stop it, but we should use it as a supporting tool. You can’t be totally dependent on it.”

Talking about his interactions with Sourav Ganguly that helped him prepare for the role, Rajkummar Rao recalled, “We have discussed things that I cannot reveal now, because it's important to know personal things to understand a person's mind. He was very open about it; he laid his life bare before me.”

The said poster, which was unveiled on the occasion of Sourav Ganguly’s 54th birthday, was a reference to his iconic celebration after India's victory in the NatWest Series final against England at Lord's in 2002, where the cricketer took off his shirt and waved it aggressively. It’s recalled as one of the watershed moments of contemporary Indian cricket. 

Produced by Luv Ranjan and directed by Vikramaditya Motwane, the film, currently titled Dada: The Sourav Ganguly Story, is scheduled for a theatrical release on May 14, 2027.