SRK RA ONE: OPENS

Ra.One is a 2011 Hindi science fiction superhero film written and directed by Anubhav Sinha. The film stars Shahrukh Khan in a double-role as Shekhar Subramanium, a nerdy father and game developer, and his superhero look-alike G.One. The film also stars Kareena Kapoor as Shekhar's wife, Armaan Verma as their son, and Arjun Rampal as the titular game villain Ra.One. Shahana Goswami, Dalip Tahil and Chinese-American actor Tom Wu star in supporting roles, along with Rajinikanth, Sanjay Dutt and Priyanka Chopra making guest appearances. The film is jointly produced by Eros International and Khan's production company, Red Chillies Entertainment, and was originally scheduled to release on 3 June 2011. However, due to extensive post-production work involving special effects and the 3D conversion, its release was postponed.

.

SRK RA ONE: OPENS

Development of Ra.One commenced in 2004, when Anubhav Sinha wrote a three-page short story based on the commercial, that dealt with two kids controlling a human with a remote. Shahrukh Khan was then approached after finalizing the story, which Khan agreed to produce and star in. Work on pre-production began after the release of Khan's Om Shanti Om in 2007, with principal photography commencing in March 2009. In July 2011, it was announced that the entire film would be converted into 3D. The budget of the film is estimated at 175 crore (US$ 39 million), and overtook Enthiran to become India's most expensive film to date.

.

.

SRK RA ONE: OPENS

The Cast:

Shahrukh Khan as G.One / Shekhar Subramanium
Kareena Kapoor as Sonia Subramanium
Arjun Rampal as Ra.One
Armaan Verma as Prateek Subramanium a.k.a. Lucifer
Rajinikanth as Chitti
Priyanka Chopra as The Damsel in Distress
Sanjay Dutt as Khalnayak (Guest appearance)
Shahana Goswami as Jenny Nayar
Tom Wu as Akashi
Dalip Tahil as Barron
Suresh Menon as Taxi Driver
Satish Shah as Iyer
Amitabh Bachchan (Voice-over)

.

SRK RA ONE: OPENS

The Plot:

The storyline of the film revolves around a father and son’s relationship. Shekhar Subramaniam (Shahrukh Khan), a geeky gaming expert, wants to be a super hero for his son Prateek (Armaan Verma). But his young son, like all kids, thinks super villains are more cool. In an effort to impress his son, Shekhar designs a game which changes their lives. He creates the ultimate clash of good against evil by pitting a very powerful anti-hero "Ra.One" against a seemingly less potent good guy "G-One".

.

SRK RA ONE: OPENS

Production

Origins and development

According to director Anubhav Sinha, the idea of making Ra.One originated while he was watching a commercial on television six years ago. Sinha said, "The commercial dealt with two kids controlling a human with a remote. It was fascinating, and the visual stayed with me for some time." Sinha wrote a three-page short story based on the commercial, which he felt was good enough to be made into a film. Upon finalizing the story, he approached Shahrukh Khan with the film in August 2005, and Khan instantly agreed to produce and star in it. Red Chillies Entertainment's Keitan Yadav revealed that during the release of Main Hoon Na (2004), Khan was keen on making a VFX-loaded film that was larger than life. His production company continued working on other projects and seeking for the right film until they finally decided on Ra.One. Prior to starting the film, Khan approached several directors to helm the project but they all refused due to various concerns.

.
.

SRK RA ONE: OPENS

Production

Origins and development

Pre-production work for the film began in November 2007 after the release of Khan's Om Shanti Om (2007). Sinha spent several months going through video clips, digital art portals and comic books; he later explained that this process helped him in creating a novel character. Khan stated that "When we started this film, the idea was can we make a simple film, about a husband, wife and child and then suddenly blow everyone's mind when they start fighting [...] So there were two films in one: the people who like the action...and those who like a family film." To prepare for the film's premises and characterization, Sinha and Khan watched as many as 200 superhero films in multiple languages from all over the world, including Spider-Man (2002), Batman (1989) and Krrish (2006).

Since the start of principal photography, Ra.One has faced multiple allegations of plagiarism and similarities with other film projects, including the 2010 Tamil science fiction film Enthiran. When asked about this, Khan noted: "I got inspired from a lot of superhero movies but the movie is original. In fact, Ra.One will be the first superhero-based movie in the world in which the superhero lives in a family." Commenting on Enthiran, he remarked, "they [both] are different films. I will not like to talk about anyone else's film but Rajni sir is respectable to all of us."

.

SRK RA ONE: OPENS

"Ra.One is the modern, new age technology version of our mythological "Raavan", who was a mixture of ten different evil characters. I am essaying the role of G.One or better say "Jeevan", a superhero who saves the mankind from Ra.One's torment. Through this film, I want to prove that Indian superheroes can also be as cool as the international ones."

—Shahrukh Khan on Ra.One

.

