Ra.One is a 2011 Indian science fiction superhero film directed by Anubhav Sinha, who co-wrote the film's script with Kanika Dhillon. The film stars Shahrukh Khan, Kareena Kapoor and Armaan Verma in the lead roles, and Arjun Rampal as the titular antagonist. Additionally, the film features Shahana Goswami, Tom Wu and Dalip Tahil in supporting roles, and a number of cameo appearances. The plot follows Shekhar (Khan), a game designer in London living with his wife (Kapoor) and son (Verma). He designs a motion sensor-based game in which the antagonist is more powerful than the protagonist. The villain escapes from the game into the real world, and begins to track down Lucifer (the gaming ID of Verma), the only player to have defeated him.

Development of Ra.One commenced in 2004 when Sinha was struck with the idea for the film while watching a television commercial. Official pre-production began in 2007, and was followed the principal photography which took place in India and the United Kingdom. The film was co-produced by Eros International and Red Chillies Entertainment. Ra.One cost an estimated 125 crore (US$24.94 million), making it one of the most expensive Indian films at the time of release. A further 52 crore (US$10.37 million) was spent on marketing, which included a nine-month publicity campaign, brand tie-ups, merchandise, theme-based video games and viral marketing. The film, initially expected to release on June 3, 2011, encountered problems including delays, soundtrack leaks and copyright hurdles which created concern about the preparedness of the film for release at its scheduled release date. Subsequently, the release was delayed to the five-day Diwali weekend beginning on October 26, 2011.

Ra.One premiered in Dubai, London and Toronto between October 24 and 26, 2011. The film witnessed the largest Indian cinematic release worldwide at the time of release, and was shown in 2D, 3D and dubbed versions. Upon release, critical reception in India was lukewarm, though overseas reception was generally positive. The film was unanimously acclaimed for its technical aspects, but generated considerable criticism regarding the script and direction. The film subsequently became one of the highest-grossing Bollywood films of 2011, breaking a number of box office records. While the box office website Box Office India declared Ra.One a domestic "hit" and overseas "super hit", several trade analysts deemed the box office performance as "average", pointing out that the film failed to meet high expectations. Ra.One won a number of awards for its technical aspects, notably one National Film Award, one Filmfare Award and four International Indian Film Academy Awards. However, the film itself received dishonorable awards like "Worst Film", including two Golden Kela Awards and one Ghanta Award.

Plot[link]

Jenny Nayar (Shahana Goswami), an employee of the UK-based company Barron Industries, introduces a new technology that allows objects from the digital world to enter the real world. Shekhar Subramanium (Shahrukh Khan), who also works for the company and has delivered a spate of commercial failures, is given a final chance to devise a video game which will actually succeed. In order to impress his skeptical son Prateek (Armaan Verma), and upon the request of his wife Sonia (Kareena Kapoor), Subramanium uses his son's idea that the antagonist should be more powerful than the protagonist.

Shekhar's work colleague Akashi (Tom Wu) provides the motion capture–based movements of the game characters, while Jenny does the programming. Jenny uses Shekhar's face as a model for the face of the game's protagonist (G.One), whilst the antagonist (Ra.One) is faceless. The game, titled "Ra.One", has three levels. Either of the players can only be killed in the third level using a special gun that holds a single bullet, with the condition that the player has his H.A.R.T attached. While designing the game, Akashi notices peculiarities in the game's functioning but ignores them. When the game is finally launched, it receives a standing ovation and Prateek is so enamored that he insists on playing it instantly. He logs in under the alias "Lucifer" and proceeds to the second level, but is interrupted by Akashi. Ra.One, being unable to end his turn with Lucifer and angry that a player has proceeded so far, becomes determined that Lucifer shall die.

When the mainframe fails to shut down, Akashi calls Shekhar, who notices that something is amiss with the game. He rushes home, fearing for his son's life. Ra.One uses the initially introduced technology to enter the real world, kills Akashi and goes to find Lucifer, and blocks Shekhar on his way. In an attempt to save his son, Shekhar claims that he is Lucifer. However, Ra.One scans Shekhar's I.D. and kills him for lying. Later, Prateek notices the strange circumstances of his father's death and realises that Ra.One has come to life. He and Jenny attempt to bring G.One to life in a manner similar to Ra.One. Meanwhile, Sonia tells Prateek that the family will return to India. Having taken the form of Akashi, Ra.One chases them, but G.One enters the real world through Jenny's computer and causes a gas explosion which saves them and destroys Ra.One. G.One takes Ra.One's H.A.R.T., without which Ra.One is powerless. Sonia realizes she cannot leave G.One and takes him along with them to India using Shekhar's passport. G.One promises Sonia that he will protect Prateek from harm. Subsequently, Ra.One returns to life, takes the form of a billboard model (Arjun Rampal), and goes after G.One and Prateek.

During Prateek's birthday party, Ra.One hypnotises Sonia, assumes her form and kidnaps Prateek. Ra.One then instructs G.One to give him his H.A.R.T. back, and sends the real Sonia in an uncontrollable Mumbai Suburban Railway train. The train crashes into the Chatrapati Shivaji Terminus and destroys it, but G.One saves Sonia just before the crash. He returns to save Prateek. The game resumes, with Prateek controlling G.One. Following a fight, both of the characters reach the third level. With little power left, G.One and Prateek trick Ra.One into shooting G.One without his H.A.R.T. attached. Since only one bullet was available, Ra.One is left helpless; furious, he creates ten copies of himself. Prateek, unable to differentiate the real Ra.One, asks G.One to quote one of Shekhar's sayings: "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 realise that only one of the ten Ra.Ones has a shadow: the original one. G.One shoots and destroys him, and after absorbing Ra.One's remains, transports himself back into the game's world. Several months later, Prateek and Sonia return to London, where Prateek finally manages to restore G.One to the real world.

