| Ra.One | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster |
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| Directed by | Anubhav Sinha |
| Produced by | Gauri Khan |
| Written by | Anubhav Sinha |
| Screenplay by |
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| Story by | Anubhav Sinha |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Vishal-Shekhar |
| Cinematography | |
| Editing by |
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| Distributed by | |
| Release date(s) | |
| Running time | 154 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Hindi |
| Budget | 125 crore (US$23.75 million)[1] |
| Box office | 240 crore (US$45.6 million)[2][3] |
Ra.One (Hindi: रा.वन), sometimes written as RA One or RA.One, is a 2011 Hindi science fiction superhero film written and directed by Anubhav Sinha. The film features Shahrukh Khan in dual roles, and also stars Kareena Kapoor, Armaan Verma and Arjun Rampal in the lead. Shahana Goswami, Dalip Tahil and Chinese-American actor Tom Wu appear in supporting roles, along with Rajinikanth, Sanjay Dutt and Priyanka Chopra making cameo appearances. The film follows Shekhar (Khan), a game designer living and based in London along with his wife (Kapoor) and son (Verma), who designs a motion-sensor based game in which the villain is far more powerful than the hero. In the process, the villain escapes from the video game and begins to track down the only person ever to defeat him, Lucifer (Verma). Ra.One was jointly produced by Eros International and Khan's production company, Red Chillies Entertainment.[4] Initially expected to hit theatres on June 3, 2011, the release of the film was pushed back to the Diwali weekend of October 26, 2011 due to extensive post-production work involving special effects and 3D conversion.
Development of the project commenced in 2004 when Sinha wrote a three-page short story based on a commercial he had seen. Upon finalizing the story, pre-production work began after the release of Khan's Om Shanti Om in 2007,[5] with principal photography commencing in March 2009.[6] In July 2011, it was announced that the entire film would be converted into 3D.[7] The visual effects of the film were carried out by Red Chillies VFX, under the supervision of Hollywood effects technician Jeffrey Kleiser. With an estimated budget of 125 crore (US$23.75 million),[1] Ra.One is the second-most expensive film ever produced in Indian cinema, following Enthiran (2010).[8] In addition, an estimated 52 crore (US$9.88 million) was spent on marketing through various partnerships, which set the record for the largest marketing budget in India. Red Chillies Entertainment spent up to 10 crore (US$1.9 million) while their partners like McDonald's covered the remaining costs in order to be associated with the Ra.One brand.[9] The film faced multiple problems prior to its release, including censorship, soundtrack "leaks" and copyrights, the latter of which cost the producers 1 crore (US$190,000). The film witnessed a level of publicity campaigning previously unseen in India films, with marketing taking place over a period of nine months and involving major brand tie-ups, merchandise, theme-based video games and extensive viral marketing. The film also faced uncertainty regarding the preparedness of the film for release, with several rumours and media stories that the film would not be completed on time.
Ra.One had premieres in Dubai, London and Toronto during the period of October 24–26.[10] The film released across 3,100 screens in India and 904 prints overseas in both 2D and 3D,[11] and was also dubbed in Tamil and Telugu,[12] making it the largest Indian cinematic release in the world. Upon release, while the Indian critics gave mixed reviews, the overseas film critics received it warmly. The film has been widely praised for its visual effects and action, though criticism has been generated regarding its script and direction. Subsequently, the success of the effects and the 3D version of the film prompted multiple other Bollywood filmmakers to consider technology as a part of film-making, especially in view of the success of Ra.One and the inordinately higher returns generated from 3D ticket sales.[13] The film went on to break multiple box-office records, including highest Diwali day collections, highest single-day collections, highest three-day collections and biggest overseas collections of 2011. Within a week of its theatrical run, Box Office India declared the film a hit in India,[14] and a week later, a super hit overseas. However, the film's box office performance was termed "average" by trade pundits (analysts).[15] According to its distributors, Ra.One is the second highest-grossing Bollywood film worldwide. It earned 240 crore (US$45.6 million) from all its versions.[2]
Contents |
Jenny Nayar (Goswami), an employee of UK based Barron Industries, introduces a new technology in which objects from the digital world can be brought into the real world, using the wireless transmissions from multiple wireless devices. Shekhar Subramanium (Khan), an employee of the company, faces his last chance to come up with a video game with a difference. In order to impress his son Prateek (Verma), and upon the request of his wife Sonia (Kapoor), he takes his son’s idea that the antagonist should be more powerful than the protagonist.
