Dhaval Roy, May 29, 2026, 11.00 AM ISTCritic's Rating: 3.5Story: To make friends at his new school, Deepu (Mihir Godbole) tries to impress his classmates by claiming that his grandfather, Jagdishchandra (Jackie Shroff), is a secret superhero. While some students believe him, others are determined to call his bluff. Then comes an alien attack. Will Dadaji save the day?
Review: Most of us have, as kids, bragged about our father’s strength, only to be one-upped by someone saying, “That’s nothing, my dad is so strong that…” Young Deepu does the same about his grandfather when his family relocates, and he joins a new school. Only, he takes it too far and says his Dadaji is a superhero on a mission to save Earth from an alien attack. While Deepu admits that he lied, unbeknownst to him, it is the truth and Jagdishchandra really is a superhero. As aliens are set to attack the planet, Deepu and his trusty buddy Laddu (Shivanssh Chourghe) urge Dadaji to rediscover his latent superpowers and take on the invaders. The catch is that Dadaji has aching bones and seems far too ordinary to pull this off.
Director Manish Saini’s sci-fi comedy keeps you in splits almost throughout, especially in a sharp first half where Deepu convinces his classmates that his grandfather is a superhero. There are some seriously funny bits, such as Laddu saying, “Yeh Gangadhar hi Shaktiman hai wala scene hai,” or giving Dadaji groceries for free. There’s also a hilarious boxing competition that Chanakya (Jihan Hodar) calls for between his national-level boxing champion grandfather (Sharat Saxena) and Deepu’s Dadaji. The match hilariously comes down to a running race.
At a snappy 112 minutes, the narrative’s brisk pace keeps you engaged throughout. The comedy amps up with the arrival of two aliens (Saharsh Shukla and Kumar Saurabh), dressed in pink printed kurta-pyjamas and wearing funky sunglasses, as though they are about to attend a grand, colourful wedding.
The film’s second half loses some momentum but remains entertaining. A few plot points feel unnecessary and forced, such as wheelchair-bound Chingy (Asmi Deo) insisting on joining the fight against the aliens. The movie also carries a message about growing more trees, preserving nature, and keeping Earth clean. Visually, it creates cool comic book-like scenes, especially the imaginary ones with Dadaji fighting aliens. The VFX, although inconsistent, fits the sci-fi adventure narrative.
Jackie Shroff shines as the pot-bellied superhero Dadaji, who has forgotten his superpowers. He shares a humorous yet warm chemistry with Mihir Godbole’s Deepu. Shivanssh Chourghe impresses with his comic timing and gets some of the funniest scenes in the film. Prateik Smita Patil as the alien villain is menacing, though his role could have benefited from longer screen time. Sharat Saxena, as the boxer, delivers a strong performance, especially in the scenes where he mocks Jagdishchandra. Saharsh Shukla and Kumar Saurabh are on point as the quirky aliens.
The Great Grand Superhero is not just a kiddie film, but a wholesome family entertainer that adults will enjoy just as much, especially when watched with the family in a theatre.