Jump to content

Ra.One

This is a good article. Click here for more information.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Random access version one)

Ra.One
Theatrical release poster
Directed byAnubhav Sinha
Screenplay by
Dialogues by
Story byAnubhav Sinha
Produced byGauri Khan
Starring
Cinematography
Edited by
Music byVishal–Shekhar
Production
company
Distributed byEros International
Release dates
  • 24 October 2011 (2011-10-24) (Dubai)
  • 26 October 2011 (2011-10-26) (India)
Running time
156 minutes[1]
CountryIndia
LanguageHindi
Budget130 crore (US$16 million)[a]
Box office207 crore (US$25 million)[7][8]

Ra.One is a 2011 Indian Hindi-language superhero film directed by Anubhav Sinha and produced by Gauri Khan under Red Chillies Entertainment. The film stars Shah Rukh Khan in a dual role and Arjun Rampal as the titular antagonist, with Kareena Kapoor, Armaan Verma, Shahana Goswami, Tom Wu, Dalip Tahil and Satish Shah in supporting roles. The name is inspired by hindu mythological character Ravana. The film, Ra.One, a video game antagonist, escapes from the virtual world and arrives in the real world to hunt down Lucifer, the ID of Ra.One's creator Shekhar Subramaniam's son Prateek, as he had defeated Ra.One in a game. Shekhar gets killed by Ra.One, but Prateek resurrects G.One, the video game protagonist and Shekhar's lookalike, to defeat Ra.One and protect him and his family.

Principal photography began in March 2010 and took place in India and the United Kingdom and was overseen by an international crew. The post-production involved 3-D conversion and the application of visual effects, the latter being recognised as a technological breakthrough among Indian films. With a budget of 150 crore (equivalent to 309 crore or US$37 million in 2023),[9] inclusive of publicity costs, Ra.One was the most expensive Indian film at the time of release, surpassing the 132 crore (equivalent to 296 crore or US$35 million in 2023) budget of Enthiran (2010). The producers spent 150 crore (equivalent to 309 crore or US$37 million in 2023), including a 52 crore (equivalent to 107 crore or US$13 million in 2023) marketing budget, which involved a nine-month publicity campaign, brand tie-ups, merchandise, video games and viral marketing. The film faced controversies involving plagiarism, content leaks and copyright challenges.

Ra.One was theatrically released on 24 October 2011, the beginning of the five-day Diwali weekend, in 2D, 3D and dubbed versions in Tamil and Telugu languages with three international premieres being held between 24 October 2011 and 26 October 2011.[10] The film witnessed the largest international theatrical release for an Indian film as of 2011 and was preceded by high audience and commercial expectations. Upon release, Ra.One earned praise for the visual effects, action sequences, direction, music and the performances of Khan and Rampal, but criticism for the script. The film became the third highest-grossing Indian Hindi language film of 2011 domestically, the second highest-grossing Hindi film of 2011 worldwide, and broke a number of opening box office records. The film also earned more than 207 crore (US$25 million) worldwide against a budget of 150 crore (US$18 million), and was a commercial success.[11] It subsequently won a number of awards for its technical aspects, notably one National Film Award, one Filmfare Award and four International Indian Film Academy Awards. While initially mixed around its time of release, the film's reception has improved over the years.[12][13][14]

Plot

[edit]

In London, Jenny Nair, an employee of UK-based company Barron Industries, introduces a new technology that allows objects from the digital world to enter the real world using wireless transmissions from multiple devices. Shekhar Subramaniam, who also works for the company, is given a final chance to devise a unique video game. To impress his skeptical son Prateek and upon the request of his wife Sonia, Shekhar uses his son's idea that the antagonist should be more powerful than the protagonist.

Shekhar's colleague Akashi does the motion capture of the game's characters, Jenny does the programming, and Shekhar gives his face to the game's protagonist, G. One, while the antagonist, Ra. One, is faceless and has substantially greater powers than those granted to G. One, including shapeshifting and mind reading. Ra. One is imbibed with a self-learning AI. The two characters are given a H.A.R.T, which gives them powers, but also without which they can't be killed. The game has three levels, and either of the players can only be killed in the third level using a special gun that holds a single bullet, which destroys the opponent's H.A.R.T. While designing the game, Akashi notices some malfunctions but ignores them. When the game is finally launched, it receives a standing ovation, and Prateek is so impressed that he insists on playing it immediately.

Prateek logs in under the alias Lucifer and proceeds to the final level but is interrupted by Akashi. The self-aware Ra. One, being unable to end his turn with Lucifer, becomes determined that Lucifer shall die. When the mainframe fails to shut down, Akashi calls Shekhar, who notices a problem with the game. Ra. One uses the new technology to enter the real world, breaks free, and goes to find Lucifer. Ra. One first assumes Akashi's form and asks him about Lucifer. When Akashi fails to reply, Ra. One abruptly murders him. After finding the dead Akashi, Shekhar rushes home, but is confronted on the way by Ra. One. In an attempt to save Prateek, Shekhar claims that he is Lucifer, but Ra. One scans Shekhar's ID and kills him after discovering that he is lying.