Akashi (Wu) provides the moves, Jenny does the programming and Shekhar gives his face to the protagonist G.One, whilst the antagonist Ra.One is faceless with powers substantially higher than those granted to G.One. The game has three levels, and either of the players can only be killed in the third level with a special gun that has only one bullet. While designing the game, Akashi notices some malfunctions, but ignores them. When the game is finally launched, it receives a standing ovation and Prateek loves it so much that he insists on playing it instantly. He logs in under the alias 'Lucifer' and goes to the second level, but is interrupted by Akashi as it is time to go home. Ra.One, being unable to end his turn with Lucifer, says that Lucifer shall die.
After the mainframe doesn't shut down, Akashi calls Shekhar who notices something wrong. Ra.One uses the initially introduced technology to come to life, kills Akashi, and goes to find Lucifer. Shekhar rushes home but is blocked by Ra.One on the way. In an attempt to save his son, Shekhar claims that he is Lucifer. However, Ra.One scans his I.D., and kills him for faking it. Upon noticing the strange case of his father’s death, Prateek realizes that Ra.One has come to life. Along with Jenny, he goes to Shekhar's workspace and tries to bring G.One to life. Sonia arrives and asks Prateek to leave with her for India. Ra.One, having taken the form of Akashi, chases them, but G.One enters the real world through Jenny's computer and saves them by initiating a gas explosion which destroys Ra.One into constituent cubes levelled along the road, and takes his H.A.R.T. Finding it impossible to leave him, Sonia takes G.One to India with her through Shekhar’s passport. G.One promises her that he will protect them from any harm. Meanwhile, Ra.One returns to life and takes his humanized form of a model on a billboard (Rampal) and goes after G.One.
During Prateek's birthday party, Ra.One hypnotizes Sonia, assumes her form and kidnaps Prateek. He instructs G.One to give him his H.A.R.T. back and sends the real Sonia in an uncontrollable local train in Mumbai. G.One saves Sonia just at the nick of the time, and then goes back to save Prateek. The game resumes with Prateek controlling G.One's moves. Following a lengthy fight, both of the characters finally reach the third level. With little powers left, the pair trick Ra.One into shooting G.One without his H.A.R.T. attached to him. Furious, Ra.One creates ten alternatives. Prateek, unable to differentiate the real one, asks G.One to quote one of Shekhar’s sayings stored in his folder: "बुराई संग जो मेल रचाया, फिर कभी न छूटे उसका साया" ("If you join the forces of evil, its shadows shall always follow you"). The pair then realize that only one of the ten Ra.Ones has a shadow. G.One shoots him and transports himself back to the digital world after absorbing Ra.One's remains. Several months later, Prateek and Sonia return back to the UK, where the former finally manages to restore G.One back to the real world.
