The Great Grand Superhero

The film is entertaining, and sometimes it's okay to not have layers in characters.

‘The Great Grand Superhero: Aliens Ka Aagman’ movie review: A charming, sincere children’s film marked by a joyful jugaldbandi between Jackie Shroff and Mihir Godbole that one wishes had trusted its own early imagination a little longer.

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.

A spaceship must have landed here, making space for all this water to fill in,

Manish Saini's direction is decent. He is equipped with a novel story and there are not many references. Hence, he goes by his conviction and keeps viewers invested. Dipu’s entry scene and the manner in which word spreads about his grandfather among the classmates, leading to awe and even suspicion, keeps the interest going. There’s a twist in the middle of the first half which further ups the excitement. The entry of the two mysterious creatures in the town raises a lot of laughs. Also funny is the connection to the TV Show Mahabharat, GADAR [2001] and KOI MIL GAYA’s [2003] Jaadu.

Manish Saini’s The Great Grand Superhero is all about modest joys and simple pleasures. The Gujarati director’s first feature in Hindi after four films, including two aimed at children, is a good-natured and hilarious chronicle, steered by a bunch of utterly charming kids and a sporting senior actor. Up until the extra-terrestrial invasion, represented by Prateik Smita Patil and basic visual effects, The Great Grand Superhero is cantering along beautifully. An investigative reporter who livestreams his stories and talks of page views notwithstanding, the 112-minute film is set in, and paced for, the pre-cellphone era. Saini and editor Deepa Bhatia judiciously refuse to rush through the scenes in which Dipu is spinning yarns of universe-travelling and global domination. Saini has a fine ear for dialogue too, as well as a rare skill for directing children to behave naturally and say the things they expected to say at their age.

BH Harsh of Cinema Express gave 3 stars out of 5 and writes that "Jackie Shroff and the brilliant child artists Mihir Godbole and Shivansh Chorghe anchor this delightful film that has more hits than misses."

Bollywood Hungama gave 2.5 stars out of 5 and said that "THE GREAT GRAND SUPERHERO is a well-intentioned, rare children's film from Bollywood, driven by a novel plot and endearing performances from Jackie Shroff and the young actors.

Lachmi Deb Roy of Firstpost said that "the movie is a delightful watch and the performances of each of the actors, especially the young craftsmen are absolutely charming!"

Nandini Ramnath of Scroll said "Shroff watches benignly over a brood that has most of the funny lines and the winning moments.

Rishabh Suri of Hindustan Times rated it 3/5 stars and said that "The Great Grand Superhero doesn't quite soar as high as it's premise promises, but in an era where children's cinema has become a rarity, even an imperfect attempt deserves appreciation."

Sana Farzeen of India Today rated the film 2.5 out of 5 and called the film a refreshing alternative to darker, violence-driven mainstream films, praising its focus on imagination, friendship, and a reluctant grandfather hero.

Anuj Kumar from The Hindu wrote " The film cleverly positions the audience as half-insider, half-outsider to the child's fantasy world.