Prateek notices the strange circumstances of his father's death and realises that Ra. One has come to life. Prateek and Jenny attempt to bring G.One to life. 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 after a fight with Ra. One, causes a gas explosion, which breaks Ra. One into cubes and temporarily disables him. G. One takes Ra. One's H.A.R.T., without which Ra. One is weakened but also cannot die. Sonia finds she cannot leave G. One and takes him along with them to India through Shekhar's passport. G. One promises Sonia that he will protect Prateek from all harm. Ra. One returns to life takes the form of a billboard model and tracks G. One and Prateek by infiltrating Baron's office.

During Prateek's birthday party, Ra. One hypnotizes 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. G. One saves Sonia just in the nick of time despite the train crashing and the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus getting destroyed. He had a brief moment with Sonia and returns to save Prateek. The game resumes with Prateek controlling G. One's moves. Following a lengthy fight, they successfully beat the first and second levels and 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, which leaves Ra. One helpless.

Furious, Ra. One creates ten copies of himself. Prateek is unable to differentiate the real Ra. One, and asks G.One to quote one of Shekhar's sayings, which was actually a hint in disguise: "If you join the forces of evil, its shadows shall always follow you." The pair then realise that only one of the ten Ra. Ones has a shadow. G. One shoots and destroys him. After absorbing Ra.One's remains, G. One transports himself back into the digital world. Several months later, Prateek and Sonia return to London, where Prateek finally manages to restore G. One to the real world.

Cast

[edit]

Additionally, Priyanka Chopra and Sanjay Dutt appears in cameos as the Desi Girl and Khal Nayak, respectively.[16] Delnaaz Irani as the school teacher aboard the hijacked train.[17] Amitabh Bachchan provides the voiceover for the introduction sequence of the game 'Ra.One' in the film. The character Chitti, played by Rajinikanth, from Enthiran appears in the film. The character is computer-generated and is not played by the actor himself.[18]

Production

[edit]

Development

[edit]

"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]

—Shahrukh Khan on Ra.One

According to director Anubhav Sinha, the idea of Ra.One originated in 2005 when he saw an advertisement on television which showed children remotely controlling a human. He was attracted to the concept and wrote a script based on it.[20][21] Sinha then approached Shah Rukh Khan, who liked the story and decided to produce the film under his production company Red Chillies Entertainment.[20] Sinha wasn't sure about retaining Khan's support after the former's previous film Cash (2007) became a commercial failure, but Khan reportedly "remained unchanged".[20]

Khan felt that the film possessed significant commercial potential in addition to being a fulfilment of his "childhood dream" to be a superhero and to fly.[22][23] He stated that he wanted to "make a film that gives me the right to deserve the iconic status that I've got for 20 years", and also said that he wanted to make a film dedicated to father-son relationships, which were, in his opinion, "neglected" in Bollywood.[24][25] Khan's idea was to make a simple family drama which expanded into an action film.[26] He declined to make the film in English to increase its appeal for Western audiences, feeling that "cracking Hollywood on their terms" was unnecessary.[27] Both Khan and Sinha credited their children for providing encouragement and regularly "approving" the film's execution.[20]

Red Chillies Entertainment continued to work on other projects before finalising the production aspects of Ra.One.[28] After providing the visual effects for My Name Is Khan (2010), the studio focused solely on Ra.One and did not take up any other films.[29] Khan initially approached a number of directors to helm the film, including Aditya Chopra and Karan Johar, but they declined; eventually, Sinha was made as the film's director.[30] To prepare the film's premises and characterisation, Sinha spent several months viewing video clips, digital art portals and comic books.[22] Sinha and Khan also watched around 200 superhero films from all over the world.[31] The storyboards were designed by Atul Chouthmal, who was contracted after he met Khan at Yash Raj Studios. While the former began work on the storyboards, the producers hired a storyboard artist from Hollywood. Chouthmal revealed that Khan and the other artist differed on their visions of the film, and so he was brought back.[32] Before filming, Khan reportedly took tips from actor Kamal Haasan regarding the production of large-scale films, having been impressed by Haasan's Dasavathaaram (2008).[33]

"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."[34]

—Shahrukh Khan, on the title of the film

The title of the film received significant media attention due to it being the name of the antagonist rather than the protagonist.[35] The move was considered innovative and noted as a sign of the "rising importance of the villain in Bollywood."[36][37] According to Sinha, the title had not been planned as such, and was ultimately chosen because Ra.One "sounded cooler" than G.One.[38] Khan was advised to name the film after his own character; he declined to do so, citing the inter-dependence between good and evil.[39] He also called Alfred Hitchcock as his inspiration, and pointed out that the antagonists in films like Sholay, Mr. India and Sadak were better remembered than the protagonists.[34][35]

Casting

[edit]