Cast[link]

• Shahrukh Khan as Shekhar Subramaniam/G.One. Shekhar is a comical Tamilian game designer working for Barron Industries, who loves his family and especially his son. Shekhar often tries to impress his son by attempting to be modern and brave, though to little success. The protagonist of the game Ra.One, a deadpan superhero named G.One, is modeled on Shekhar.

Khan was the first actor to be approached by Sinha, despite the fact that they had never met each other before. Khan faced considerable difficulty while filming. His character's appearance required him to apply prosthetic makeup for over eight hours a day, making consumption of food and water difficult.^{[c 1]} Besides this, he also faced difficulties with his superhero suit.^{[v 1]} Consequently, he lost ten kilos of weight by the end of filming.^{[d 1]} Khan also injured his left knee during filming, causing considerable pain to him;^{[c 2]} despite the injury, he performed the stunts in the film on his own.^{[d 2]}

• Kareena Kapoor as Sonia Subramaniam and Ra.One. Sonia is Shekhar's wife, a Punjabi woman who habitually uses foul language and is writing a thesis about male-centered expletives.

Three actors were initially considered for the role – Priyanka Chopra, Asin Thottumkal and Kapoor. However, Kapoor herself approached Khan when the cast was being finalized, and hence she was chosen.^{[c 3]} Kapoor stated that she did not want to play a stereotypical mother's role, and instead opted for a trendy look to portray a modern mother better.^{[c 4]} In preparation for the film, she lost five kilos of weight and followed multiple special diets drawn up by her dietitian Rujuta Diwekar.^{[c 5]} Kapoor initially refused to do any action scenes due to her dislike for stunts and wire work.^{[c 3]} However, she later reluctantly performed certain stunts involving hand-to-hand combat scenes, and was subsequently praised by the director for her professionalism.^{[c 6]}

• Arjun Rampal as Ra.One, the titular antagonist of the film and the game Ra.One. He comes out of the virtual world and into the real world so as to defeat Lucifer. Ra.One has the ability to morph into various forms, and subsequently assumes the standard form of a perfume model.

Rampal was approached for the title role, which he accepted as he was close to both Khan and Sinha. However, Rampal subsequently encountered back problems which ruled out his ability to perform stunts. The situation prompted speculation that he would be replaced by Vivek Oberoi, who had displayed keen interest in the role and had even auditioned for it.^{[c 7]} Subsequently, Rampal recuperated with medical treatment, and was officially confirmed as a part of the cast.^{[c 8]} He stated that the most challenging part of his role was the requirement to remain completely expressionless, as he played a virtual character which cannot emote.^{[c 9]} For his role, Rampal followed a special high-protein diet with regulated intake of water, trained at the gym daily for a year and shaved his head almost completely. Due to his training and difficulties with his supervillain suit, Rampal lost six kilos of weight by the end of filming.^{[v 2]} The choice of casting Rampal in the film was met with skepticism, and his acting abilities were described as "questionable", but Sinha defended the casting.^{[d 3]}

• Shahana Goswami as Jenny Nayar. Jenny is a graphic designer and Shekhar's work colleague. She is close to the Subramaniam family, and is aware of Prateek's poor views of his father. She designs the look of G.One in the film.

Goswami was contracted to the film in April 2010.^{[c 10]} She described her role as "a new avatar" since she played a character of an age similar to her own, a departure from her more mature roles earlier. Goswami faced some difficulty performing a dance sequence for the song "Criminal"; her outfit was not conducive for the sequence, and so it had to be slit and the dance steps learnt in 15 minutes despite wearing high heels.^{[c 11]}

• Armaan Verma as Prateek Subramaniam/Lucifer, Shekhar's and Sonia's son. Prateek is a "cool dude" as per his own description, and an expert gamer. Prateek finds his father embarrassing, old-fashioned and boring, though he feels remorseful when his father dies.

Verma's mother met the film's casting director through the founder-director of Verma's school. Verma was required to go through a number of audition rounds involving action and dance until he was selected to play the role.^{[c 12]} To prepare for his role, Verma learnt capoeira; subsequently, he performed his stunts on his own. He was part of filming for 1½ years, and his presence in the film was kept secret until a major part of the production was complete.^{[c 13]}

• Tom Wu as Akashi/Ra.One. Akashi is a work colleague of Shekhar and Jenny, and a good friend of both. He does the motion demonstration and tests for the game, and is the first person to realize that the game Ra.One is unusual.

Initially, Khan had wanted Jackie Chan to portray Akashi. He had reportedly sent Chan the detailed script of the film, the action sequences and a brief synopsis of his character.^{[c 14]} It was later confirmed that Chan would not be part of the project.^{[c 15]} It was subsequently announced that Chinese-American actor Wu had been finalized for the role, being officially contracted to the film in July 2010.^{[c 16]}

• Dalip Tahil as Barron, the owner of Barron Industries and the boss of Shekhar, Jenny and Akashi.

• Satish Shah as Iyer, a well-meaning neighbor of the Subramaniam family in Mumbai. Prateek is romantically interested in Iyer's daughter.

• Rajinikanth in a cameo appearance as Chitti, his character in Enthiran (2010), who helps G.One while the latter is fighting a gang of goons.

The idea of making Rajnikanth appear as his character from Enthiran was given by his daughter Soundarya. His appearance in the film had been planned around October 2010, but the actor had to delay the filming of his cameo due to health problems.^{[c 17]}

• Sanjay Dutt in a cameo appearance as "Khalnayak", a character in Prateek's dream.

Dutt, a friend of Sinha, was approached because the cameo required a particular character to be portrayed.^{[d 4]} Dutt initially faced scheduling problems due to the filming of Agneepath (2012), but the matter was sorted out between the producers of both films.^{[f 1]}

• Priyanka Chopra in a cameo appearance as "The Desi Girl", another character in Prateek's dream. Chopra had been rumored to play the role of a transvestite; however, the producers refuted the rumors.^{[c 18]}

• Amitabh Bachchan in a voice-over, describing the game-play of Ra.One in the official launch of the game.

