By Ganapath, a film by writer-director Vikas Bahl, is hardly an entertaining or gripping watch. In the guise of being futuristic, Ganapath presents a fairly ridiculous notion that has no head or tail and simply weaves together some battle scenes and dancing sequences, wanting us to not only believe in it but also love it. Bahl makes an effort to say a lot, but he says nothing specific. He’s all over the place with a flimsy narrative and a bad screenplay, and you are too, to be honest.
Although Ganapath makes an effort to examine the vast imbalance between the rich and the poor, its execution is so shoddy that it ends up sounding like any other dull dystopian tale. Even while the story eventually seems to make sense, it never completely convinces you to accept it. Although the action proceeds a little slowly before the break, it manages to keep you interested in learning what will happen next. The second section, however, is made up entirely of back-to-back wrestling contests.
Apocalyptic and set in the future, Ganapath begins with Dalapati (Amitabh Bachchan) telling us about the world’s division into two halves: one where the wealthy and powerful have built the opulent, high-tech Silver City and are ruled by their heartless ruler Dalini. And the other involves the needy and impoverished being abandoned while they strive to survive.
When he notices his people splintering, Dalapati advises them to focus their rage in the appropriate place and let it out in the ring of combat to bring them back together. But soon Dalini’s assistant John English (Ziad Bakri) is sent to the world of the underprivileged to look out for and choose the greatest wrestlers for his matches. When we go to the Silver City, we meet Guddu (Shroff), who awakens to find eight women, including six on the floor and one in the bathtub, kissing him. Yes, that is the proper format for a hero’s entrance. However, when Guddu and John’s girlfriend (Elli AvrRam) are discovered together, things start to go south and they end up facing his wrath and being buried alive. But when has the protagonist bowed out so quickly? Guddu is brought back by a miracle, and Kaizad (Jameel Khan) instructs him to find Shiva (Rashin Rahman) and greet him with “Ganapath aala” by traveling to the opposite side of the globe. That’s all there is. Whatever happens after this, only Vikas Bahl is aware of it, and he clumsily tries to explain it to us.
Shroff is indeed among the best. We want to watch him act, but we also want to see his six-pack abs, dance skills, action, and swag. Only near the conclusion do you see him deliver any memorable words, and even then it’s too little, too late. Being entertained by Kriti Sanon’s raw motion with a nunchaku while playing the role of Jassi is a real joy. Her action scenes are expertly orchestrated, and she makes every one of them seem so real. Perhaps the one aspect of the plot that you actually appreciate is the chemistry between Sanon and Shroff.
Although Bachchan’s cameo is strong and establishes the tone of the story, you wish he had been present the entire time, recounting the happenings. The narrative may have made more sense.
The best thing about Ganapath is that it finishes right when you think you can no longer handle it. But wait—part 1 just featured the hero’s birth. Await Rise of the Hero, part 2. Watch Ganapath if you can restrict your expectations for watching a movie to some amazing dancing and action sequences.
Ganpath Box Office Collection
Ganpath: A Hero Is Born is anticipated to have a modest opening day at the box office, with an estimated first-day collection of 3.50 Cr in net earnings from India. The film’s occupancy rates reflect this projection.