According to director Anubhav Sinha, the idea of making Ra.One originated while he was watching a commercial on television six years ago. According to him, "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.[6] Upon finalizing the story, he approached Shahrukh Khan, who instantly agreed to produce and star in it.[6] Red Chillies Entertainment's Keitan Yadav revealed that during the release of Main Hoon Na, Khan was keen on making a VFX-loaded film.[17] His production company continued working on other projects and seeking for the right film until they finally decided on Ra.One.[17] Prior to starting the film, Khan approached several directors to helm the project but they all refused due to various concerns.[18]
"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."[19]
Pre-production work for the film began in November 2007 after the release of Khan's Om Shanti Om. 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.[5] 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."[20] To prepare the film's premises and characterization, Sinha and Khan watched around 200 superhero films in multiple languages from all over the world, including Spider-Man, Batman and Krrish.[21]
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."[22] 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."[23]
Principal photography for the film began in March 2009, one-and-a-half years after the commencement of pre-production work.[6] To make his character more believable, Khan decided that he would perform his own stunts in the film.[24] Sinha approached Arjun Rampal to take up the title role of a villain in the film, to which he readily agreed. Kareena Kapoor was later signed on to play the female lead.[6] Child actor Armaan Verma was required to go through several audition processes until he was finally selected to play the role of Prateek.[25] 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;[26] it was later confirmed that Chan would not be part of the project.[27] In July 2010, it was announced that Chinese-American actor Tom Wu would be play a role in the film.[28]
Sanjay Dutt and Priyanka Chopra were roped in 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. The background score for the scene was scored by A. R. Rahman.[16][29] 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 backgrounds later.[30] Several days later, it was announced that Amitabh Bachchan would be doing a voice-over for an important scene in the film.[16] 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.[5]
Ra.One's shooting was originally supposed to begin in Miami, USA, but due to budget concerns this was scrapped.[31] The first phase of filming began in India in March 2010 and continued until May in Film City and Goa.[32] 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."[19] Verma, who plays Khan's son in the film, had to learn the Brazilian martial arts dance Capoeira for his role.[25] A chase scene on 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.[33]
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[34] and a heavy duty action scene involving Khan and Kapoor.[35] During this period, a picture of Kapoor's character was revealed to the media.[36] The film's final phase commenced at Filmistan Studio in December 2010 and was shot over seven days.[37] 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.[38] In order to celebrate the film's completion, a wrap-up party was held at the end of the month in Mumbai.[39] A music video for the song "Raftaarein", choreographed by Feroz Khan, was shot one week before the 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."[40]
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.[5] 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."[5] 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.[41]
Due to the revived interest in 3D technology in India, the makers of the film decided to turn some portions of the movie into 3D. Khan revealed that parts of the film may be converted to 3D, provided the 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.[7] 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.[42] Prime Focus, which had gained considerable experience from performing 3D conversions of major Hollywood productions like The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader and Transformers: Dark of the Moon, were tasked with the job.[7] A separate conversion facility was created solely for the purpose of converting the film into 3D.[7]
Khan had to postpone his knee surgery which was initially planned on 25th July,[43] due to extensive post-production work.[44] Initially, the prints of Ra.One were expected to be ready a month prior to its release.[45] However, 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."[41] Ten days before the film's release, the process of digital inter-mediation in the film faced severe delays. The film was monitored in Croma by the team, during that period. Sinha 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."[46] As the film approached its release, Khan personally verified the progress on a day-to-day basis, following 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.[45] On October 20, Sinha tweeted that the film had been completed.[47]
March 2010 saw the inclusion of several visual effects techniques being incorporated in the production of Ra.One.[48] 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]."[48] 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.[48] 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.[49] In addition, Prime Focus also provided digital and visual effects services to Red Chillies VFX for the film.[7]