Production[link]

Development[link]

According to Anubhav Sinha, the idea for Ra.One originated when he saw an advertisement on television showing kids controlling a human with a remote. He was attracted to the concept and immediately wrote a script based on it.^{[d 3][d 4]} After finalizing the story, Sinha approached Khan with the film's script. Khan liked it and decided to act in the film and simultaneously serve as its producer.^{[d 4]} Sinha was apprehensive of retaining Khan's support for the film, as his directorial venture Cash (2007) had been a commercial failure. However, he revealed that Khan had been the "only person who had remained unchanged" post Cash.^{[d 4]} He subsequently declared that he would not have approached anybody other than Khan with the script.^{[d 3]}

Khan's home production house Red Chillies Entertainment (RCE) continued working on other projects before finalizing the production aspects of Ra.One.^{[v 3]} After the release of My Name Is Khan (2010), RCE focused solely on Ra.One and did not take up any other films.^{[v 4]} Khan initially approached a number of directors for the film, including Aditya Chopra and Karan Johar, but they turned it down;^{[d 5]} eventually, Sinha was made the film's director. Khan declined to make the film in English as he felt that "cracking Hollywood on their terms" was unnecessary.^{[d 2]} Prior to filming, he reportedly took tips from actor Kamal Hassan regarding the production of large-scale films, having been impressed by Hassan's Dasavathaaram (2008).^{[d 6]}

Khan revealed that the major reason for making Ra.One was to "make a film that gives me the right to deserve the iconic status that I’ve got for 20 years."^{[d 7]} He said that it had been his "childhood dream" to be a superhero and to fly.^{[d 8]} He also said that he wanted to make a film dedicated to the father-son relationship, as he felt that fathers were "neglected" in Bollywood.^{[d 9]} Sinha described Ra.One as less of a film and more of an "audacious dream".^{[d 3]} Both Khan and Sinha credited their children for encouraging them to take up the project, and also periodically "approving" the film's execution.^{[d 4]}

Khan's idea was to make a simple family drama which expanded into an action film.^{[m 1]} Not wishing to alienate audiences, he wanted a superhero that people could identify with.^{[d 10]} Kanika Dhillon began the screenwriting process by taking notes and having discussions over a year prior to the start of principal photography. Dhillon noted the descriptive and visual nature of the script, commenting: "With each scene, we were discovering the beauty and horror of the superpowers they [G.One and Ra.One] were equipped with. In a way, the script defined the characters and the extent of their larger-than-life appeal." Just prior to the beginning of filming, she scripted the tagline of G.One: "Some superheroes wear a mask, ours will wear a heart."^{[d 10]}

To prepare the film's premises and characterization, Sinha spent several months viewing video clips, digital art portals and comic books.^{[t 1]} Additionally, Sinha and Khan watched around 200 superhero films from all over the world, including Batman (1989), Spider-Man (2002) and Krrish (2006).^{[d 11]} The film's storyboarding was done by both Khan and storyboard artist Atul Chouthmal, who had been contracted to the film after meeting Khan at Yash Raj Studios by chance. While he began work on the storyboards, a storyboard artist from Hollywood was roped in for the film. Chouthmal revealed that Khan and the other artist differed on their visions of the film, and so he was brought back.^{[d 12]}

Title[link]

Alfred Hitchcock inspired the film's title

The film's title was a matter of debate within the media, primarily because the film is named after the antagonist rather than the protagonist,^{[d 13]} a move considered innovative since few films are named so.^{[d 14]} Koimoi noted that the title signified the "rising importance of the villain in Bollywood".^{[d 15]} Sinha stated that there had been no plan regarding the film's title. He explained that the character Ra.One had been named well in advance, and the film had been referred to as Ra.One since the beginning of filming. The name G.One came up later, but "it didn’t sound like a hip, urban name and Ra.One sounded cooler, so it remained that."^{[f 2]}

Khan was advised to name the film after his own character, but he declined to do so and justified his stance. He connected the relationship between good and evil, saying: "It's the bad guy who teaches you about the good guy. Good exists because of evil, hence the title."^{[d 16]} He found Alfred Hitchcock as his primary inspiration for naming the film after the villain, saying: "I have always felt this – and even Alfred Hitchcock said that in a movie, which has a larger than life hero, the villain's role should be very strong. So, I [also] felt [that] if the villain looks good, the superhero will also look good."^{[d 17]} He also cited other Bollywood films like Sholay, Mr. India and Sadak as the reason for naming the film after the villain, noting that the villains became very popular and are remembered to this day,^{[d 13]} sometimes more than the protagonists.^{[d 17]}

Filming[link]

The principal photography of Ra.One was carried out by a crew comprising both Indian and overseas personnel. Nicola Pecorini was engaged as the director of photography, with V. Manikandan providing assistance.^{[t 1]} Andy Gill and Spiro Razatos were hired as the stunt supervisors, and Nino Pansini was hired as the stunt cinematographer. Sabu Cyril and Marcus Wookey were responsible for the film's production design.^{[f 3][f 4]} The film's producer was Bobby Chawla, but Gauri Khan later stepped in after the former suffered a brain hemorrhage.^{[f 5]} Production took place at a number of studios, notably Filmistan Studios, Film City and Yash Raj Studios in India and the Black Hangar Studios in the UK.^{[f 6]}

