As much as I love watching and reviewing movies, and take pride in being a cinephile, I must admit that the profession becomes hella frustrating at times. Why? Because of movies like Ganapath. I can’t believe I had to go through two hours of this trauma and now I’m here reviewing it. Inshot level VFX chahiye? Aajao, dikha dunga. Duniya bhar ke flips and kicks chahiye? Aajao, dikha dunga. But Abhishek, what about a decent storyline, thodi si acting skills, dhang ka screenplay? Error 404: Not Found. Brb ek aur Crocin khaani padegi.
Plot
Welcome to a dystopian future, where the Richie Riches are thriving on the backs of the poverty-stricken population. In comes our hero, Ganapath, played by Tiger Shroff, who embarks on a journey to bridge gaps between the two classes by fighting and… dancing. So basically this movie is Batman trying to save Gotham, except he is shirtless and either kicking ass or grooving to beats. Haan, he is also going through an identity crisis, but why worry when his grandfather is a sage? Aur toh aur, there’s a mysterious guru, a prophecy, a poorly rendered villain, and whispers of a supervillain hidden for the grand finale. But inn sab ka kuch toh point hoga? Point yeh hai ki, there’s no point at all. Kyunki Tiger bhaiya toh naachte, gaate aur backflips karte karte puri movie nikaal dete hai. Story? Woh kya hota hai?
Performances
Tiger Shroff, with his fighting and dancing prowess, is like that high school kid who refuses to grow up. Bro thinks just like he saves the world in his movies by kicking and dancing, he can save his movies too. Let’s be honest, until now, we’ve hardly seen any glimmer of acting prowess in him. Kriti Sanon hardly gets to flex her acting muscles, and her kicks seem more rehearsed than spontaneous. And why was Amit Ji even a part of this movie in the first place????? He is criminally underused, and the rest of the supporting cast fades into the muddy background (lagta hai green screen yaha bhi sahi se use nahi kiya). In short, it’s a one-dimensional performance party, and the guests forgot to bring the charisma.
Direction and Writing
Director Vikas Bahl tries to set up an ambitious dystopian world on a silver platter and fails biggggg time. Idea toh intriguing hai, but if you serve up Oreo Pakodas with Chocolate Ice-cream Maggi at a 5-star hotel and expect people to have it till their last breath, boy are you wrong. The execution is just so pedestrian. The VFX was so poor I was surprised ki cast mein Green Screen ko kyu nahi diya gaya– it is literally visible bhaiii. They probably wanted to tease us by giving as few details as possible for the franchise to set things up for future sequels. And bhai honestly, pralay aajaye par iski sequel na aaye. The film craves a crisper storytelling style to match its flashy action and dance moves, but all it accompanies is soggy french fries.
Screenplay and Cinematography
The screenplay seems like it was slapped together with jagged scissors. Scenes don’t flow, and the action lacks emotional punch. The movie is just one action sequence right after another. The computer graphics are so tacky that they make ’90s video games look world-class. Silver City, the film’s setting, is more reminiscent of a retro video game backdrop than a believable dystopia. The cinematography doesn’t do justice to the potential of the world, and the inconsistent visuals leave you crying in pain. Ganapath waalon ne ghatiya VFX use karke apni aukaat dikha di. I have just two questions- Why, and how? Oh and just FYI, Vikas Bahl is the director of Queen.
In a nutshell, apni mental health pyaari hai toh ‘Ganapath’ ko skip karo. What promised an action-packed dance extravaganza, delivered a one-dimensional, lackluster plot. The direction and writing lack depth and originality, and the screenplay is riddled with mediocrity. The visuals and computer graphics are underwhelming, making the film feel like a dated video game. It’s a supple body without a beating heart, missing the engaging storytelling and character development needed for a memorable movie night. Chalo gtg, ek aur Crocin ka time hogaya hai.