Shah Rukh Khan was the first actor to be cast in the film.[20] Kareena Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra and Asin had initially been considered for the lead female role; Kareena Kapoor was ultimately chosen because she insisted on playing the part.[40] Arjun Rampal accepted the role of Ra.One after Anubhav Sinha expressed a strong desire to cast him in the film.[41] Tom Wu was contracted to the film in July 2010 and Shahana Goswami was cast one month later.[42][43] Amitabh Bachchan agreed to be a part of the film after being requested by Khan and Sinha.[44] Several cast members prepared extensively for their roles; Rampal and Kapoor followed special diets to lose weight,[45][46][47] Khan and Verma performed their own stunts and Kapoor subsequently did so as well despite initial reluctance.[47][27][48]

The cast encountered problems during production, Khan faced difficulties with his superhero suit and prosthetic makeup and injured his left knee.[49][50][51] The decision to cast Rampal was met with scepticism due to "questionable acting abilities", a statement Sinha criticised.[21] In addition, Rampal encountered back problems (which were treated by the time production began),[41] prompting speculation of a possible replacement by Vivek Oberoi.[52] Jackie Chan had initially been approached for the role of Aakaashi, but he declined the offer.[53] Rajinikanth suffered from health problems which caused a delay in the filming of his cameo appearance.[54] Sanjay Dutt faced a scheduling conflict with Agneepath (2012), which was later resolved.[55]

Principal photography

[edit]

The crew of Ra.One featured both Indian and overseas personnel. Nicola Pecorini served as the director of photography with V. Manikandan providing assistance.[22] 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 production design.[56][57] The film's producer was Bobby Chawla, but Gauri Khan later stepped in after the former suffered a brain haemorrhage.[58] Filming 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.[59]

Principal photography was initially set to begin in Miami, but the idea was abandoned due to budget constraints.[60] The first phase of filming began in Goa on 21 March 2010 and continued until May.[61][62] The second and third phases took place in London with the entire cast, beginning in July 2010 and ending in August.[63][64] The next phase was split into two schedules; the first schedule commenced at Filmistan Studios in the first week of September 2010, while the second schedule began in December 2010 and took place over a seven-day period.[64][65] The remaining portions were filmed in July 2011 at Film City.[66] A cameo appearance and a music video were filmed in the weeks leading up to the release, the former at the Whistling Woods Studios in Mumbai.[67][68]

Ra.One featured three major action sequences, which were filmed in sets and real locations across Mumbai and London. The cinematography borrowed ideas from video games, such as rapid transitions between first-person and third-person perspectives.[57] Procedures such as bullet time were also incorporated into the film.[69] The production design was closely associated with the lighting and cinematography to facilitate smooth filming.[57] However, filming faced a number of difficulties including increasing costs, delays and safety constraints.[38] In addition, differences between Khan and Sinha caused tensions on the sets.[58]

Post-production

[edit]

As with the filming crew, the post-production crew of the film included both Indian and overseas personnel.[70] Prime Focus carried out the film's 3-D conversion with London-based colorist Richard Fearon performing the colour grading.[71][72] Red Chillies VFX partnered with a number of visual effects studios around the world and undertook the incorporation of the visual effects under the supervision of Jeffrey Kleiser.[21][73] Nvidia provided the information technology–based software utilised for the effects, while Edwark Quirk supervised over the computer-generated imagery used in the film.[74][71] Resul Pookutty was responsible for the film's sound design.[22]

Kleiser (right) and Shahrukh Khan on the sets of Ra.One

The idea for converting the film to 3-D was put forth during filming, and was implemented in July 2011 due to a revived interest in 3-D films.[20] The process required 2,600 artists to convert 4,400 shots of the film.[72] The sound design involved bridging the real and the virtual world,[75] and the required sound enhancements were achieved by using the Dolby Surround 7.1 system.[22] Incorporating the visual effects began in April 2010,[76] and was preceded by extensive research.[29] 1,200 artists worked for 212 years to complete the visual effects work.[77] A number of complex procedures were executed, including cubical transformations and the design of the faceless form of Ra.One.[29][69]

Despite precautions,[21] the post-production faced significant delays owing to the digital inter-mediation,[78] increased work-load due to the 3-D and dubbed versions of the film,[79] and delays in the completion of the visual effects.[80] The post-production also faced budget constraints[73] and witnessed an overuse of CGI according to the cinematographer.[57] The delays left only two days for printing the film and sending it to theatres, generating significant anxiety over a possible delay in the release.[80] Khan subsequently kept strict tabs on the progress of work and postponed his knee surgery to complete the film on time.[78][81]

Costumes

[edit]
A man staring at an unseen object, wearing a grey costume.
G.One's costume prior to the addition of visual effects