Filming was to begin in Miami, but the idea was abandoned due to budget constraints.^{[f 7]} The first filming schedule began in Goa on March 21, 2010^{[f 8]} and continued until May.^{[f 9]} Production of the film's second and third phase took place in London with the entire cast, beginning in July 2010^{[f 10]} and ending in August.^{[f 11]} The film's next production phase was split into two schedules; the first schedule commenced at Filmistan Studios in the first week of September 2010,^{[f 11]} while the second schedule began in December 2010 and took place over a seven-day period.^{[f 12]} The remaining portions were filmed in a schedule and completed in July 2011 at Film City.^{[f 13]} Filming continued until a few weeks prior to release, with a cameo appearance being filmed at Whistling Woods Studios in Mumbai.^{[f 14]} A music video was also filmed one week prior to release.^{[f 15]}

The film's principal photography involved a number of action sequences, which were filmed in real locations and in sets. In total, there were two car-based and one train-based action sequences, filmed in London and Mumbai. The film's cinematography borrowed ideas from video gaming, such as rapid transitions between first-person and third-person perspectives.^{[f 4]} A number of procedures including bullet time were incorporated in the film.^{[f 16]} Filming was noted for the large number of cameras used, ranging from nine cameras to as many as 36 cameras for a single sequence. The film's production design was closely associated with the lighting and cinematography so as to facilitate smooth filming.^{[f 4]} However, filming faced a number of difficulties including increasing costs, delays, safety and time constraints. In addition, certain controversies regarding tensions on the sets and the presence of multiple directors were also encountered.^{[see main]}

Post-production[link]

The post-production of Ra.One involved a number of aspects such as stereoscopy, sound design, editing and visual effects. As with the filming crew, the post-production crew of the film included both Indian and overseas personnel.^{[t 2]} Sound designer Resul Pookutty was responsible for the film's sound design,^{[t 1]} with A. R. Rahman providing the background score for a single sequence.^{[t 3]} Sanjay Sharma and Martin Walsh carried out the film's editing.^{[d 10]} Prime Focus was responsible for the film's stereoscopic conversion,^{[t 4]} with London-based colorist Richard Fearon responsible for the color grading.^{[t 5]} Red Chillies VFX undertook the incorporation of the film's visual effects under the supervision of Jeffrey Kleiser,^{[t 6]} and partnered with a number of visual effects studios around the world to do so.^{[d 10][t 7]} Nvidia provided the information technology–based software utilized for the effects,^{[t 8]} while Edwark Quirk supervised over the CGI work in the film.^{[t 4]}

The idea for the film's stereoscopic conversion was put forth during filming, and was implemented in July 2011 due to a revived interest in 3D films.^{[d 4]} The process required 2,600 artists to convert 4,400 shots of the film.^{[t 5]} The film's sound design involved bridging reality and the virtual world,^{[t 9]} and the required sound enhancements were achieved by using the Dolby Surround 7.1 system.^{[t 1]} The incorporation of the visual effects began in April 2010,^{[t 10]} and was preceded by extensive research.^{[v 4]} The film's special effects shots were incorporated by 1,200 artists^{[t 11]} who worked for 2½ years.^{[f 16]} A number of complex effects were executed, including cloning and cubical transformations.^{[see main]}

Despite precautions,^{[t 7]} post-production faced significant delays owing to the digital inter-mediation, increased work-load due to the 3D and dubbed versions of the film, and delays in the delivery of the visual effects.^{[see main]} The post-production also faced budget constraints^{[t 6]} and witnessed an overuse of CGI.^{[f 4]} Only two days were available to finish the film and send it for printing, generating significant anxiety regarding the film's ability to release at the set date.^{[t 12]} Khan subsequently kept strict tabs on the progress of work,^{[t 13]} and postponed his knee surgery so as to complete the film on time.^{[t 14]}

Costumes[link]

The body suits worn by Khan and Rampal were designed by special effects experts Robert Kurtzman and Tim Flattery, and made by a team of specialists based in Los Angeles.^{[v 5]} Sinha spent around three months conceptualizing the costumes, watching various superhero films so as to design a costume not created already. He then wrote a 23-page document with his sketches and details of what he wanted, and gave it to the designers to work upon.^{[d 4]} To create the mold of the suit, Khan was required to enter into a small chamber where a warm latex-like liquid was released up to his neck and allowed to solidify, forming the mold which was then peeled off his body. The suit was joined by a concealed zipper and subsequently modified.^{[v 6]} Computer-generated embellishments such as light beams and electricity were added to the suits after Khan expressed dissatisfaction with the rushes of the film.^{[v 7]}

Each suit reportedly cost 1 crore (US$199,500). Khan's suit was made of reinforced latex, colored steel-blue and fitted with micro-computer circuitry.^{[v 6]} Rampal's suit was made of three-inch thick solid rubber, and was red in color. Both actors were required to wear additional suits inside their body suits so as to prevent skin contact.^{[v 2]} A total of 21 costumes were made for use in the film.^{[v 8]} Wearing the suits created a number of difficulties for the actors. It took 20 minutes to put on the suits and 40 minutes to remove them.^{[v 2]} In addition, the non-porous nature of the suits created intense heat inside, causing excessive perspiration despite the presence of special air conditioning ducts.^{[v 1]} A three-month delay was encountered when Khan's suit suffered a malfunction.^{[d 10]} Khan later felt that the suits' conception had been a mistake since filming occurred during the day; digital re-adjustments to the suits brought "all the efforts to naught."^{[d 7]}

Manish Malhotra designed the look and the costume of Kareena Kapoor for the song "Chammak Challo", which received widespread coverage in the media.^{[v 9]} Kapoor wore a red sari draped in the style of a dhoti.^{[v 10]} Since the release of the song, the costume gained widespread popularity, being termed a "fashion rage",^{[v 11]} so much so that the sari color became colloquially termed as "the Kareena wala red". The costume became popular even in overseas countries such as Mauritius. Fashion experts also applauded the costume and Kapoor's ability to carry it off "stunningly", though certain experts dismissed the naming of the sari color.^{[v 9][click here for more]}

Soundtrack[link]