SRK RA ONE: OPENS

Casting and filming

Principal photography for the film began in March 2009, one-and-a-half year after pre-production work began. As a way to make his character more believable, Khan decided that he would perform his own stunts in the film. Sinha approached his friend Arjun Rampal to take up the title role of a villain in the film, to which he readily agreed, and Kareena Kapoor was later signed on to play the female lead. Child actor Armaan Verma was required to go through several audition processes until he was finally selected to play the role of Prateek. During an appearance on the chat show Friday Night with Jonathan Ross, Khan stated that Jackie Chan was "approached for a role in the film". Khan had reportedly sent Chan the detailed script of the film, along with the action sequences and a brief synopsis of his character; it was later confirmed that Chan would not be part of the project. In July 2010, it was announced that Chinese-American actor Tom Wu would be part of the film.

Actors Sanjay Dutt and Priyanka Chopra were confirmed to make guest appearances whilst actor Rajinikanth was slated to perform in a special scene where he would be reprising his role of Chitti from Enthiran (2010), the background score for which [a single scene featuring Khan and Rajinikanth] was scored by A. R. Rahman. The actor shot for the film on 2 October 2011 at Subhash Ghai's Whistling Woods Studios in Mumbai with his daughter Soundarya despite some health problems. To minimize strain on the actor, the shoot was finished in a few hours and the scenes were digitally transferred into the necessary backgrouds later on. Several days later, it was announced that Amitabh Bachchan would be doing a voice-over for an important scene in the film.

.

SRK RA ONE: OPENS

Casting and filming continue..

Ra.One's shooting was originally supposed to begin in Miami, USA, but due to budget concerns this was scrapped. The first phase of filming began in India in March 2010 and continued until May in Mumbai's Film City and Goa. While filming, Khan admitted to finding difficulties with the rubber-made costume that was specially designed for his character, later commenting: "The costume was designed in a way that I had to take the help of girls to get into it and vice-versa. I wasn’t allowed to eat or drink much in between the shoots [...] By the time, the shooting of the film was wrapped up; I ended up losing ten kilos." Verma, who plays Khan's son in the film, had to learn the Brazilian martial arts dance Capoeira in preparation for his role. A chase scene along a Mumbai suburban train, in which Khan jumped from one compartment to another while Kapoor operated the train, received objections from the city government as they feared that the scene would entice teenagers to emulate the stunts. Subsequently, a disclaimer was added to the movie warning youngsters to refrain from performing any dangerous stunts shown in the film.

.

SRK RA ONE: OPENS

Casting and filming continue..

Production of the film's second and third phase occurred with the entire cast in London, which included a song sequence being shot in a restaurant from where the London Bridge was visible and a heavy duty action scene involving Khan and Kapoor. During this period, a picture of Kapoor's character was also revealed to the media. The film's final phase commenced at Filmistan Studio in December 2010 and was shot over seven days. The remaining portions were shot in Mumbai and completed in July 2011. While shooting for the film in Mumbai, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev visited Yash Raj Studios, to watch Khan at work. In order to celebrate the film's completion, a wrap-up party was held at the end of the month in Mumbai. A music video for the song "Raftaarein", choreographed by Feroz Khan and picturised on Khan, was shot one week before release. Talking about the decision to make the last minute addition to the film, Sinha said: ""Raftaarein" was initially just a melody playing in a background sequence. But [the song] has got unanimously great reviews and has amazing energy. I thought why not shoot a music video and put it in the film."

.

SRK RA ONE: OPENS

Post Production

The film's crew consisted of more than 5,000 members from India, Italy and the US, and was pieced together by more than 1,000 people, working in shifts, in around 15 studios across the world. Nicola Pecorini was roped in as the director of photography, with V. Manikandan providing extra assistance, and Martin Walsh was responsible to edit the film. Sound designer Resul Pookutty was assigned the duty of enhancing the sound effects with the use of the Dolby Surround 7.1 system. In an interview, he explained, "Ra.One is not just a movie experience [...] It requires a very unconventional sound and visual quality for which we are installing the required equipment." In October 2011, post-production work on Ra.One faced a minor setback when Pookutty's studio-space in Andheri, Mumbai got flooded, and eventually damaged some of the film's footage.

Due to the revived interest in 3D technology in India, the makers of the film announced that they were contemplating on turning portions of the movie into 3D. Khan revealed that parts of the film may be converted to 3D, provided tests and screen-shots of some scenes of the film were deemed satisfactory by the technical crew. However, there was a good deal of skepticism regarding such conversions, especially since 3D shooting required completely different types of cameras. In July 2011, it was announced that the entire film would be converted into 3D, a process that required the collaboration of around 1,000 individuals. Prime Focus, which had gained considerable experience from performing 3D conversions of major Hollywood productions The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010) and Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011), were tasked with the 3D conversion of Ra.One. A separate conversion facility was created solely for the purpose of the 3D conversion of the film.

.