The bodysuits worn by Khan and Rampal were designed by Robert Kurtzman and Tim Flattery, and made by a team of specialists based in Los Angeles.[82] Sinha spent around three months conceptualising the costumes, watching various superhero films to design a costume, which is 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.[20] To create the suit, Khan was required to enter a small chamber where a warm latex-like liquid was released up to his neck and allowed to solidify, forming the mould which was then peeled off his body. The suit was joined by a concealed zipper and subsequently modified.[83] Computer-generated embellishments such as light beams and electricity were added to the suits after Khan expressed dissatisfaction with the initial rushes of the film.[84] A total of 21 costumes were made for the film, with each suit reportedly costing 10 million (US$120,000).[85]

Khan's suit was made of reinforced latex, coloured steel-blue and fitted with micro-computer circuitry.[83] Rampal's suit was made of three-inch thick solid rubber, and was red in colour. Both actors were required to wear additional suits inside their body suits to prevent skin contact.[45] 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.[45] In addition, the non-porous nature of the suits created intense heat inside, causing excessive perspiration despite the presence of special air conditioning ducts.[49] Khan later felt that the suits' conception had been a mistake since filming occurred during the day; digital adjustments to the suits brought "all the efforts to naught".[24]

Manish Malhotra designed the look and the costume of Kareena Kapoor for the song "Chammak Challo", which received widespread media coverage.[86] Kapoor wore a red sari draped in the style of a dhoti.[87] Since the release of the song, the costume was termed a "fashion rage",[88] becoming popular in India and some overseas countries. Fashion experts applauded the costume and Kapoor's ability to carry it off "stunningly", though certain experts dismissed the naming of the sari colour.[86]

Music

[edit]

The soundtrack of Ra.One was composed by Vishal–Shekhar, with the lyrics being written by Atahar Panchi, Vishal Dadlani and Kumaar.[89] A. R. Rahman provided the background score for a single sequence.[90] Sinha announced that R&B singer Akon and the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra would be a part of the soundtrack;[89] the former lent his vocals for "Chammak Challo" and "Criminal", while the latter performed in "Bhare Naina". The composers obtained the official license to use Ben E. King's "Stand By Me", on which they based the song "Dildaara".[89] The soundtrack contains fifteen tracks, including seven original songs, four remixes, three instrumentals and an international version of "Chammak Challo".[89] The music rights were bought by T-Series for 150 million (US$1.8 million).[22] The Hindi version of the soundtrack was released on 21 September 2011; the Tamil version was released on 5 October 2011 and Telugu version was released on 9 October 2011 respectively, featuring six tracks each.[91]

Marketing

[edit]

Promotion

[edit]
Ra.One's poster featuring Arjun Rampal. This look was kept in secrecy throughout the production of the film until release.

The producers of Ra.One spent 100 million (US$1.2 million) out of a 520 million (US$6.2 million) marketing budget,[92] 150 million (US$1.8 million) of this was utilised for internet promotions alone.[93] The film's first theatrical poster was released in December 2010,[26] and was followed by the release of two teaser trailers during the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup.[94] The first theatrical trailer premiered three months later.[95] Khan and Sinha undertook a multi-city tour during which they unveiled a 3,600 feet-long piece of fan mail to collect audience messages.[96] The official website of Ra.One was launched on 31 May 2011, and an official YouTube channel for the film was subsequently unveiled.[97] On 20 October 2011, Khan held a live chat with fans on Google Plus, the first time an Indian film personality had done so.[98] Rampal's look in the film, which had been kept secret,[99] was revealed in late October 2011.[100]

The film's marketing utilised merchandise and games to facilitate the creation of a franchise.[101] Khan marketed merchandise related to the film,[102] which included toys, PC tablets and apparel.[103] On 14 October 2011, a gaming tournament featuring games like Call of Duty was conducted in Mumbai and telecast live on YouTube.[104]

Video game

[edit]

Red Chillies Entertainment partnered with Sony Computer Entertainment Europe to create "Ra.One – The Game", a game for PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3 which was released on 5 October 2011.[105] The producers further collaborated with UTV Indiagames to design a social game titled Ra.One Genesis, with an independent plot based on G.One,[101] in addition to designing digital comics based on the film's characters.[106]

Release

[edit]

Theatrical

[edit]

Ra.One released along with Vijay's Velayudham on 26 October 2011 worldwide.[107]

Statistics

[edit]

In India, the Hindi version of Ra.One was released across more than 4,000 plus screens worldwide- 3,100 screens in 2,100 theatres, breaking the record for the widest Hindi film release previously held by Salman Khan's Bodyguard (2011).[108][109] The Tamil and Telugu versions were released on 275 prints and 125 prints respectively.[110] A week before the release, multiplex owners throughout India decided to allot 95% of the total available screen space to the film.[111] Overseas, Ra.One was released in 904 prints.[112] This including 600 prints in Germany, 344 prints in the US, 200–300 prints in South Korea, 202 prints in the UK, 79 prints in the Middle East, 75 prints in Russia, 51 prints in Australia, 49 prints in Canada and 25 prints in New Zealand and Taiwan.[113] In early October 2011, a partnership deal was being finalised by the distributors to allow the film to be released in China across 1,000 prints.[114] In addition, the film was released in Pakistan and non-traditional territories like Brazil, Spain, Italy, Greece and Hong Kong.[115] The 3D version was released in 550 screens across the world.[108] Ra.One was noted for the extensive use of digital prints, reportedly making up 50–60% of the total release;[114] in India, the film was exhibited in over 1,300 digital theatres, breaking the record previously held by Bodyguard.[108] The wide digital release was implemented to lower distribution costs, make the film accessible to a wider audience and reduce piracy.[114] Despite the measures taken, pirated versions of Ra.One were available on the Internet within hours of the film's release.[116]

