Admin Ganapath, the latest big-budget spectacle starring Tiger Shroff, fails to live up to expectations set by its impressive crew. Directed by Vikas Bahl of Queen and Super 30 fame, and made on a reported budget of ₹200 crores, the futuristic thriller disappoints due to weak writing and subpar VFX.
Image Source: livehindustan.com
While the dystopian premise held promise on paper, the execution is lacklustre. The heavy exposition in the first half fails to effectively establish the stark class divide between the elite city and barren wastelands. The screenplay is formulaic, relying on repetitive dance numbers and forced romance to fill time between action sequences.
Shroff delivers his trademark parkour skills and physically demanding stunts with aplomb. But the limited emotional range restricts his performance, even though he is in fine form physically. The much-touted visual effects are jarringly poor, with an overdependence on unconvincing green screens. The unique setting demanded innovative world-building and immersive VFX, which are sorely lacking.
Kriti Sanon seems engaged in her action-oriented role but is let down by an underwritten character. The talented supporting cast, including Amitabh Bachchan in an extended cameo, feel underutilized.
On the whole, Ganapath feels like a wasted opportunity. The unique dystopian landscape and relevant social commentary on class divide offered interesting possibilities. Unfortunately, the film chooses style over substance, opting for generic tropes over nuanced storytelling. While die-hard action fans may enjoy Shroff’s stunts, the film is unlikely to impress or leave a lasting impact. Better writing and technical finesse could have done justice to the promising core idea.
Ganapath unfolds in a stark dystopian future where society is bitterly divided between the haves and have-nots. The wealthy reside in a glossy, high-tech city lorded over by the ruthless Dalini. Meanwhile, the underprivileged majority barely survive in the barren wastelands surrounding this bastion of privilege.
Our protagonist Guddu finds himself caught between these two worlds. Once a resident of the elite city, circumstances force him to the ravaged exteriors where he witnesses the suffering of the masses first-hand.
Guddu realizes that overthrowing Dalini’s tyranny is the only way to bring equality. But stirring a revolution will not be easy with the dictator’s arsenal of technology and resources at his disposal. The odds are stacked against Guddu as he sets off on a perilous mission to infiltrate the metropolis and become a beacon of hope for the oppressed.
Will he succeed in taking down Dalini’s regime? Can he bridge the deep divide between rich and poor to bring justice? Guddu’s one-man crusade tests the limits of human perseverance and resourcefulness in this gritty, high-stakes vision of the future.
Ganapath squanders its promising sci-fi premise with a derivative narrative that lacks depth. The core idea of a dystopian future divided between rich and poor draws heavily from classics like Mad Max, Elysium and Matrix. Unfortunately, the execution falls flat right from the expository first act.
The world-building feels half-baked, with unconvincing CGI establishing the stark contrast between the elite city and barren wastelands. The aerial visuals meant to depict the bleak future lack detail and immersion. As the story unfolds, the social commentary gives way to predictable tropes like songs, romance and simplistic hero worship.
One wishes the film delved deeper into the class struggle, oppression and rebellion at the heart of its plot. But the screenplay only skims the surface, relying on Tiger Shroff’s action to paper over the weak writing. The supporting characters, including the primary antagonist Dalini, are terribly underwritten.
The film had the kernel of an engaging sci-fi story about dismantling systemic exploitation. But it squanders the opportunity by choosing commercial formulas over substantive storytelling. More care to the world-building and character development could have done justice to the inventive core concept. In the end, Ganapath’s uninspired execution fails to match its ambitions on paper.
Here is my attempt to rephrase the critique in a more constructive manner:
Ganapath struggles to find a coherent tone, wavering awkwardly between a thoughtful sci-fi story and a formulaic Tiger Shroff vehicle. The promising premise of a dystopian future demands an immersive fantasy setting. However, the execution is more reminiscent of the director’s previous mainstream comedies.
The film sets up an inventive high-concept world but fails to fully utilize the potential for complex worldbuilding. Instead, it retreats to familiar tropes like repetitive action sequences and subpar CGI that belong more to a massy potboiler. Bahl never quite commits fully to either genre, leaving the narrative feeling confused and diluted.
Shroff fits comfortably in the action scenes tailored to his strengths. But the half-baked sci-fi landscape does little to bring out his acting chops or screen persona in novel ways. The sparse world-building and overdone VFX undermine the film’s ambitions. More time developing the future dystopia with dense lore and innovative set pieces could have better served the genre, cast and story.
In the end, Ganapath falls short of being a definitive sci-fi spectacle or a well-written Tiger Shroff vehicle. The film’s inability to pick a lane and diversify its themes beyondaction lessens the impact of its promising premise. A more focused approach picking one genre could have benefitted an imaginative but muddled hybrid.
Also read,
- Fukrey 3’s Advance Ticket Sales Soar Past 100,000 on National Cinema Day
- Bigg Boss 17: Adult Content Creator Shilpa Sethi, to Enter Salman Khan Show?
- Sunny Deol Recalls Childhood Cricket Injury to Friend; Son Rajveer Explains His Crooked Fingers
- Shah Rukh Khan’s action-packed film Jawan maintains its dominance at the box office, crossing the impressive milestone of Rs 1,132 crore in total earnings