SRK RA ONE: OPENS

Post Production

The post-production work took up a considerably longer time to complete than was initially expected, triggering fears that the film may not be able to reach its Diwali deadline. Three studios worked around-the-clock to get the film ready before its scheduled release date. Pookutty stated in a report: "[The crew] working on the post-production of Ra.One are in a high-energy zone. We are racing against time [and over] the next two weeks there are going to be number of sleepless nights to make sure [the film] gets into theatres on time." Ten days before the film's release, Khan reportedly became upset over the post-production crew for severe delays in the process of digital inter-mediation in the film. Sinha however commented that "there are a lot of things happening in the post-production activities. We all are working hard towards it. But everything is fine." As the film approached its release, Khan personally verified the progress on a day-to-day basis, with complete reports regarding the status of completion. Increased workload was also attributed to "multiplied work" due to the various versions (3D, Tamil, Telugu, etc.) of the film. It was also confirmed that all studios working on the film's visual effects had been released, as "not much of the work on visual effects is left [...] There are very few details left that are being worked upon. Once that is done, we will go to print." On October 21/2011, Sinha tweeted that the film had been completed.

.

SRK RA ONE: OPENS

Visual Effects

March 2010 saw the inclusion of several visual effects techniques being incorporated in the production of Ra.One. In an interview, Harry Hingorani (production director of Red Chillies VFX) stated that "[the company] was set up in 2006 [...] Khan wanted to make something big involving VFX and that was the intension behind starting [it]." Extensive research was carried out by the crew, and no other films were accepted by the studio post My Name Is Khan (2010), with special focus on setting up proper software and creating "the right team" during pre-production itself. To minimize the risk of future delays, the task of adding special effects was outsourced to multiple specialty studios around the globe, including in the United States, London, Paris and Bangkok. In addition, Prime Focus also provided digital and visual effects services to Red Chillies VFX for the film.

Impressed by the work he had seen in the 1994 Hollywood release Stargate, Jeff Kleiser was hired by Khan as the supervisor of visual effects in May 2010. A team of 750 technicians under Kleiser carried out the addition of special effects into the film. Special effects creator Robert Kurtzman was assigned to design the suits of Khan and Rampal's characters. The suits were made by a team of specialists based in Los Angeles, California. While both the actors shot the film wearing a simple suit, a good deal of sparkle and polishing was later added to enhance its look.

.

SRK RA ONE: OPENS

Visual Effects

The film is reported to have close to 3,500 VFX shots (occupying about 135 minutes of footage), with 800 of them being solely dedicated to G.One's suit alone, thus exceeding the total amount of shots that was used in the 2009 Hollywood film Avatar. Khan later singled out one process, explaining that it took nearly six days (137 hours) to create a single frame shot of glass flying on his character. Keitan Yadav notes: "There is no software or technique in the industry that we have not used for this film. For 3D, we have used software like Maya, Houdini and Macs. For composites, we have used Nuke and Shake. We have even written our own programmes. We programmed certain things rather than doing them manually."

The film's visual effects have generated massive curiosity among moviegoers, film distributors and critics, and have been labelled as "the best India has ever seen [and] on par with Hollywood". Hingorani stated that "60% of the film is visual effects. There are 37 sequences in all, and they were considerably difficult and time-consuming." Jeff Kleiser commented that the most challenging part of Ra.One was creating the cubic transformations for the lead characters. It was later found out that the incorporation of visual effects was the main reason behind the increased time for post-production. The final batch of visual effects were delivered a week before the scheduled release. As a result, the crew had only two days to complete the film and send it for printing, further increasing anxiety regarding the film's release

.

SRK RA ONE: OPENS

Soundtrack

The soundtrack of Ra.One, release by T-Series on 12 September 2011, was composed by Vishal-Shekhar with lyrics penned by Atahar Panchi, Vishal Dadlani and Kumaar. Director Anubhav Sinha announced that R&B singer Akon would be recording two songs for the film whilst the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra would also be making a contribution. The makers of the film have complied with international copyright laws and have obtained the license to use Ben E. King's "Stand By Me", on which they have based the song "Dildaara". The album features fifteen tracks, including seven original songs, four remixes, three instrumentals and an international version of "Chammak Challo". Subsequently, the Tamil and Telugu versions of the film's soundtrack were released on 10 October 2011 featuring six tracks each.

.

SRK RA ONE: OPENS

Marketing

Pre-release revenue in March 2011, it was announced that the television broadcasting rights for Ra.One had been sold to Star India for a then-record sum of 40 crore (US$8.92 million), surpassing the previous record set by 3 Idiots (2009) for 33 crore (US$7.36 million). The film's music rights were bought by T-Series for 15 crore (US$3.35 million) whilst the distribution rights were acquired by Eros Entertainment for 77 crore (US$17.17 million). The distribution rights for the film in Tamil Nadu and Kerala were bagged by Abirami Ramanathan for a reportedly record, but undisclosed price. Ra.One set a new record for total pre-release revenue earned, netting 132 crore (US$29.44 million) and surpassed the previous record held by 3 Idiots, which had netted 85 crore (US$18.96 million).

.

SRK RA ONE: OPENS

Promotion

The producers of Ra.One set a record marketing budget of around 52 crore (US$11.6 million), of which 15 crore (US$3.35 million) was used for online promotion, making it the highest ever for a Bollywood film. Often described as the "longest promotion in Bollywood history", as well as "the most comprehensive and all-pervasive among people's lives", the term "promotional blitzkrieg" has often been used in connotation with the project's extensive marketing campaign.