Screenings

[edit]

In May 2011, the first rushes of Ra.One were shown to the cast of Khan's other home production Always Kabhi Kabhi (2011).[117] Subsequently, the film was screened for test audiences to study and gauge the film's appeal across different age groups.[118] A few days prior to the theatrical release, Khan arranged 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.[119] Between 24 and 26 October 2011, Ra.One had international premieres in Dubai, London and Toronto, all of which were chosen due to their international significance and large South Asian populations.[120] The premiere in Dubai was held on 24 October 2011 at the Grand Cinemas, Wafi. A high-profile dinner and charity auction followed, where Khan raised AED30,000 (approximately US$8,200) to build a workshop for children with special needs.[121] The premiere included three simultaneous screenings of the film, for which tickets were placed on sale for the public.[122] The premiere in London took place at the O2 Cineworld the following day, and the premiere in Toronto took place at the TIFF Bell Lightbox on 26 October 2011.[123]

Censorship

[edit]

Ra.One was submitted to the Central Board of Film Certification on 14 October 2011 to receive its viewership rating. The Board raised strong objections to the film's action scenes, fearing that they would influence young children to emulate the stunts. The police and the Indian Railways security force 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.[124] The film was finally 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.[125] The British Board of Film Classification rated the film 12A for "moderate fantasy violence".[1] In March 2012, a Mid-Day report alleged that Ra.One had received a favourable rating, pointing out that the producers had violated the rules by meeting the Board officials during the screening.[126]

Plagiarism allegations

[edit]

The film faced allegations of plagiarism with similarities to Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), the Batman series, Iron Man (2008), The Sorcerer's Apprentice (2010) and Tron: Legacy (2010).[127][128] Khan denied the allegations, saying, "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."[129]

A few days before the release, screenwriter Yash Patnaik claimed that Ra.One resembled a concept that he had developed several years before. Patnaik appealed to the Bombay High Court to delay the film's release, until he was given due credit or 10% of the film's overall profit.[130] The court, observing prima facie evidence that there had been copyright violations, asked the filmmakers to deposit 10 million (US$120,000) with the court on 21 October 2011 before releasing the film. Patnaik challenged the court's decision and demanded that the producers give him credit and not cash.[131] Sinha later claimed that he alone had developed the film's story.[132]

Hacking incident

[edit]

Ra.One also faced cybertheft and hacking issues. On 3 June 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.[133] Despite precautions, the song "Chammak Challo" was leaked several months before the official release of the soundtrack. Khan clarified that the leaked song 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.[134]

Home media

[edit]

The television broadcasting rights for Ra.One were bought by Star India for a then-record sum of ₹350 million, surpassing 3 Idiots (2009).[135] The Indian television premiere of Ra.One took place on 21 January 2012 on STAR Gold, garnering a 28% market sharefor the channel and a TVR of 6.7.[136] Star India subsequently syndicated the television screening rights to Disney XD, where it premiered on 2 June 2012.[137] In May 2012, International Media Distribution announced that Ra.One would be televised on Comcast and Cox, as a part of the celebrations of the Asian Pacific American Heritage Month.[138] Discovery Channel tied up with Red Chillies Entertainment to produce a one-hour program titled "Revealed: The Making of Ra.One", which aired on the channel on 30 March 2012. The program discussed the making of the film in detail, including the visual effects and the challenges faced while filming.[69]

Eros International released the DVD of Ra.One on 13 December 2011 across all regions in one-disc and two-disc packs complying with the NTSC format.[139] The DVD of the film contained alternate endings. Initially, Khan had wanted to add alternate endings to the theatrical release itself, but later deemed it risky. The DVD version was made interactive as well.[140] VCD and Blu-ray versions of the film were also released.[141][142]

The German Blu-ray edition was released on 1 June 2012 by Rapid Eye Movies.[143] On 24 July 2013, French distributor Condor released the film as Voltage on 3D Blu-ray. It was released in a SteelBook edition containing the 3D/2D Blu-ray discs and the DVD.[144] The same year, Japanese distributor Maxam released the Blu-ray on 27 September 2013.[145]

Reception

[edit]

Box office

[edit]
Territory Collections Reference
India ₹1.14 billion** [146][147]
Distributor share:
₹636.1 million**
Overseas (outside India) $10,950,099 (₹511 million)
$10.8 million (excluding Japan) [148]
$2,511,689 (United States–Canada)
$150,099 (₹7,004,153) (Japan) [8]
Worldwide ₹2.081 billion ($45 million) [7][8]
₹2,073,862,500 (Hindi)** (excluding Japan) [7]
Symbols
* For 2011 Hindi film releases only; ** Hindi version only; % Estimate

