When Ganapath - A Hero is Born was initially announced, it didn't carry the tagline "A Hero is Born" in its title. Instead, it was designated as Part 1. However, as the official promotional campaign for the film began, Part 1 quietly vanished from the title, replaced by the current tagline. Interestingly, in the movie's opening credits, the title still retains Part 1 alongside the new tagline. So, one might wonder what prompted the makers of Ganapath to drop the pretense of it being a two-part story or perhaps more. Ganapath Movie Review: Tiger Shroff and Kriti Sanon Fail to Impress in This Dull Dystopian Action Film.
The answer became clear when the film hit theaters on October 20. While we have thoroughly elaborated on our criticisms of Vikas Bahl's directorial effort in our review of Ganapath, let's sum up the film's issues as a poorly executed action film with lackluster performances and subpar VFX. Despite these shortcomings, Ganapath does offer a glimmer of hope in itself, as it concludes with an open ending that promises more to come in Part 2, titled Rise of the Hero. This optimism is noteworthy, given the lackluster box office opening of the film.
Set in a dystopian future devoid of clear signs of nuclear fallout, Ganapath - A Hero is Born depicts a divided society. The affluent reside in a futuristic utopia, while the impoverished struggle, exploited by the privileged. Their only hope lies in Thalapathi's (Amitabh Bachchan) prophecy, which foretells the rise of a leader to lead a rebellion against the oppressive elite, particularly a shadowy figure named Dalini. Thalapathi used to hold fighting contests to identify this leader, but the wealthy put an end to them, initiating their own competitions. Although Thalapathi is no longer among the living, survivors, especially Jassi (Kriti Sanon) and her blind mentor, Shiva (Rahman), believe that the chosen one will emerge soon. They pin their hopes on Guddu (Tiger Shroff), a former aide of the sinister match promoter John, who they believe is Ganapath - their savior.
So, what can we expect from Ganapath: Rise of the Hero, assuming the film ever materialises? Before delving into that, let's explore the conclusion of Ganapath: A Hero is Born. Be warned, there are MAJOR SPOILERS ahead, so proceed with caution.
Ganapath Aala!
In the finale of Ganapath: A Hero is Born, Guddu ultimately embraces his Ganapath legacy and reveals himself as the long-awaited saviour of the underprivileged. He accomplishes this by deceiving John, Dalini, and their henchmen into believing that he is on their side. Now an accomplished fighter, Guddu wins matches for them while pretending to Jassi and Siva that he has no interest in their cause. After securing victories in most of his matches, Guddu persuades John and Dalini's associate to bet all their money on his opponent in the final match, a match he plans to lose intentionally. He also convinces them to allow the poor to wager their savings on this match, enabling John and his associates to profit further while leaving the poor in dire straits.
However, this is Guddu's way of exacting revenge, as he intends to follow a different course. While releasing Jassi from her confinement, he discreetly instructs her to encourage the poor to place all their savings on the match. It's not explicitly explained how they obtained the money, given their initial depiction as starving, but it's presumed that they staked their meager savings on the match.
Guddu executes the plan he shared with John, easily dominating his opponent in the first two rounds. However, in the third round, he feigns defeat. When he realises that John has placed all of his and Dalini's money on the opponent (with Guddu initially being the favorite to win), Guddu stages a comeback and triumphs over his opponent, causing substantial losses to the villains. Guddu subsequently reveals his actions on television, watched by both the elite and the impoverished. He confesses that he knows Shiva is his father and that he has given the underprivileged a chance to challenge the elite with their winnings, all while adopting the mantle of Ganapath. He also challenges Dalini to reveal himself, which the villain does, revealing that he strangely shares the same face as Guddu.
As it turns out, Dalini is not human but rather some form of artificial intelligence that has managed to exert control over the world, as one might expect AI to do, thanks Terminator for warning us about this. Guddu, or rather, Ganapath, challenges Dalini, and the movie concludes with the title reveal for the sequel, followed by two consecutive songs.
Ganapath: Rise of the Hero
So, what can we anticipate in Ganapath: Rise of the Hero? If the sequel ever comes to fruition, although the possibility seems slim, it would likely explore the consequences of Ganapath's challenge, with him leading the underprivileged in a battle against Dalini's forces. The key question remains: how will a human like Ganapath manage to defeat a non-human and powerful entity like Dalini? Will his robotic panther also join the fray? Additionally, the sequel could delve into the blossoming romance between Ganapath and Jassi, and hopefully, it might shed light on the father-son relationship between Ganapath and Shiva. Ganapath – A Hero Is Born: Kriti Sanon and Tiger Shroff Dazzle in White at Promotion Event (View Pic).
The audience may also hope for a deeper understanding of what happened to Shiva's eyes and the circumstances surrounding his wife's demise, as well as the origins of Dalini. However, all of this hinges on whether the sequel ever sees the light of day. Readers, do you envision such a continuation happening? One thing we can expect, Amitabh Bachchan is not going to return for the sequel!
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 21, 2023 10:03 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).