Promotion of the film officially began as early as December 2010 when the first poster was published in all leading news papers across the country. The film's first look was later unveiled by Khan on his Twitter page on January 1, 2011. Several months later, director Anubhav Sinha announced that he would be launching two teaser trailers of the film during the 2011 Cricket World Cup, a prior nine months before the film's actual release date. Asked about why he was launching the film's trailer so early, Sinha commented, "Ra.One is not a Bollywood film that [the audiences] have seen before. The kind of size and magnitude that the film has requires it to be slowly introduced to the audience and that is the very purpose why we are starting the whole communication so early." The film's first theatrical trailer was released three months later to the public. As a way to promote the theatrical trailer, Khan was accompanied by the director on a five city tour, which included such places like Delhi, Chandigarh, Indore and Ahmedabad. During the same event, a 3600 ft long fan mail collecting audience wishes and messages for the film was also launched.

.

SRK RA ONE: OPENS

Promotion

On 3 June 2011, the official website of the film was hacked by suspected Pakistani cyber criminals who stated that the act was a form of revenge to a similar attack on a Karachi press club website, three days after the launch of the page. They also left a note threatening the Indian Press Club, defacing the homepage. In early September, Red Chillies Entertainment (RCE) launched a sizeable viral marketing campaign for promoting the film more effectively in the online arena. The company launched the official customized Ra.One channel of the film on YouTube (a first for an Indian film) where several song and theatrical promos were released to the public, along with videos of the film's making, events and uncut footage. The channel also hosts games, including the first social game from India, and contests where participants can create promos from clips, music and dialogues of the film.

.

SRK RA ONE: OPENS

Promotion

In addition to YouTube, Khan announced that the film would also subsidize through major brand ties-up worth over 52 crore (US$11.6 million), some of which included the Formula One races, Nokia, Godrej Consumer Products, Coca-Cola, HCL, Horlicks, HomeShop18 and multiple live chats conducted on Google Plus for which Khan became the first Indian film personality to utilize. Three weeks before the film's release, a mass media campaign was launched by Western Union for international promotions. Encompassing platforms such as the radio, television, print media and outdoor advertising, it was launched in the U.S., Canada, the Middle East, Africa and Asia-Pacific as a way to connect with the millions of non-resident Indians across the world. Co-producers and distributors of the film, Eros International, released an official statement stating that along with RCE, they have recovered a major portion of their investments through in-film branding, media endorsements, and other music and satellite rights.

The look of the film's titular character, Ra.One, portrayed by Rampal, was heavily guarded and kept under strict wraps, with the entire filming unit required to keep mobile phones away from shooting locations, and signing non-disclosure agreements. The first look of the character was initially scheduled to be revealed on the eve of Dussehra. According to the producers, the time was chosen to show the symbolism between Ra.One and the mythological villain Ravana (of the Ramayana), both of whom are supposedly "equally bad". Due to certain technical glitches, it was later revealed in the film's final theatrical trailer to a positive response. Commenting on the response to his look in the film, Rampal noted: "The response has been phenomenal. People have liked my look. I am glad I have not disappointed anyone as there was so much anticipation for the film. I was petrified initially, wondering if my look would be appreciated and accepted. But it has been worth the wait."

.

SRK RA ONE: OPENS

Video Game:

In July, Red Chillies Entertainment declared a tie-up with Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) to build a full cycle game of the film on PlayStation. Released on October 5 at an event in Mumbai, "Ra.One - The Game" offers more than 20 game environments, features original voice-overs from the actors and is available on PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3; the former being available for the Indian market and the latter for the international market. Khan volunteered to write the game script, dub for the game, and even oversaw the entire technical development. The project boasts of a series of firsts: a first full cycle PlayStation 3 blu-ray disc game developed with an Indian developer; first console game to be dubbed by a leading Bollywood actor and also the first Bollywood title to appear in a full cycle video game.

SCEE has invested around 4.5 crore (US$1 million) to license the Ra.One IP and an additional 3 crore (US$669,000) in the marketing and promotions of the game, which includes offline promotions and television advertisements of nearly 250 ad spots. At the time of its launch, 21,000 game consoles were sold and 100,000 units are expected to be sold across India alone. On October 14, a gaming tournament titled "The Ra.One Nvidia GeForce lan" was held in Mumbai. The event, which hosted over 1000 gamers competing against each other, featured several popular games such as FIFA, Counter-Strike and Call of Duty, and was telecast live on YouTube, showcasing digital innovation by means of live interactive contests, puzzles etc.

In addition to launching the video game, Red Chillies also collaborated with UTV Indiagames to design a social game based on the film named the Ra.One Genesis. The game reached the No. 1 position on the iTunes store within 24 hours of its launch, becoming the first ever Bollywood movie app to be top-featured on iPhone and iPad. It also became the most downloaded game in India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Malaysia within 24 hours of being launched. An investment of around 4.5 crore (US$1 million), the storyline of the game is not borrowed from or similar to that of the movie though it is based on the character of G.One. The game was launched across platforms like mobiles, tablet PCs, the direct-to-home platform and social networking sites like Facebook. According to the company's digital and new media head Shailja Gupta, the idea behind the digital marketing is to create a franchisee for Ra.One. She explained, "Social gaming is just one part of the digit marketing strategy. The unique part of the social game is the integration of merchandise and gaming

.