In India, Ra.One debuted at the beginning of the five-day Diwali weekend, and subsequently broke the Diwali opening day record.[149] The film then set the records for the biggest single-day net revenue and the biggest three-day opening weekend earned by a Hindi film, breaking the previous records held by Bodyguard.[150][151]

Subsequently, the film began to suffer significant drops in its collections, with its five-day extended weekend and nine-day extended week coming second to the records of Bodyguard.[152] The film faced an 84 percent drop in collections in its second week and fell a further 90 percent in its third week, the latter primarily due to the release of Rockstar.[153][154] The dubbed versions showed similar trends.[152] The Tamil and Telugu versions together earned around ₹50 million nett.[148]

In overseas markets, Ra.One earned the highest three-day and five-day opening weekends among the Hindi film releases of 2011;[155][156] by its second weekend, the film had become the highest-grossing Hindi film of 2011 in overseas markets, but the collections suffered drops throughout.[157] In general, families and children formed the major portion of the film's audience,[158] and the 3D version is regarded as a success.[159]

Pre-sale record

[edit]

The budget of Ra.One was the subject of significant speculation prior to its release. A number of estimates placed the budget between 1.4 billion (US$17 million)[160] and 2.0 billion (US$24 million). It was universally accepted that the film was the most expensive Bollywood film of all time,[103] with certain sources stating that the film was the most expensive Indian film ever.[161] The original budget was revealed to be 1.30 billion (US$16 million) after promotional expenses.[148] Khan stated that he had "worked very hard" to finance the film without borrowing money,[162] and reportedly hosted a television show just to finance the film.[163] Ra.One earned 1.32 billion (US$16 million) from pre-release revenue sources, setting a new record for Bollywood films.[164]

The extensive marketing campaign greatly increased audience expectations of the film. Ra.One set records for the level of pre-release buzz for an Indian film,[97] and also topped a number of polls gauging the most awaited Bollywood films of the year.[165][166] Anticipation for the film was equally high among the trade analysts, with some commenting that the film would pass the 1 billion (US$12 million) mark in one week and the 3 billion (US$36 million) mark in over three weeks.[135] Advance bookings commenced on 20 October 2011 on a limited scale, and expanded later. While initial ticket sales were low,[167] they picked up considerably near the release date. A few days prior to the release, the advance booking was described as "phenomenal",[167] with an overall advance booking rate of 20–25% across the country.[168] A number of advantages of the film's release were pointed out, such as the festive season and higher 3D ticket prices, though there had been doubt regarding the timely release of the 3D version.[169]

Critical response

[edit]

Upon release, Ra.One received mixed reviews from critics in India[170] and generally positive reviews overseas. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported a 61% approval rating, based on 23 reviews with an average rating of 5.41/10.[171] 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".[172]

"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."[173]

Zee News review; contrarily, several other reviews praised the film's entertainment value.[174][175]

Positive reviews described the film as an ambitious initiative and a technological success, with some critics thinking that Ra.One had put Indian films on par with Hollywood.[176][177] The visual effects received near-universal praise, though dissenting opinions stated that they were "all over the place".[178] The action sequences were also widely praised.[179][180] Other aspects of the film received more polarising opinions, and one very positive review was criticised for "over-rating" the film.[181] Mixed views were opined regarding the plot's gaming concept, with some critics deeming it "far-fetched" and others lauding the "gaming-style aesthetics".[171][182] Similarly, some critics called the emotional scenes "fulfilling" while others felt them to be "lacking in connect with the audience".[183][184] Raja Sen of Rediff.com gave a 1.5 out of 5 star rating explaining that "Ra.One is a subpar superhero film with a mediocre soundtrack and occasionally terrific effects. For those of you looking to compare, it's well below Krrish on the super-pecking order, and far, far below Robot."[185]

The story was negatively received by several critics, with a number of them deeming it to be disappointing and lacking in originality;[179][186] one critic praised the original idea but criticised its "Bollywoodization".[187] The direction was criticised in a number of reviews, though a few critics praised Sinha's pacing of the film and the execution of the action sequences.[180][182] Some critics pointed to the presence of scenes which were not child-friendly, despite Ra.One being promoted as a children's film.[188] Particular reviews criticised the lack of character development and the film's "incoherently hackneyed morality".[189][190] A few critics panned the film as a whole, describing it as a "mess";[191] one review commented, "It's convenient to say that if you have no expectations from the film, you wouldn't be disappointed."[192]

Accolades

[edit]

After its release, Ra.One received numerous nominations and awards in India and abroad, a majority of them for its technical aspects. The film notably won the National Film Award and the Filmfare Award for Best Special Effects,[193][194] and four International Indian Film Academy Awards.[195] The film also received several business awards for its marketing and distribution.[196]

Potential sequel

[edit]

"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."