The soundtrack of Ra.One was composed by Vishal-Shekhar, with the lyrics being written by Atahar Panchi, Vishal Dadlani and Kumaar.^{[v 12]} Initial speculation of Hans Zimmer composing the film's score^{[v 13]} was subsequently refuted. Sinha announced that R&B singer Akon would record two songs for the film, and the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra would also perform on the soundtrack;^{[v 12]} the former lent his vocals for "Chammak Challo" and "Criminal", while the latter performed in "Bhare Naina". The composers complied with international copyright laws and obtained the license to use Ben E. King's "Stand By Me", on which they based the song "Dildaara".^{[v 12]} The film's music rights were bought by T-Series for 15 crore (US$2.99 million).^{[t 1]}

The album features fifteen tracks, including seven original songs, four remixes, three instrumentals and an international version of "Chammak Challo".^{[v 12]} The album was released by T-Series on September 12, 2011 and the Tamil and Telugu versions were released on October 10, 2011 featuring six tracks each.^{[v 14]} The music of the film was dedicated to Yash Johar and Bobby Chawla.^{[v 15]} Upon release, the soundtrack met with an overwhelmingly positive critical reception and subsequently gained widespread international popularity.^{[see main]}

Marketing[link]

The producers of Ra.One spent 52 crore (US$10.37 million) for the promotional aspects of the film,^{[m 2]} of which 15 crore (US$2.99 million) was utilized for online promotions alone.^{[m 3]} Khan announced that the film would be subsidised through major brand ties-up.^{[m 4]} Marketing of the film began in December 2010 with the release of the film's theatrical poster,^{[m 1]} which was followed by the release of two teaser trailers during the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup.^{[m 5]} The film's first theatrical trailer was released three months later.^{[m 6]} Khan and Sinha embarked on a multi-city tour during which they unveiled a 3,600-feet fan mail to collect audience messages.^{[m 7]} The film' official website was launched on May 31, 2011, and subsequently an official YouTube channel for the film was unveiled.^{[m 8]} On October 20, 2011, Khan held a live chat with fans on Google Plus, the first time an Indian film personality had done so.^{[m 9]} The look of the film's titular antagonist, which had been kept under strict secrecy, was revealed in the final theatrical trailer.^{[m 10]}

The film's marketing utilized the concepts of merchandising and gaming so as to facilitate the creation of a franchise.^{[m 11]} Red Chillies Entertainment partnered with Sony Computer Entertainment Europe to create "Ra.One – The Game", a game for PlayStations which was released on October 5, 2011.^{[m 12]} On October 14, 2011, a gaming tournament featuring high-profile games like Call of Duty was conducted in Mumbai and telecast live on YouTube.^{[m 13]} The producers also collaborated with UTV Indiagames to design a social game titled Ra.One Genesis, with an independent storyline based on G.One.^{[m 11]} Khan tied up with Seventymm to market merchandise related to the film,^{[m 14]} which was also sold on the film's official website.^{[m 15]} Merchandise sold included watches, mobile pouches and tee-shirts.^{[see main]} UTV Indiagames also designed digital comics based on the film's characters.^{[m 16]}

Release[link]

Release statistics[link]

Country Listing
Color	Country	Color	Country	Color	Country
	India		Australia		Brazil
	China*		Canada		Greece
	Germany		Middle East		Italy
	South Korea		New Zealand		Pakistan
	United Kingdom		Russia		Singapore
	United States		Taiwan		Spain
Within India, Tamil Nadu and Kerala have been highlighted for the dubbed versions
* The release in China is unconfirmed as of 2011
References : [s 1] [s 2] [s 3] [s 4] [s 5] [s 6]

Ra.One surpassed several records among Indian films for the volume of theatrical release. In India, the film broke the record of the widest release previously held by Bodyguard (2011).^{[s 1]} Overseas, the film was expected to be released in around 1,500 screens among 904 prints.^{[s 7]} A partnership deal was being finalised by distributors in early October 2011 to allow the film to be released in China.^{[s 6]} The 3D version was released in 550 selected screens around the world.^{[s 1]} A week prior to release, multiplex owners throughout India decided to allot 95% of the total available screen space to the film.^{[s 8]} The film's release has been noted for its wide use of digital prints to lower distribution costs, release the film to a wider audience and reduce piracy.^{[s 6]} However, despite the measures taken, pirated versions of Ra.One were available on the Internet within hours of the film's release.^{[s 9]}

Screenings[link]

In May 2011, the first rushes of Ra.One were shown to the cast of Khan's other home production Always Kabhi Kabhi (2011).^{[f 17]} Actor Hrithik Roshan had also seen the film's rushes, and was reportedly impressed with them.^{[s 10]} A few days prior to release, Khan arranged for a special screening of the film's final cut in Yash Raj Studios, where he invited close friends, his family and the film's crew.^{[s 11]}

Khan, Kapoor and Rampal (l-r) at Ra.One's premiere in London

Between October 24 and 26, 2011, Ra.One had international premieres in Dubai, London and Toronto, all of which were chosen due to their international significance and significant South Asian populations.^{[s 12]} The first international premiere was held in Dubai on October 24, 2011 at the Grand Cinemas, Wafi. A high-profile dinner and charity auction were held, where Khan raised KWD30,000 to build a workshop for children with special needs.^{[s 4][s 13]} The premiere was the first Indian film to sell tickets for its shows and to have three simultaneous screenings for the event.