SRK RA ONE: OPENS

Merchandise and comics

As a way to promote the film and increase its franchising business, Shahrukh Khan tied up with Seventymm to market a variety of merchandises related to the film. Products included original G.One tee shirts, coffee mugs, wrist bands, watches, mobile pouches, video cameras, as well as many other things. Similar products were also available for purchase on the official G.One online store, which was launched alongside the film's official website. 90% of the 400,000 stationery items and toys were sold in 15 days and an additional 100,000 were ordered. The makers spent 1.5 crore (US$334,500) on the mold for the G.One action figure. In addition to this, a jewelery line inspired by the symbol of "Ra.One", as well as a series of HCL laptops with customized integrated Ra.One skin were also made available to the public. Moreover, Red Chillies Entertainment collaborated with UTV Indiagames to develop digital comics based on the film's characters. Written by Khan, the comic featured weekly episodes and served as a prequel to the events happening in the movie.

.

SRK RA ONE: OPENS

Release

During the period of October 24 - 26, Ra.One had its international premieres in three cities: Dubai, London and Toronto, all of which were chosen keeping in mind their large international significance, as well as the presence of large South Asian populations.

The film's first international premiere was held in Dubai on 24 October 2011 at the Grand Cinemas, Wafi, along with co-stars Kareena Kapoor and Arjun Rampal, followed by a high-profile dinner and charity auction, where Khan had raised K.D 30,000 for building a workshop for children with special needs. The premiere is notably first Indian film to sell tickets for its shows, as well as to have three simultaneous screenings for the event. The London premiere of the film took place at the O2 Cineworld the following day, while the Toronto premiere will take place at the TIFF Bell Lightbox on 26 October. Due to a conflict with Kapoor's scheduled appearance at Madame Tussauds, it was later announced that the actress would not be attending the film's premiere in Toronto.

Following up to its release, Ra.One surpassed several records among Indian films for the volume of theatrical release in India and worldwide. Nationally, the film released in 3,500 screens, breaking the record of Bodyguard (2011), which released in 2,700 screens. Overseas, it is currently expected to release in around 1,500 screens in 904 prints, with 600 screens in Germany, 300 screens in South Korea, 25 prints in Taiwan and New Zealand, 75 prints in Russia, 79 prints in the Middle East, 344 prints in USA, 51 prints in Australia, 202 prints in the UK and 49 prints in Canada. In case the partnership deal is successful, the film will also release in China with 1,000 prints. Moreover, Ra.One 3D version released in 550 selected screens around the world. The film's release has also been noted for its wide use of digital prints, as an effort to bring down distribution costs, release the film to a wider audience and also reduce piracy. A week prior to its release, multiplex owners across India decided to allot the project with 95% of the total available screen space. The film also faced some uncertainty concerning the release of 3D version on time. However, Khan clarified that 3D version will be released on the set date, in the microblogging site Twitter.

.

SRK RA ONE: OPENS

Censorship ratings

On 14 October, Ra.One was submitted to the Central Board of Film Certification to receive an official rating. Upon submitting the script, the Board showed strong objections to the film's action scenes as they felt that it would influence young children into emulating them. After much deliberation, the film was passed with a 'U' certificate without any cuts, but only under the condition that it would display prominent disclaimers stating that the stunts should not be imitated and were computer-generated.

Controversy

Days before its release, Ra.One attracted media attention when script-writer Yash Patnaik claimed that the film resembled a concept that he had developed several years back. Patnaik subsequently moved his appeal to the Bombay High Court, pleading for a stay in the film's release until he was given due credit or 10% of the film's overall profit. The court, observing the prima facie evidence that there had been copyright violations, asked the filmmakers to deposit 1 crore (US$223,000) on 21 October with the court before releasing the film. However, challenging the court decision, Patnaik lately had demanded the producers to give him credit and not cash. Sinha, on the other hand, claimed that he had developed the film's story.

.