—Khan, on the possible release of a sequel[197]

Reports of a planned sequel of Ra.One began surfacing prior to the film's release, though the extent of real progress on the sequel is unknown. Both Khan and Sinha admitted to formulating plans for a sequel, though the former noted that it would be "presumptuous" to start the sequel before the first film's release.[198] Khan later refuted the speculations, saying that a sequel was unlikely due to his other commitments.[199] After Ra.One won a National Award, an "overjoyed" Khan said that the film's world could be further explored. He stated that the sequel, if made, would be titled G.One and not Ra.Two, and that he would make it "faster, bigger and better" than Ra.One.[200] Khan was reported to be looking for a script, without a fixed release date.[201] In April 2012, Mushtaq Sheikh said that the pre-production of the sequel had begun.[200] A number of reports stated that Kareena Kapoor would not be a part of the sequel.[202]

Despite Khan's enthusiasm for the idea of a sequel, the film industry expressed mixed opinions regarding it. Filmmaker Rajkumar Gupta commented, "It would be challenging to take forward a story that has not worked earlier." Producer Ramesh Taurani 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, others 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." Director 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?"[197]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "RA.ONE (12A) – British Board of Film Classification". 26 October 2011. Archived from the original on 16 October 2022. Retrieved 1 October 2012.
  2. ^ "'SRK Did It First' Fans Dig Up Old Interview To Compare VFX In 'Ra.One' & 'Brahmastra'". MensXP. 13 September 2022. Archived from the original on 14 October 2022. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
  3. ^ "The big bet on Ra.One". The Financial Express. 30 March 2011. Archived from the original on 14 October 2022. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
  4. ^ "Ra.One director: Will give both arms and legs to work with Shah Rukh Khan again". India Today. 9 June 2019. Archived from the original on 14 October 2022. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
  5. ^ "Ra. One – A 150 crores affair? The real picture". Bollywood Hungama. 12 April 2011. Archived from the original on 16 June 2021. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
  6. ^ "SRK goes larger than life with RA.One". NDTV. Archived from the original on 14 October 2022. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
  7. ^ a b c "Ra.One - Movie - Budget - Worldwide Collection". Box Office India. Archived from the original on 16 October 2022. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
  8. ^ a b c "Japan's love for Indian films continues to rise". Moneycontrol. 9 February 2019. Archived from the original on 9 February 2019. Retrieved 9 February 2019.
  9. ^ "Despite Rs 170cr income, RA.One not a hit?". 2 November 2011. Archived from the original on 28 August 2016. Retrieved 26 June 2016.
  10. ^ "How Shah Rukh Khan's Ra.One Will Recover Rs. 150 Crore". Koimoi. 19 September 2011. Archived from the original on 6 May 2022. Retrieved 6 May 2022.
  11. ^ "Ra.One - Movie". Box Office India. Archived from the original on 22 January 2018. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
  12. ^ "Anubhav Sinha believes Ra.One was 'harshly judged' when it released, says people now call it 'ahead of its time'". Indian Express. June 2023. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
  13. ^ "Anubhav Sinha reacts to Ra.One being called a film 'ahead of its times'; says, "I am a big believer of how long a film lives determines its legacy"". Bollywood Hungama. June 2023. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
  14. ^ "Anubhav Sinha reacts to Shah Rukh Khan starrer Ra.One being called ahead of its time after 12 years". Times of India. June 2023. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
  15. ^ "Karan Johar hates me: Suresh Menon". IANS. 23 July 2010. Retrieved 26 October 2024 – via Hindustan Times.
  16. ^ Lalwani, Vickey (9 July 2011). "Shah Rukh Khan gives Priyanka Chopra a RA.One cameo". Mumbai Mirror. Retrieved 26 October 2024 – via The Times of India.
  17. ^ "Delnaaz Irani pleads for work, says social media influencers are given more importance than actors with 30 years' experience". The Indian Express. 3 December 2022. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
  18. ^ "Exclusive: Rajinikanth in Ra.One is not the real one!". Daily Bhaskar. 29 October 2011. Archived from the original on 1 November 2011. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
  19. ^ Bhandari, Ankita (14 September 2011). "SRK: Gauri is the true 'Wonder Woman' for tolerating me". Daily Bhaskar. Archived from the original on 7 May 2012. Retrieved 14 September 2011.
