Rajkummar Rao to Join Sourav Ganguly for Durga Puja Pandal Visits in Kolkata Ahead of Biopic

Rajkummar Rao is set to join former India cricket captain Sourav Ganguly at some of the Durga Puja pandals in Kolkata that have been part of the cricketer’s childhood traditions. The planned Mahashtami visit will bring the actor and the sporting icon together during one of Bengal’s most significant annual celebrations, ahead of the theatrical release of Dada: The Sourav Ganguly Story.

The visit is expected to be the biopic team’s first major public appearance in Kolkata since the film was announced, according to coverage published on October 15. The itinerary reportedly includes prominent pandals in South Kolkata that Ganguly has visited over the years, with members of the film’s crew also expected to participate.

A Kolkata homecoming rooted in Sourav Ganguly’s childhood

The planned visit is significant because it connects the upcoming film with Ganguly’s personal history beyond the cricket field. Rather than being limited to a conventional promotional appearance, the outing is expected to take Rao into familiar neighbourhoods and festive spaces associated with the former captain’s early years.

Durga Puja is a major cultural occasion in Kolkata, bringing together religious observances, elaborate pandal installations and community celebrations. Ganguly’s association with the city makes the festival a natural setting for a public appearance linked to a biographical film about his life.

The exact pandals on the itinerary have not been identified in the coverage reviewed for this article. The visit should therefore be understood as a reported plan, rather than a completed event.

Rajkummar Rao’s transformation into the former India captain

Rao is playing Ganguly in Dada: The Sourav Ganguly Story, a biographical sports drama directed by Vikramaditya Motwane and produced by Luv Ranjan and Ankur Garg under the Luv Films banner. The makers unveiled the film’s first-look poster in July 2026, coinciding with Ganguly’s birthday, and announced a worldwide theatrical release for May 14, 2027. The project is presented by T-Series and DBL alongside the production team.

The first look recreated one of the most recognisable images from Ganguly’s cricketing career: his jersey-waving celebration from the Lord’s balcony following India’s victory over England in the 2002 NatWest Trophy final. The moment became closely associated with Ganguly’s captaincy and remains a defining image from that period of Indian cricket.

The film is expected to trace his journey from a young cricketer to one of India’s most influential captains. The Mahashtami appearance, if it proceeds as reported, offers a different way to connect that sporting legacy with the person behind it.

Why the Mahashtami appearance matters for the biopic?

Biographical films about well-known public figures carry a particular challenge: audiences already have memories, opinions and emotional connections to the person being portrayed. For a film about Ganguly, that connection extends beyond cricket followers to people familiar with his life in Kolkata.

A public appearance alongside Ganguly at places tied to his childhood could help establish a more personal association between Rao and the role he is preparing to bring to the screen. It also places the film in a cultural setting closely connected to its subject, rather than relying exclusively on posters or conventional media events.

However, the visit itself does not establish how much of Ganguly’s personal life or Durga Puja traditions will feature in the finished film. Details of the biopic’s full narrative and the scenes it will include should not be assumed from the promotional outing alone.

What to know about Dada: The Sourav Ganguly Story?

The film is scheduled to release in cinemas worldwide on May 14, 2027. Motwane is directing, while Luv Ranjan and Ankur Garg are producing. Its first-look campaign has centred on Ganguly’s cricketing journey, with the recreated Lord’s celebration providing an instantly recognisable reference point.

The Kolkata visit is expected to bring together the film’s lead actor and the man whose life inspired it during a festival deeply associated with the city. Further details about the schedule and participating crew members remain subject to confirmation.

The Celebrity Hour Take

The most interesting aspect of this reported appearance is the opportunity to connect a sports biopic with the cultural world that shaped its subject. Ganguly’s legacy is inseparable from his cricketing achievements, but a convincing portrayal of a real person also depends on the everyday experiences and surroundings that help explain who they are.

For Rao, meeting Ganguly in a familiar Kolkata setting could provide a meaningful public moment around the film. For audiences, the key development to watch is how the makers build on the first-look campaign as the May 2027 release approaches. The visit is a promotional milestone, not a substitute for the film’s eventual storytelling.