SRK RA ONE: OPENS

Reception

Critical reception

Upon release, Ra.One received positive to mixed reviews from critics. Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama gave the film a score of 4.5 out of 5 and said, "Ra.One is the most ambitious, most expensive and the most technologically complex Hindi film ever made. It pushes the envelope further ... It is a film that will rewrite the textbook of computer graphics in Hindi cinema. At the same time, it is very Indian at heart." Khalid Mohamed from Deccan Chronicle gave it 4 out of 5 stars, concluding, "Here’s a technical accomplishment with as much heart as hardware". Manjari Saxena of Gulf News also gave the film a positive review, awarding it 4 stars out of 5 and writing that it is "a fun movie to catch and will definitely run full house during the Diwali weekend." International Business Times particularly praised the performance of Shahrukh Khan and stated that the chemistry between him and his son, played by Armaan Verma, dazzles throughout the film: "He [Khan] is wonderful as always. He fits into the role superbly .... His chemistry with his son Prateek in the film is wonderful ... Ra.One is an excellent superhero film; a complete entertainer." Nikhat Kazmi from The Times of India rated the film 3.5 stars out of 5, mentioning that the film is " Ra-One is sure to usher in a crackling Diwali at the box office and give the audience paisa vasool entertainment, with fine performances by both Shah Rukh and Kareena. Even young Armaan is efficient. Go have a blast. ". Rachit Gupta of Filmfare gave the film 4 out of 5 stars, saying "Ra.One is an enjoyable sci-fi and CGI fiesta that will transport you to a world of kooky fantasy and video game heroes." K.K. Rai of Stardust gave the film 3.5 out of 5 stars as well, commenting that, "Ra.One is a visual treat with top notch computer graphics and other use of high-tech gadgetry. It is certainly better than anything Bollywood has offered so far, and is more in consonance with standards of Hollywood. Anubhav’s execution of the screenplay is perfect, and pacing most suitable to the genre of the flick." Komal Nahta of Koimoi.com also gave the film 3.5 out of 5 stars, praising the performances by the lead actors but adding that the story (based on gaming and technology) would be difficult for the older generation to comprehend.[93] The Indo-Asian News Network also gave the film 3.5 out of 5 stars stating that, "It is still probably one of the classiest movies seen in the Hindi film industry and a feather in Anubhav's hat." Daily Bhaskar gave it 3 out of 5 stars, pointing out that "Ra.One is surely crafted as a kids’ entertainer, The movie is a joyful cinematic experience for game enthusiasts." Kaveri Bamzai of India Today gave the film 3.5 stars out of 5, noting, "Welcome to a movie as a gigantic open house.This is film-making not so much as noble passion but as grand indulgence, not so much as a marathon magic show but as an event to be managed." DNA India gave the film 3 stars out of 5, criticising portions of the film and stating that "Ra.One [...] entertains sporadically." Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV awarded the film 3 out of 5 stars, saying "RA.One packs in just about everything under the sun and the moon so that the paying public goes home feeling they haven’t been shortchanged. It trundles along all right but never quite hits the high roads." Gaurav Malani from The Economic Times in a 3-star review, remarked, "Though the sci-fi concept seems too far-fetched, the director is able to pull it off with visual dazzlery and fast-paced storytelling that the genre demands. The action sequences are thrillingly and credibly choreographed and esp. outstanding is a freeway chase which leads to car-catapulting sequence in a junkyard at the interval point." Oneindia.in gave the film a positive review as well, saying: The movie surely goes beyond everyone's imagination. Besides raising the bar for Hindi films, the flick also appeals to the universal audience." particularly praising Khan's performance "Shahrukh Khan's stellar performance is the major attraction of the film". Kirk Honeycutt from The Hollywood Reporter gave the film a positive review, adding: "India’s first attempt at a superhero movie is both vigorous and emotionally fulfilling within the context of Bollywood traditions." Rubina A Khan from The First Post praised the film as a whole especially the direction, stating that "Anubhav Sinha, the director of the film has done a marvelous job in the action sequences [...] The emotional scenes, too are very engaging — despite all the digital wizardry going on in the film.", she further praised the special effects labeling them as "Brilliant".

The film did receive some negative reviews as well. Mayank Shekhar from Hindustan Times gave the film 2 out of 5 stars, wrote, "Neither here nor there, everything appears so visibly constructed and all over the place that you can look through the wires, rather than blend in with the experience." Rajeev Masand gave the film 2.5 out of 5 stars, praising Khan's performance but arguing that, "while this superhero film has plenty sound and fury, it's sorely lacking slickness." Aseem Chhabra of Rediff.com criticised the film for its "muddled script" and gave it 2 out of 5 stars, stating "There are video games that kids play, but then they shut them off, after they win or lose. Finally, Ra.One has a similar forgettable quality." Shilpa Jamkhandikar of Reuters gave the film a negative review for being "less of a movie and more of a product that is tailor-made to audiences looking for a Diwali movie." Kunal Guha of Yahoo! Movies panned the film, saying that "Ra.One does what no other sci-fi movie has done before: it mocks itself. It's convenient to say that if you have no expectations from the film, you wouldn't be disappointed." Shubha Shetty-Shah of Mid-Day gave the film 2.5 out of 5 stars, saying "Ra.One manages to stumble and falter, in spite of all the crutches that it has been provided with. [Its] a revolting khichdi of sorts. The extra half star is for the visual effects and for that intention to make it king size." Zee News said that "The film has its moments but they are far and few in between. Some of the scenes are surely entertaining but when one goes to watch a SRK film, one hopes to be entertained throughout, and sadly RA.One fails to do so." Sanjukta Sharma of Mint argued that the film is a "haphazard medley of Iron Man, The Matrix, Superman, Terminator 2 and age-old disappearing and levitating acts we’ve seen over and over again in no-brainer Rajnikanth blockbusters ... Anubhav Sinha’s Ra.One is a spectacular disappointment."

Box officeRa.One opened to sold out theatres on the day of Diwali, all over India, with 100% opening in Cinemax across their 16 chains in Mumbai. BIG Cinemas multiplexes in their chain saw an occupancy of over 90%. Trade analyst Taran Adarsh and Box Office India described it as an "historic opening".

.