Impressed by the work he had seen in Stargate (1994), Jeff Kleiser was hired by Khan as the supervisor of visual effects in May 2010.[50] A team of 750 technicians under Kleiser carried out the addition of special effects into the film.[51] 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.[52] 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.[17]
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 Avatar (2009).[17] 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.[53] 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."[17]
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".[8][54] Hingorani stated that "60% of the film is visual effects. There are 37 sequences in all, and they were considerably difficult and time-consuming."[48] Jeff Kleiser commented that the most challenging part of Ra.One was creating the cubic transformations for the lead characters.[48] It was later found out that the incorporation of visual effects was the main reason behind the increased time for post-production.[41] 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.[55]
The soundtrack of Ra.One, released by T-Series on 12 September 2011, was composed by Vishal-Shekhar with lyrics penned by Atahar Panchi, Vishal Dadlani and Kumaar.[56] 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.[56] 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".[56] The album features fifteen tracks, including seven original songs, four remixes, three instrumentals and an international version of "Chammak Challo".[56] Subsequently, the Tamil and Telugu versions of the film's soundtrack were released on 10 October 2011 featuring six tracks each.[57]
In March 2011, Star India bought the television broadcasting rights for Ra.One for a then-record sum of 40 crore (US$7.6 million) reportedly, surpassing 3 Idiots (2009) previous 33 crore (US$6.27 million) record.[58][12] The film's music rights were bought by T-Series for 15 crore (US$2.85 million) whilst the distribution rights were acquired by Eros Entertainment for 77 crore (US$14.63 million).[5] The distribution rights for the film in Tamil Nadu and Kerala were bagged by Abirami Ramanathan for a reportedly record, but undisclosed price.[59] Ra.One set a new record for total pre-release revenue earned, netting 132 crore (US$25.08 million), and surpassed the previous record held by 3 Idiots, which had netted 85 crore (US$16.15 million).[60]
The producers of Ra.One set a record marketing budget of around 52 crore (US$9.88 million), of which 15 crore (US$2.85 million) was used for online promotion, making it the highest ever for a Bollywood film.[61][62] Often described as the "longest promotion in Bollywood history", as well as "the most comprehensive and all-pervasive among people's lives",[54] the term "promotional blitzkrieg" has often been used in connotation with the project's extensive marketing campaign.[63]
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.[20] The film's first look was later unveiled by Khan on his Twitter page on January 1, 2011.[54] 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.[64] 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."[64] 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.[54] During the same event, a 3600 ft long fan mail collecting audience wishes and messages for the film was also launched.[54]
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.[65] In early September, Red Chillies Entertainment (RCE) launched a sizeable viral marketing campaign for promoting the film more effectively in the online arena.[66] 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.[54] 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.[67]
"My last strategy was that I do not want any one to know what the bad guy looks like. You see it in the film. The film is called Ra.One but no one knows what [he] looks like. Last week before the film releases, we will let everyone know what he looks like. It is not going to shake the earth, but all the facets are being revealed as a picture puzzle being peeled off."[20]
In addition to YouTube, Khan announced that the film would also subsidize through major brand ties-up worth over 52 crore (US$9.88 million),[54][62] some of which included the Formula One races, Nokia, Godrej Consumer Products, Coca-Cola, HCL,[68] Horlicks, HomeShop18[69] and multiple live chats conducted on Google Plus for which Khan became the first Indian film personality to utilize.[70] 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.[54] 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.[62]
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.[71] 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".[72] Due to certain technical glitches, it was later revealed in the film's final theatrical trailer to a positive response.[73] 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."[74]
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.[75] 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.[76]
SCEE has invested around 4.5 crore (US$0.86 million) to license the Ra.One IP and an additional 3 crore (US$570,000) in the marketing and promotions of the game, which includes offline promotions and television advertisements of nearly 250 ad spots.[77] At the time of its launch, 21,000 game consoles were sold and 100,000 units are expected to be sold across India alone.[77] 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.[78]
