A lackluster presentation in Bollywood's efforts to make a franchise action-packed Ganapath: A Hero is Born upholds a whirlwind of cliches. Directed by Vikas Bahl, the film is like a roller-coaster ride through futuristic and medieval themes, whirling their way between various worlds without finding its proper footing in any realm, as the plot seems thin and leaves the audience absolutely disoriented. It tries to kick off a superhero saga but doesn't fire as many bullets as promised.

Tiger Shroff valiantly plays the eponymous hero with an energetic poise, yet he needs more time in order to know his heroic identity. As he moves forward, he manipulates the desperate and exploitative and provides a spectacle quite far from being thrilling. The film journeys through dystopia, where Silver City represents all that is wealth and power, while in the ruins are impoverished souls waiting for a saviour to arrive.

The film, although set against a rich versus poor backdrop, resorts to violence as a form of liberation itself and doesn't get into further issues. The story is about a hesitating fighter-turned-one-man army used by seamy people. Amitabh Bachchan, as the sagacious grandfather Dalapati, guides the hero toward his destiny.

However, underlined intolerance towards the fringe taints the allegorical journey that Ganapath takes us on. The antagonist, John, is a malevolent character battling our hero, who's to face adversities from different nationalities, including Chinese, among others.

What saves the film is Tiger Shroff, who chips in for his all-promising more in the sequel. Kriti Sanon and Ziad Bakri do shine in their limited roles, too. Ganapath gives quite a wild ride with its action, but soon its rudimentary writing pulls it down too.

Verdict: Ganapath - A Hero is Born attempts to be an action-packed franchise starter but falters amidst a sea of clichés and an over-reliance on violence.