SRK RA ONE: OPENS

Ra.One Takes HISTORIC Opening All Over India

Wednesday 26th October 2011 14.00 IST

Boxofficeindia.Com Trade Network

Ra.One has taken a historic opening all over India. It was phenomenal be it multiplex dominated Gurgaon or even a small centre like Alwar in Rajasthan which opened to 100% collections. Practically every circuit is going at record pace but Diwali Puja will slow the collections from 2pm onwards. If the film was to continue at this pace all throughout the day then the first day all India record will beaten by a distance.

There is a thought that the momentum is so huge that Diwali Puja may not affect Ra.One but that looks unlikely as bookings in late afternoon and evening are slower compared to around noon shows in many places. It is certain to have some sort of affect on collections, just a question of how much.

The film is sure to set a record in Nizam as that circuit is recording collections which are well above anything seen before. West Bengal and Mysore are also likely to hit first day highs. The rest of India is dependent on how much Diwali Puja affects the collections from 2pm onwards, if its just 10-15% then there will be new records all over.

.

SRK RA ONE: OPENS

Family powers Ra.One on Day I
SAMYABRATA RAY GOSWAMI

http://www.telegraphindia.com/...e/story_14672596.jsp

Oct. 26: Ra.One appears to be riding a wave powered by children and some young parents who spotted a chance to convert their little ones into Shah Rukh Khan fans like themselves.

Initial estimates suggest the movie on which Shah Rukh has staked his reputation and crores could be on its way to break the record of Bodyguard in opening day collections.

“Ra. One has taken a very good opening at the box office. In theatres playing the 3D version of the film, the opening was 100 per cent. Cinemas playing the 2D version witnessed 70 to 100 per centoccupancy,” said trade analyst Komal Nahta.

He cautioned that too much should not be read into the less-than-capacity turnout in some 2D halls. “Don’t be surprised at the less than 100 per cent collections as today is Diwali. Traditionally, the Diwali day is considered a little dull for the box-office as a lot of Hindusdo not go to the cinemas as they are busy with puja, guests and otherfestivities at home,” Nahta added.

Delhi mirrored this trend. In the morning a south Delhi multiplex was half-empty but the later shows were booked by the afternoon and the night shows were sold out.

Mumbai exhibitor Rajesh Thadanai said that the all-India opening figures for single-screen theatres stood at 60 per cent and it jumped to 90 per cent in multiplexes.“The opening day response shows that the film is likely to cross the opening record of Bodyguard,” he said. The Salman Khan-starrer had grossed Rs 21 crore on the first day and over Rs 102 crore in the first week.

“While it is difficult to quote a figure yet since the night shows are still pending, it seems like Ra.One will be the biggest opener this year, if not of all time,” a Mumbai-based trade analyst said in the evening.

Two features appear to have added to the advantage of Ra.One — the huge number of prints and the 3D version that is raking in more revenue.

Industry sources said Ra.One appeared to have clocked a better opening than Bodyguard on the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh circuit.Overall, they felt, the film did better in southern India, grossing a92 per cent opening on Friday, while in north India, the figure was put around 50 per cent.

“This is perhaps because the film has been released in Tamil and Telugu versions in south India and that is fuelling the success,” saidThadani. A special appearance by Rajnikant is being seen as an additional pull factor.

In the south, comparisons with Endhiran, the robot movie starring Rajinikant, were inevitable.

“There’s no comparison with Robot,” Rahul Bhat of Bangalore said, referring to the Hindi name of the Rajinikant blockbuster. “On the whole Ra.One is good since the VFX (visual effects) and action sequences are executed quite well if you don’t compare it with Robot.”

But Ananth Reddy, a public relations professional in Chennai, differed: “It (Ra.One) definitely was classier than Endhiran and Shah Rukh was simply fabulous. The children and families would simply love him.”

That prophecy looked to be bearing out with children hotfooting it to the halls, parents in tow. The lone point of dissent seemed to be whom the children liked better: the “kick-ass” Ra.One, played by Arjun Rampal, or the hero G.One played by Shah Rukh.

In south Delhi’s Dt Star multiplex, siblings Anusha, 5, and Nadeem, 4, were divided in their loyalties. “I liked Ra.One. I’m not scared of him,” said Anusha. Nadeem shook his head nervously in disagreement with his sister. “G.One accha hai . Ra.One se dar lagta hai , (G.One is good. I’m scared of Ra.One),” he mumbled.

During the morning show, seven-year-old Anav Gupta and his tribe of young Ra.One fans shrieked in fear when heroine Kareena Kapoor reveals her identity to the child-artiste Armaan Verma.

“Ra.One is too scary. I like G.One,” said Anav. His mother Priti, one of the adults in the hall who held her popcorn steady when Kareena, her eyes gleaming an evil red, gives a chilling electronic growl, said that though the first half was “very slow”, watching it on Diwali was worth it for her son.

Not everyone liked the movie, though. One student, Siddharth Kumar, found the film boring. “Ghar baithe TV pe dekho yaar. Flop picture hai, (Sit at home and watch it on TV. It’s a flop)” he said.

Some parents, possibly with a sheepish touch, pinned the early-bird “blame” on their children but did not hold back on the applause. Five-year-old Aryan Mehndiratta’s father Rakesh dubbed the action as “awesome”. “My son insisted we catch the first-day first-show. The pace of the second half makes up for the first.”