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.[79] 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.[80] It also became the most downloaded game in India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Malaysia within 24 hours of being launched.[81] An investment of around 4.5 crore (US$0.86 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.[79] 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."[79]
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.[82] 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.[83] 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$285,000) on the mold for the G.One action figure.[81] In addition to this, a jewellery line inspired by the symbol of "Ra.One",[61] as well as a series of HCL laptops with customized integrated Ra.One skin[68] 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.[8]
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.[84]
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.[10][85] 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 took place at the TIFF Bell Lightbox on 26 October.[86] 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.[87]
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 3,100 screens, breaking the record of Bodyguard (2011), which released in 2,700 screens.[88] Overseas, it is currently expected to release in around 1,500 screens in 904 prints, with 600 screens in Germany, 250 screens in South Korea, 25 prints in Taiwan and New Zealand, 75 prints in Russia,[88][89] 79 prints in the Middle East,[10] 344 prints in USA, 51 prints in Australia, 202 prints in the UK and 49 prints in Canada.[90] A reported partnership deal is being finalised by the distributors, which will allow the film to release in China with 1,000 prints.[91] Moreover, Ra.One 3D version released in 550 selected screens around the world.[88] The Tamil and Telugu versions released with 275 and 125 prints respectively.[92] 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.[91] A week prior to its release, multiplex owners across India decided to allot the project with 95% of the total available screen space.[93] 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.[94]
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.[95]
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.[96] The court, observing the prima facie evidence that there had been copyright violations, asked the filmmakers to deposit 1 crore (US$190,000) on 21 October with the court before releasing the film.[97] However, challenging the court decision, Patnaik lately had demanded the producers to give him credit and not cash.[97] Sinha, on the other hand, claimed that he had developed the film's story.[98]
Upon release, Ra.One received mixed reviews from critics in India.[99] Film reviewers were clearly separated into two factions,[100] with one feeling that the film had brought the level of Indian films at par with Hollywood films, while the other complained about the flawed script.[101][102] According to review aggregator Review Gang, professional critics have given the film an average rating of 50%.[103]
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."[104] He was later criticized for "over-rating" the film.[102] Khalid Mohamed from Deccan Chronicle gave it 4 out of 5 stars, concluding, "Here’s a technical accomplishment with as much heart as hardware".[105] 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."[106] 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."[107] 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."[108] Subhash K Jha gave the film 3.5 out of 5 stars, commenting "Ra.One is a saucy, sassy, scintillating super-hero film which knows exactly when to let the narrative flow in a furious frenzy of hyper-activity, and when to brake the goings-on just before the hysterical happenings topple into the realm of irretrievable absurdity."[109] 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."[110] 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.[111] The Indo-Asian News Network also gave the film 3.5 out of 5 stars stating that "Ra.One is still probably one of the classiest movies seen in the Hindi film industry and a feather in Anubhav's hat."[112] 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."[113] Soumyadipta Banerjee of DNA India gave the film 3.5 stars, saying "The real story is the way the film is carried forward and the special effects. It’s worth a worth. It might be not be a good idea to watch it for the second time around though."[114] Aniruddha Guha of DNA India gave it 3 stars and said "Ra.One is beautiful in appearance, but empty within. Which is a pity. Anubhav could have really made a mark with this one."[115] Sanchari Bhattacharya from Rediff called the film "escapist entertainment" giving it 3 out of 5 stars.[116] 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."[117] 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."[118] Gaurav Malani from The Economic Times gave the film 3 out of 5 stars, remarking "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."[119] 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 [...] Shahrukh Khan's stellar performance is the major attraction of the film".[120]
Some critics gave the film an average (mixed) review. Rajeev Masand of CNN-IBN 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."[121] Sonia Chopra from Sify gave the film 2.5 out of 5 stars, stating "Ra.One is a visual extravaganza and fun enough. The only reason one stops short of recommending Ra.One is the sporadic adult content that has no business being in a film for kids. Too bad, really."[122] Sukanya Verma of Rediff argued that "The 3D version of Ra.One has nothing extra to offer" giving it 2.5 out of 5 stars.[123] 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. [It's] a revolting khichdi of sorts. The extra half star is for the visual effects and for that intention to make it king size."[124]