The London premiere of the film took place at the O₂ Cineworld the following day and the Toronto premiere took place at the TIFF Bell Lightbox on October 26, 2011.^{[s 14]} Lady Gaga had been rumored to attend the film's London premiere, but the idea failed to materialize due to a lack of time.^{[s 15]} Additionally, Kapoor could not attend the film's Toronto premiere due to a conflict with her scheduled appearance at Madame Tussauds.^{[s 16]}

Censor ratings[link]

On October 14, 2011, Ra.One was submitted to the Central Board of Film Certification to receive an official rating. Upon submitting the script, the Board raised strong objections to the film's action scenes; it was concerned that the film would influence young children, who might emulate the stunts. The Indian Railways security force and the police had made similar objections to the train-based stunts in the film, claiming that youngsters would "blindly imitate them" and hence put their lives at risk.^{[x 1]} After considerable deliberation, the film was passed with a 'U' certificate without cuts, but under the condition that prominent disclaimers were shown, stating that the stunts were computer-generated and should not be imitated.^{[x 2]} In March 2012, Ra.One faced allegations of receiving a favored censor rating from the Board; the producers were also charged with violating the rule of producers not meeting the Board officials during the censor screening.^{[x 3]}

Television and home media[link]

The television broadcasting rights for Ra.One were bought by Star India for a then-record sum of 35 crore (US$6.98 million), surpassing the previous record set by 3 Idiots.^{[x 4]} The Indian television premiere of Ra.One took place on January 21, 2012 on STAR Gold. The film garnered an audience rating of 6.7 and a market share of 28% for the channel.^{[x 5]} Discovery Channel tied up with RCE to air a special program titled "Revealed: The Making of Ra.One", a one-hour program which appeared on the channel on March 30, 2012. The program discussed the making of the film in detail, including the visual effects and the challenges faced while filming.^{[v 16]} In May 2012, International Media Distribution announced that Ra.One would be televised on Comcast and Cox free of cost, as a part of the celebrations of the Asian Pacific American Heritage Month.^{[x 6]}

Eros International released the DVD of Ra.One on December 13, 2011 across all regions in one-disc and two-disc packs complying with the NTSC format.^{[x 7]} The DVD of the film contained alternate endings. Initially, Khan had wanted to add alternate endings in the theatrical release itself, but later deemed it risky. The DVD version was made interactive as well.^{[x 8]} VCD and Blu-Ray versions of the film were also released.^{[x 9][x 10]}

Controversies[link]

After the beginning of principal photography, Ra.One faced allegations of plagiarism and similarities with other films. When questioned, Khan said, "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."^{[x 11]} Commenting on Enthiran, he said, "they [both] are different films."^{[x 12]} Subsequently, Ra.One faced a number of similar allegations of plagiarism, with special emphasis on the similarities with Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), the Batman series, Iron Man (2008), The Sorcerer's Apprentice (2010) and Tron: Legacy (2010).^{[x 13]}

The producers of Ra.One had taken a number of steps to prevent content leaks from the sets. The studios were upgraded and fitted with state-of-the-art equipment, and most of the computers were devoid of an Internet connection. The computers which did have the facility were closely monitored for the content that passed through them, with a separate log being maintained.^{[d 10]} Despite these precautions, the film's song "Chammak Challo" was leaked several months prior to the official soundtrack release, greatly upsetting the crew. Khan clarified that the leaked version was a "rough version" of the actual song, and that the person responsible for the leak was being looked for. He subsequently refuted claims that the leak had been engineered as a publicity stunt.^{[x 14]}

On June 3, 2011, three days after its launch, the official website of the film was hacked by suspected Pakistani cyber criminals who stated that the act was in revenge for a similar attack on a Karachi press club website. The hackers defaced the homepage and left a note threatening the Indian Press Club.^{[x 15]}

A few days before release, a scriptwriter Yash Patnaik claimed that Ra.One resembled a concept that he had developed several years back. Patnaik appealed to the Bombay High Court for a delay in the film's release, until he was given due credit or 10% of the film's overall profit.^{[x 16]} The court, observing prima facie evidence that there had been copyright violations, asked the filmmakers to deposit 1 crore (US$199,500) on October 21, 2011 with the court before releasing the film. However, Patnaik challenged the court decision and demanded that the producers give him credit and not cash.^{[x 17]} Sinha later claimed that he alone had developed the film's story.^{[x 18]}

Critical reception[link]

Upon release, Ra.One received mixed reviews from critics in India.^{[ri 1]} Some critics thought that the film had brought the level of Indian films to a par with Hollywood films, while others complained about the flawed script.^{[ri 2][ri 3]} According to the review aggregate website Review Gang, the film received an average rating of 50% based on 17 reviews.^{[ri 4]} Overseas, the film received generally positive reviews. Review aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes reported that 77% of 13 reviewers gave Ra.One a positive review, granting the film a "Fresh" rating. Among Rotten Tomatoes' top critics, comprising of notable reviewers from newspapers, magazines and television, Ra.One holds an approval rating of 83% based on six reviews.^{[ro 1]} On Metacritic, which assigns a weighted mean from film reviews, Ra.One holds a rating of 60% based on eight reviews, signifying "mixed or average reviews".^{[ro 2]}

India[link]

The ratings for the film provided by the reviewers have been tabulated. Below the table lies a collection of excerpts from the reviews, which can be matched to the respective rating as given in the table by seeing the source.

Review Scores
Source	Rating	Reference	Source	Rating	Reference
Bollywood Hungama		[ri 5]	Deccan Chronicle		[ri 6]
Filmfare		[ri 7]	The Times of India		[ri 8]
Subhash K. Jha		[ri 9]	Stardust		[ri 10]
Koimoi		[ri 11]	Indo-Asian News Service		[ri 12]
India Today		[ri 13]	Daily News and Analysis		[ri 14][ri 15]
Daily Bhaskar		[ri 16]	NDTV		[ri 17]
The Economic Times		[ri 18]	Mid-Day		[ri 17]
CNN-IBN		[ri 19]	Sify		[ri 20]
Rediff		[ri 21][ri 22][ri 23][ri 24] [ri 25][ri 26][ri 27]	Hindustan Times		[ri 28]
Zee News		[ri 29]	The Mumbai Mirror		[ri 30]
Mint		[ri 31]	The Indian Express		[ri 32]
Yahoo!	<1	[ri 33]	No exact review score available for Yahoo!
The presence of the symbol signifies that the given score is an average of the scores provided by the multiple reviews from that source

Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama said, "Ra.One is the most ambitious, most expensive and the most technologically complex Hindi film ever made. At the same time, it is very Indian at heart"; he was later criticised for "over-rating" the film.^{[ri 3]} Khalid Mohamed from Deccan Chronicle concluded, "Here's a technical accomplishment with as much heart as hardware". Filmfare wrote, "Ra.One is an enjoyable sci-fi and CGI fiesta that will transport you to a world of kooky fantasy and video game heroes." Nikhat Kazmi from The Times of India wrote that, "Ra.One is sure to usher in a crackling Diwali at the box office and give the audience paisa vasool entertainment." Subhash K Jha called the film "a saucy, sassy, scintillating super-hero film." Stardust stated that, "Ra.One is a visual treat with top notch computer graphics and other use of high-tech gadgetry." Komal Nahta of Koimoi praised the performances of the lead actors but commented that the story would be difficult for the older generation to comprehend. The Indo-Asian News Network described the film as "one of the classiest movies seen in the Hindi film industry." Kaveri Bamzai of India Today wrote, "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." Soumyadipta Banerjee of Daily News and Analysis said, "The real story is the way the film is carried forward and the special effects. It's worth a worth, but might not be a good idea to watch it for the second time around."

Aniruddha Guha of Daily News and Analysis said, "Ra.One is beautiful in appearance, but empty within." Sanchari Bhattacharya of Rediff called the film "escapist entertainment". Daily Bhaskar commented that, "Ra.One is a joyful cinematic experience for game enthusiasts." NDTV stated,"Ra.One is far too derivative to take anybody except the most gullible of moviegoers by genuine surprise." The Economic Times commented, "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." Rajeev Masand of CNN-IBN praised Khan's performance but argued that, "while this superhero film has plenty sound and fury, it's sorely lacking slickness." Sify.com wrote, "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." Sukanya Verma of Rediff wrote that, "The 3D version of Ra.One has nothing extra to offer." Mid-Day described the film as "a good enough germ of an idea, which is happily killed by interspersing it with below-the-belt humour and bollywoodisation."

Mayank Shekhar of Hindustan Times wrote, "Everything appears so visibly constructed and all over the place that you can look through the wires, rather than blend in with the experience." Arthur J. Pais of Rediff described the film as "a glorious mess." Aseem Chhabra of Rediff criticised the film for its muddled script and wrote that the film has a "forgettable quality." Abhishek Mande of Rediff called the film "SRK's most expensive midlife crisis" and wrote that it "could have been great fun but didn't live up." Zee News said that, "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." Mint panned the film, saying, "Anubhav Sinha's Ra.One is a spectacular disappointment." The Mumbai Mirror praised the action sequences but criticized the writing. Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express said that, "Ra.One is a super-starry slurry sludge, with just the occasional consolatory sparkle." Raja Sen of Rediff said, "It becomes tragically evident that Ra.One is a project born more out of vanity than passion." 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." Kunal Guha of Yahoo! panned the film and wrote that, "It's convenient to say that if you have no expectations from the film, you wouldn't be disappointed."

Overseas[link]

New York Daily News gave the film 4 out of 5 stars and wrote, "Ra.One has a witty sense of punky, gaming-style esthetics that American blockbusters try for but can't quite achieve."^{[ro 1]} Kevin Thomas of Los Angeles Times said, "The razzle-dazzle special effects and action stunts never overwhelm the story of enduring love that unfolds amid an intricate and inspired sci-fi odyssey".^{[ro 3]} The New York Times gave the film 3 out of 5 stars commenting, "Ra.One is a kind of entertainment machine set to dazzle, Hindi cinema with a crush on high-tech."^{[ro 4]} The Hollywood Reporter wrote, "India's first attempt at a superhero movie is both vigorous and emotionally fulfilling within the context of Bollywood traditions."^{[ro 5]} Salon.com wrote, "From dazzling dance numbers to post-Matrix action, Ra. One showcases Bollywood's confidence."^{[ro 6]} International Business Times praised the performance of Shahrukh Khan and stated, "Ra.One is an excellent superhero film; a complete entertainer."^{[ro 7]} The First Post praised the film and stated 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."^{[ro 8]} Gulf News called the film "a fun movie to catch."^{[ro 9]}

Variety gave the film a mixed review, and stated, "Along with Khan's presence, it's the effects that sell Ra.One, and they arrive more or less nonstop."^{[ro 10]} The Globe and Mail gave the film a star out of 4 and panned the movie as a whole.^{[ro 11]} Slant also gave it one out of four stars and wrote: "Ra.One champions an incoherently hackneyed kind of morality where filial piety matters more than treating your fellow man well."^{[ro 12]} Bloomberg rated the film with one out of four stars, and wrote, "Sadly, Khan and director Anubhav Sinha fail to understand the idiom of superhero cinema."^{[ro 13]} 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."^{[ro 14]}

Economics[link]

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Pre-release[link]

Prior to the film's release, a good deal of speculation was generated regarding the film's budget. A number of estimates placed the budget between 140 crore (US$27.93 million)^{[e 1]} and 200 crore (US$39.9 million).^{[d 10]} Despite the estimations, it was universally accepted that Ra.One was the most expensive Bollywood film of all time,^{[m 15]} with certain sources stating that the film was the most expensive Indian film ever.^{[e 2]} Khan revealed the film's budget as 125 crore (US$24.94 million),^{[e 3]} with reductions being obtained due to tax rebates. The film's high cost was a matter for concern regarding the aspect of recovery. However, the film earned 132 crore (US$26.33 million) as pre-release revenue, setting a new record for the level of revenue earned by a Bollywood film prior to release.^{[e 4]}