But if Shah Rukh is looking for the best mother among his first-day fans, Juhi Kazi should be a strong contender. Juhi brought her daughter Zara, all of three-and-a-half years old, to Adlabs Metro in south Mumbai with a specific motive.

“I am a huge Shah Rukh fan. My daughter likes Salman, though. This was my attempt at making her like Shah Rukh as he plays a superhero whom kids love watching.”

Did Juhi’s strategy work?

“She did like him and enjoyed the film,” Juhi said.

.

SRK RA ONE: OPENS

Thursday 27th October 2011 14.00 IST

Boxofficeindia.Com Trade Network

Ra.One has had the second biggest opening day of all time. The top ten opening days of all time are as follows.

1. Bodyguard - 20.62 crore

2. Ra.One 14.63 crore (approx)

3. Dabangg - 14.45 crore

4. Ready - 13.33 crore

5. Threes Idiots - 13.00 crore

6. Tees Maar Khan - 12.82 crore

7. Raajneeti - 10.33 crore

8. Housefull - 9.32 crore

9. Ghajini - 9.13 crore

10. Golmaal 3 - 8.72 crore

.

SRK RA ONE: OPENS

Ra.One
Director: Anubhav Sinha
Starring: Shah Rukh Khan, Kareena Kapoor
Rating: 4/5

Pataka? Item? Tota? An actor throws around a few casual words that mean a beautiful girl, until he hits upon one that encompasses all of the above: chammak challo. Shah Rukh Khan's superhero-blue eyes light up, Kareena Kapoor's red sari glows, and they start to dance to Akon's song along with Russian dancers in Bharatnatyam-inspired mini-skirts. Yes, it's that sort of a movie, where everything happens all at once. Amitabh Bachchan does part of the voice-over; Rajinikanth's Chitti, the Robot, shows G.One, Shah Rukh's superhero, how to twirl his sunglasses; artist Subodh Gupta paints the costume; and even pals Sanjay Dutt and Priyanka Chopra act out a juvenile joke, playing characters in video game where the star can vanquish the sisters of Bruce Lee called Iski Lee, Uski Lee and Sabki Lee. Even as you cringe at Shah Rukh's Tamil accented Hindi and his eating-curd-with-noodle act, hoping his curly wig will fall into his dinner plate, you realise it's a big party and everyone's invited.

Welcome to a movie as a gigantic open house. Shah Rukh is the host and he will make sure your VFX canapés are delivered at regular interval; your emotion goblet is kept topped up; and there are enough homilies about being careful-what-you-wish-for that you can take home as back presents. This is film-making not so much as noble passion but as grand indulgence, not so much as a marathon magic show but as an event to be managed. No effort is spared. Shah Rukh walks sideways on a Mumbai local train, stops an engine with his bare hands, charges himself with electricity, even slaps his heroine's butt and grabs her breast. In between throwing cars at his arch nemesis, recently escaped from a video game; dancing like Michael Jackson; and quoting V. Shantaram, the superhero moves between the digital and real world, London and Chennai, burial as Christian and prayer as Hindu.

I presume there is some lesson here about being a global citizen, and Shah Rukh's hyperactive child fans will no doubt benefit from it, but it would have been more fun to see more Volkswagens ploughing through many more red buses. But yes, we know, this is a superhero with a heart and ladai goliyon se nahin, dil se jeeti jati hai. The special effects work, but are not always evenly applied through the film. The cool metallic blue of the superhero suit doesn't always show up on screen. And hey, Arjun Rampal really needs to stop clenching his teeth while delivering menacing dialogues. We are not scared because we simply cannot understand. Shah Rukh throws himself about, vaulting up and own buildings, leaping through the air and even landing on his feet with Kareena Kapoor in his arms. In the face of such indefatigable energy, we surrender. Go on, Shah Rukh, give it a rest. In the words of your superhero, you did good

Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/s...review/1/157516.html

.

SRK RA ONE: OPENS

SONGS FROM: RA ONE:

1) CHAMMAK CHALO

.

SRK RA ONE: OPENS

SONGS FROM: RA ONE:

2) DILDARA (STAND BY ME)

.

SRK RA ONE: OPENS

SONGS FROM: RA ONE:

3) CRIMINAL:

.

SRK RA ONE: OPENS

SONGS FROM: RA ONE:

4) BHARE NAINA:

.

I am not sure the Indians are capable of making a Great Sci Fi Movie but I will certainly take a look.

.

Akon can sing Hindi pretty well

Nehrubai, so far this one has been given a lot of hype, have not seen it as yet, maybe later. It is more or less a kid movie, but there are enough adult entertainment.

.

quote:

Originally posted by raymond:
Akon can sing Hindi pretty well

Ray, always nice to have your comments, "Stand by me" has a very good beat.

.

SRK RA ONE: OPENS

SONGS FROM: RA ONE:

5) RIGHT BY YOUR SIDE:

.

SRK RA ONE: OPENS

SONGS FROM: RA ONE:

6) RAFTAAREIN:

.

SRK RA ONE: OPENS

SONGS FROM: RA ONE:

7) JIYA MORA GHABRAAYEN

.