The film did receive 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."[125] Arthur J. Pais of Rediff rated the film with 2 stars quoting "Ayyayyo, what a glorious mess of a film Ra.One is."[126] Aseem Chhabra of Rediff 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."[127] Abhishek Mande of Rediff called the film "SRK's most expensive midlife crisis" saying that it "could have been great fun but didn't live up."[128] 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 [Khan] film, one hopes to be entertained throughout, and sadly Ra.One fails to do so."[129] 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."[130] The Mumbai Mirror rated the film 2 out of a 5 stars, appraising the action sequences but criticizing the writing.[131] Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express gave the film 2 stars and said that "Ra.One is a superstarry slurry sludge, with just the occasional consolatory sparkle."[132] Raja Sen of Rediff rated the film 1.5 out of 5 stars and said "The film seems to think that nothing seems to matter as long as there's enough Khan, and it becomes tragically evident that this is a project born more out of vanity than passion."[133] Saisuresh Sivaswamy of Rediff said "Shah Rukh Khan's latest film offers no emotional connect with the audience even as its story flops in the telling", giving it 1.5 stars.[134] Kunal Guha of Yahoo! Movies panned the film by refusing to give even a single star, 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."[135]
Overseas, the film received generally positive reviews. Rotten Tomatoes rates the film at 75% "Fresh" (83% for top critics), and Metacritic, gave the film a 60% rating.[136][137]
Kirk Honeycutt from The Hollywood Reporter gave the film a favorable review, adding: "India’s first attempt at a superhero movie is both vigorous and emotionally fulfilling within the context of Bollywood traditions." [138] Rubina A. Khan from The First Post praised the film as a whole, 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."[139] J. Hurtado of Twitch gave the film a positive review, saying "Ra.One is a stunning action film, with stunts that would hold up with the best of any Hollywood action film. [...] All of the emotion that the film delivers serves the story both in terms of plot development and theme, and it is very seldom gratuitous. [It is] a supremely entertaining action adventure that should be able to cross language lines and find fans in any community."[140] Rachel Saltz of The New York Times gave the film a positive review, highlighting "Ra.One is a kind of entertainment machine set to dazzle, Hindi cinema with a crush on high-tech."[141] Kevin Thomas of Los Angeles Times said, "Ra.One is Bollywood at its best. It has energy, spectacle and humor, song and dance, but razzle-dazzle special effects and action stunts never overwhelm its story of enduring love that unfolds amid an intricate and inspired sci-fi odyssey".[142] Joe Neumaier from New York Daily News gave the film 4 out of 5 stars, saying "Ra.One has a witty sense of punky, gaming-style esthetics that American blockbusters try for but can't quite achieve."[136] Andrew O'Hehir from Salon wrote, "From dazzling dance numbers to post-Matrix action, RA. One showcases Bollywood's confidence."[143] John Anderson of Variety gave the film an average review, stating "Along with Khan's presence, it's the effects that sell Ra.One, and they arrive more or less nonstop. Rather than incorporate the technology into the story, Sinha's CG acrobatics become the equivalent of a wide receiver doing backflips in the endzone - amusing, but beside the point."[144] 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 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."[145]
Tamara Baluja of The Globe and Mail gave the film one out of four stars. Although she called the special effects "fantastic", she panned the movie as a whole.[146] Simon Abrams of Slant also gave it one out of four stars and wrote: "Ra.One's indifferently demeaning scenario proves just how meaningless its creators' supposedly good intentions really are."[147] Bloomberg too rated the film with one out of four stars, saying "While no one was expecting The Dark Knight from this film’s makers, they could potentially have matched the entertaining and goofy Hellboy. Sadly, Khan and director Anubhav Sinha fail to understand the idiom of superhero cinema."[148] Avash Karmacharya of MyRepublica too panned the film's plot and added, "the biggest problem of the movie, however, is the lack of a solid storyline."[149] 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."[150]
According to Eros International, Ra.One grossed 240 crore (US$45.6 million) worldwide from all its versions.[2] Box Office India declared the film a "hit" in India,[151] and a "super hit" in the overseas market.[152]
Ra.One saw an opening of 70-100% occupancy levels all over India, with full houses in many multiplexes. The lower-than-expected occupancy level was mainly due to the effect of Diwali festivities, which took a toll on the evening shows. The morning opening was described "historic" by several trade analysts.[153][154] Generally, the 3D version of the film saw better occupancy levels than the 2D version.[155] Families and children comprised the major demographics of Ra.One's audience.[155]