The film's extensive marketing subsequently increased audience expectations of the film; Ra.One set records for the level of pre-release buzz for a Bollywood film,^{[m 8]} and also topped a number of polls gauging the most awaited Bollywood films of the year.^{[e 5][e 6]} Anticipation for the film was equally high among the trade analysts, with some commenting that the film would pass 100 crore (US$19.95 million) in one week and 300 crore (US$59.85 million) in a little over three weeks.^{[x 4]}. The film's advance bookings commenced on October 20, 2011 in a limited scale, and expanded later. While advance bookings began slowly,^{[e 7]} they picked up considerably as the release approached; a few days prior to the release, the advance booking was described as "phenomenal",^{[e 7]} with an overall advance booking rate of 20-25% across the country.^{[e 8]} A number of advantages of the film's release slot were pointed out, such as festivities and 3D, though the 3D version's release had been doubtful just prior to the release date.^{[see main]}

Box office[link]

Box Office collections of Ra.One
Territory	Collections	Rank*	Relevant data	Reference
India	114.78 crore (US$22.9 million)	#3	Distributor share: 63.61 crore (US$12.69 million)	[e 9][e 10]
United States and Canada	$2,511,689	#2	-	[e 11]
Overseas (Outside India)	$9.2 million	#2	-	[e 12]
Worldwide	202 crore (US$40.3 million)**	#3	Including dubbed versions, estimated to be 240 crore (US$47.88 million)	[e 13][e 14]
* The rank column is indicative for the Bollywood films released in 2011; ** Hindi version only

In India, Ra.One debuted at the beginning of the five-day Diwali weekend, and subsequently broke the Diwali opening day record of Golmaal 3.^{[e 15]} The film then set the records for the biggest single-day net revenue and the biggest three-day opening weekend earned by a Bollywood film, breaking the previous records held by Bodyguard.^{[e 16][e 17]} Subsequently, the film began to show a lack of sustenance, with its five-day extended weekend and nine-day extended week coming second to the records of Bodyguard.^{[e 18][e 19]} The film faced an 84% drop in collections in its second week and fell a further 90% in its third week, the latter primarily due to the release of Rockstar.^{[e 20][e 21]} The dubbed versions showed a similar trending.^{[e 19]} In overseas markets, the film debuted to the highest three-day and five-day opening weekends of 2011;^{[e 22][e 23]} by its second weekend, the film had become the highest-grossing Bollywood film of 2011 in overseas markets, but the collections suffered drops throughout.^{[e 24]} In general, families and children comprised the major portion of the film's audience,^{[e 25]} and the 3D version is widely regarded a success.^{[e 26]}

Accolades[link]

Ra.One received numerous nominations and awards in India and abroad. Most of them were for the technical aspects of the film, such as visual effects, cinematography, sound design and action sequences. The film won the National Film Award and the Filmfare Award for Best Special Effects, four technical awards under the International Indian Film Academy Awards,^{[q 1]} three Star Screen Awards and six Zee Cine Awards.^{[q 2][q 3]} Ra.One also received several marketing and business awards for its promotions, distribution and music.^{[q 4]} On the other hand, the film received negative ("dishonorable") awards as well, primarily for the film itself. Ra.One won the titles of Worst Film and Worst Director at the Golden Kela Awards,^{[q 5]} and also won the Worst Film title at the Ghanta Awards.^{[q 6]} Despite a universally mixed reception, the visual effects of Ra.One received widespread praise from a number of industry people both in India and overseas.^{[see main]}

Sequel[link]

Prior to the release of Ra.One, reports surfaced that a sequel to the film was being planned. Sinha said in an interview, "Yes. Such films are inherently meant to be a franchise."^{[d 4]} Khan commented, "There should be a sequel; that's the tendency of all superhero films." Khan did admit that it was "presumptuous" to start the sequel before the first film's release, but he stated that he would do the sequel "faster, bigger and better" than Ra.One.^{[q 7]} However, several days after release, the rumors were refuted by Khan who said that a sequel was "unlikely" due to a busy schedule with other film projects.^{[q 8]} Subsequently, after Ra.One won a National Award, Khan was reported to have been overjoyed and stated that the film's world could be explored more. He stated that the sequel, if made, would be titled G.One and not Ra.Two. Khan was reported to be looking for a script to take the film forward, with no fixed deadline given due to the long film-making process. Khan commented, "A film like this requires a year-and-a-half of pre-production, so it's impossible for me to give you a time frame. I'm unsure if it'll even get made or if I'll use the technology in some other genre [...] I know it is going to be expensive, but perhaps the next film would be cheaper since I now have the technology."^{[q 9]} Mushtaq Sheikh, a close friend of Khan, confirmed the sequel and said that work on the film involving basic pre-production had begun.^{[q 10]} Multiple reports stated that Kapoor would not be a part of the sequel due to a variety of reasons.^{[q 11]}

Despite Khan's enthusiasm for the idea of a sequel, people from the film industry reacted in a lukewarm manner to the news. Filmmaker Rajkumar Gupta was skeptical of the sequel, commenting: "It’d be challenging to take forward a story that has not worked earlier." Noted film producer Ramesh Taurani also responded negatively to the idea, saying: "It is important for the film to be appreciated so that a sequel can be made." Trade analyst Atul Mohan called the sequel "a bad idea". Conversely, certain industry people were supportive of the sequel. Producer Goldie Behl brushed aside arguments about the success of the first film, saying: "if the people think that they can earn some more, then it doesn’t matter how big or small the hit was." Filmmaker Kunal Kohli also reacted positively, saying: "Certain ideas naturally lend themselves to sequels. So why not use that investment of your time and effort to make a sequel that will take the brand further?"^{[q 12]}

References[link]

Cast

Development and Title

Filming

Post-production

Costumes and Soundtrack

Marketing