On the first day, Ra.One collected 14.63 crore (US$2.78 million) from the Hindi version[156] and an estimated 2 crore (US$380,000) from the Tamil and Telugu versions,[157] taking its all-India total to 16.63 crore (US$3.16 million). It set records for the biggest Diwali opening day ever by beating Golmaal 3 (8.72 crore),[158] The lesser total was attributed to a fall in evening collections, caused due to festive celebrations and pujas. However, on the second day, Ra.One set records throughout the nation by collecting 22.8 crore (US$4.33 million) in the Hindi version and hence surpassing the biggest single-day record in India held by Bodyguard.[159] The third day collection of the film Hindi version netted at 15.50 crore (US$2.95 million), and has again set a record three day collection of 53 crore (US$10.07 million) nett, by surpassing previous record by Bodyguard (52.6 crores). The Tamil and Telugu versions of the film also collected around 4 crore (US$760,000) nett over three days, giving it a total of 57 crore (US$10.83 million) nett for all three languages.[160] The film's Hindi version collected 14.25 crore (US$2.71 million) nett on its fourth day, with four days collection totaling around 71.50 crore (US$13.59 million) nett.[161] As of five days extended first weekend, the film had collected about 85.50 crore (US$16.25 million) from all its versions.[162] At the end of seven days, the Hindi Ra.One netted 91.75 crore (US$17.43 million) in India with best collections in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu/Kerala and Mysore.[163] Ra.One (Hindi) was ranked second in the top ten first seven day domestic collection, next to Bodyguard.[164] As of nine days extended first week, the film's Hindi version collection netted 97.47 crore (US$18.52 million), while Tamil and Telugu versions collection totaled at 6 crore (US$1.14 million).[165]
Ra.One (Hindi) netted 9.65 crore (US$1.83 million) in its second weekend, declining 80% from its previous three-day opening weekend. The film's net total grew to 107.12 crore (US$20.35 million) in 12 days.[166] The film saw a good second Monday owing to "Eid" by collecting 2.5 crore (US$475,000) nett taking the four day second weekend to around 12 crore (US$2.28 million).[167] In the second week, Ra.One netted 15.27 crore (US$2.9 million) from the Hindi version, taking its two-week total to 112.74 crore (US$21.42 million) nett, an 84% drop compared to the extended first week collections.[168] In its third week, Ra.One lost most of its screening space due to the release of Rockstar, and hence declined by 90% to 1.43 crore (US$271,700).[169] The total net collections, as of December 28, 2011 at the end of the eight week, from Hindi version of the film alone, were 115 crore (US$21.85 million).[170][171]
The overseas release of the film took place in two phases, with most major markets covered in the first phase. In its first phase, Ra.One debuted to approximately $6.75 million[note 1] overseas. The five-day opening (three day in certain territories) is the fourth biggest ever for a Bollywood film. In its opening weekend, the film collected US$1,654,023 in USA, £908,768 in UK, $250,000[note 1] in Pakistan, $349,899[note 1] in Australia, $1,509,624[note 1] in UAE, $91,135[note 1] in New Zealand and $40,658[note 1] in Fiji, in addition to very strong openings in Singapore and other East Asian countries.[152] As of its second week, Ra.One had crossed the $8 million[note 1] mark with business of around $8.25 million,[note 1] and thus became the highest-grossing Bollywood film overseas in 2011.[152] In 3 weeks, Ra.One collected $8.6 million[note 1] making it the fifth highest grossing film ever in the overseas market.[172] As of November 24, 2011, Eros International stated that the film made more than $10 million[note 1] in the overseas market.[173]
Ra.One had generated curiosity among the public and distributors ever since the announcement of Akon's participation as a part of the film's soundtrack. The film also received a lot of media attention due to the early launch of the film's publicity campaign which was unprecedented in addition to being untested. However, since the release of the first trailer of the film, many analysts predicted that Ra.One would not succeed at the box office. Reasons cited included its unique use of technology and action, a supposedly different type of script and the urban feel suggesting that Ra.One would be a "class" phenomenon, and would not percolate down to the "masses".[174] The high budget of the film was another area of concern for the film, as this meant high prices for distributor rights and lesser chances of profits. As time went by, the film was hit by multiple accusations of plagiarism involving posters, script, stunts and visuals, further putting down the film.[96][175] A major problem for the film was that the superhero genre was untested by Khan, and the genre itself was not popular in India. Khan's earlier success was predominantly based on romantic roles with notable exceptions such as Swades (2004) and Chak De! India (2007).[176]
Some trade analysts were, however, quite positive about the film.[177] As noted by Ormax Media, a specialist consumer research company for films, Ra.One set records for Buzz and Reach among films even six weeks before release. Such high figures maintained right till the release date.[178] Moreover, Ra.One's unique and vast marketing campaign, which utilized concepts previously unheard of in Indian films, was cited as a smart business move that would make the film reach as big an audience as possible.[174] It was also widely noted that in spite of the high cost of the movie and the seemingly risky venture, Khan managed to recover most of the film's production costs well before the release time through various film rights and sponsor tie-ups.[174] As time progressed, the layered marketing campaign coupled with extensive brand tie-ups and new concepts built up to a very high expectation level among the audiences.[179] The public were comparing it to previous Indian superhero and science-fiction films such as Mr. India (1987), Krrish (2006), Drona (2008) and Enthiran (2010),[180] Drona being a major box office failure,[181] as well as American superhero films like Batman Begins (2005) and more frequently Tron: Legacy (2010).[175]
"Wherever you go, be it a mall or be it a hospital, you are bound to find one certain G.One smiling at you with enticing blue eyes. This fierce promotional drive is getting on the audiences' nerves now and has the potential of killing the enthusiasm of movie goers."[182]
With time, the promotional overdrive surrounding the film began to evoke strong reactions from viewers and box office trackers. Much debate ensued regarding the fate of the film due to over-promotion, with speculations that the "carpet bombing" strategy would backfire on the film in the end. The omnipresence of Ra.One had the unintended effect of widely popularizing a series of internet and SMS jokes based on the film, several of them targeting the film's publicity drive and, post-release, the film itself. Khan, however, was unfazed by the huge popularity of these jokes, saying "Some people have devoted their lives to writing about how Ra.One is not a good film. But I am glad, since people are discussing it, it pretty much shows how the film hasn’t been ignored."[183] The promotional overdrive also showed that Khan had "bet it all" with the film. Outlook India commented that "Stardom, brand value, ambition, reputation: Shahrukh’s bet it all on Ra.One. No wonder he has never hardsold a film like this one."[184] The nature of Khan's role in the film, that of a superhero, was unfamiliar to Khan's usual fans who generally recognize him as a romantic actor with "arched brows, deep dimples, perennially outstretched arms and a sarcastic half-smile". Filmmaker Paromita Vohra, a fan of Khan, commented "Will the superhero have traces of the SRK [Khan] I love or not?", a feeling echoed by many others. Author Supriya Mandangarli noted that "the SRK persona has not been so much about aggressive masculinity as about nostalgia, the reason why Ra.One seems a big risk." It has been widely known that Ra.One was Khan's biggest gamble.[184]
However, the reasons behind marketing the film in such a manner was attributed to a personal ambition to regain the numero uno status in the film industry. Columnist Anil Thakraney said "It’s not so much about money as about prestige, about getting the rightful plank back. SRK is no more the lone King Khan he has been for almost two decades. [He] has continued to retain the No. 1 slot in the overseas market but his domestic ranking has tumbled."[184] However, trade experts were confident of the film's success. Lyricist Prasoon Joshi stated that "He understands the 360 degrees of the game. He is available to the consumer at any touch point." However, it was noted that to get back all that was at stake, it would have to run for a long period of time in theaters, and not be like the short-lived Bodyguard or Singham. Image guru Dilip Cherian said "SRK is building the film as a franchise much as Hollywood studios do. It’s like bludgeoning the market into submission."[184]
Post release, Ra.One generated a mixed response from the audiences as well as critics. Opinions of the film varied widely, which is visible given that the user ratings from the film ranged from 1.5 to 4.5 stars out of 5.[185] While audiences unanimously praised the visual effects and technical aspects of the film, many were left feeling the need of a better and more original script. Vats commented that "Ra.One banked upon mammoth promotional drive in order to pull the audiences to the theatres and therefore mixed reviews actually have brought down the fever a bit. The focus on technical fineness has made Ra.One an experience worth watching but the hype around the film has begun to fizz away." While children and teenagers unanimously loved the movie, adults were critical of it.[185] A major short-coming of the film was that it failed to connect with Khan's own built-in fan base. Noted film producer Pritish Nandy echoed these sentiments by saying "I'm no fan of SRK but I must say, even if it disappoints you all, I enjoyed Ra.One. [...]The problem with [it] is that it does not connect with SRK's own fan base. They were cursing the film and walking out."[186]
Went to see Ra.One with no expectations. Was stopped by random people at Inox, discouraging us. Including a charming old lady.
It has been generally accepted that the film failed to meet the very high expectations, and hence negativity about the film spread. A member of the film's production unit commented, "The attention was now diverted to speculating the figures, hinting at the figures not being true. It has now come to point of being nasty." Reportedly, Khan was upset with the kind of negative word-of-mouth around the film which he felt was "a clever marketing strategy to undercut the film when it was going on at full-steam in the theatres." Nandy, in addition to several other viewers, reported about "random people coming up to the audience and asking them to go back rather than watch the film" in several multiplexes across Mumbai.[187]
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