  20. ^ a b c d e f g Dedhia, Sonil (17 October 2011). "For me, Gandhi was a superhero". Rediff. Archived from the original on 17 April 2012. Retrieved 1 May 2012.
  21. ^ a b c d Dedhia, Sonil (13 October 2011). "'The best special effects of Ra.One happened in Mannat'". Rediff. Archived from the original on 3 July 2012. Retrieved 1 May 2012.
  22. ^ a b c d e f Pal, Chandrima (25 September 2011). "Ra.One challenges Shahrukh Khan, the star". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 19 September 2012. Retrieved 26 September 2011.
  23. ^ "Ra.One is SRK's childhood dream". Mid-Day. 6 May 2010. Archived from the original on 4 January 2012. Retrieved 20 April 2012.
  24. ^ a b Singh, Harneet (23 October 2011). "'I've gone wrong more often than I've gone right. Maybe that's why I'm successful'". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 26 January 2013. Retrieved 25 April 2012.
  25. ^ "Ra.One is dedicated to all the fathers". Mid-Day. 22 September 2010. Archived from the original on 1 May 2012. Retrieved 20 April 2012.
  26. ^ a b Jamkhandikar, Shilpa (13 October 2011). "A minute with: Shahrukh Khan". Reuters. Archived from the original on 24 January 2012. Retrieved 13 October 2011.
  27. ^ a b Jha, Subhash K (22 February 2010). "Shahrukh bonds with Leonardo DiCaprio, Martin Scorsese at Berlin". Bollywood Hungama. Archived from the original on 22 April 2012. Retrieved 26 February 2010.
  28. ^ Dasgupta, Sagorika; Shah, Jigah (25 September 2011). "Ra.One: decoded". BoxOfficeIndia.co.in. Archived from the original on 9 March 2012. Retrieved 28 September 2011.
  29. ^ a b c Narang, Mamta (10 June 2011). "Ra.One: India's Iron Man". Animation World Network. Archived from the original on 2 May 2012. Retrieved 15 October 2011.
  30. ^ "I approached Karan, Adi for Ra.One: Shahrukh Khan". NDTV. 11 October 2011. Archived from the original on 14 December 2011. Retrieved 11 October 2011.
  31. ^ Tuteja, Joginder (15 June 2011). "Shahrukh's homework for Ra.One? Watch 200 superhero films". Bollywood Hungama. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 15 October 2011.
  32. ^ M Shah, Kunal (18 March 2011). "SRK takes to doodling". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 12 May 2013. Retrieved 27 April 2012.
  33. ^ KBR, Upala (18 March 2010). "Who is SRK taking tips from for his next Ra.One?". Mid-Day. Archived from the original on 14 June 2013. Retrieved 20 April 2012.
  34. ^ a b "SRK takes cue from Alfred Hitchcock". Mid-Day. Indo-Asian News Service. 2 June 2011. Archived from the original on 15 June 2013. Retrieved 20 April 2012.
  35. ^ a b Sinha, Seema (1 June 2011). "SRK's Ghajini moment?". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 5 November 2011. Retrieved 20 April 2012.
  36. ^ Das, Soumitra (23 October 2011). "Innovation, the keyword behind Ra.One: SRK". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 12 May 2013. Retrieved 20 April 2012.
  37. ^ "Ra.One, Ghajini, Don: Bollywood's obsession with the villain". Koimoi. 13 March 2012. Archived from the original on 24 April 2012. Retrieved 20 April 2012.
  38. ^ a b A Khan, Rubina (21 October 2011). "Q&A with Ra.One director Anubhav Sinha". The First Post. Mumbai Boss. Archived from the original on 19 April 2012. Retrieved 19 April 2012.
  39. ^ Khan, Nazia (25 October 2011). "Shahrukh Khan takes Dubai by storm". Ahlan! Live. Archived from the original on 5 February 2012. Retrieved 20 April 2012.
  40. ^ "How Kareena Kapoor ousted Priyanka Chopra and Asin for Ra.One". Koimoi. 31 October 2011. Archived from the original on 24 August 2012. Retrieved 11 April 2012.
  41. ^ a b "Back in action". Mumbai Mirror. 8 March 2010. Archived from the original on 29 January 2013. Retrieved 18 April 2012.
  42. ^ "Chinese-American actor Tom Wu to star in Ra.One". Bollywood Hungama. 27 July 2010. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 22 August 2010.
  43. ^ "Shahana signs up for Ra.One". Mid-Day. 15 April 2010. Archived from the original on 9 September 2011. Retrieved 19 April 2012.
  44. ^ "Now, Big B to be part of Ra.One". Hindustan Times. 8 October 2011. Archived from the original on 21 January 2012. Retrieved 14 June 2012.
  45. ^ a b c Bhattacharya, Roshmila (24 October 2011). "Ra.One has been worth it: Arjun Rampal". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 27 December 2011. Retrieved 15 March 2012.
  46. ^ "Kareena's 3 diets for her look in Ra.One". Mid-Day. NDTV. 10 January 2011. Archived from the original on 25 May 2024. Retrieved 15 March 2012.
  47. ^ a b "Meet Shahrukh Khan's son". Rediff. 13 October 2011. Archived from the original on 19 April 2012. Retrieved 18 March 2012.
  48. ^ "Kareena in action mode". Movie Talkies. NDTV. 25 May 2011. Archived from the original on 28 May 2011. Retrieved 24 April 2012.
  49. ^ a b "SRK's on a mission". The Times of India. 15 September 2010. Archived from the original on 12 May 2013. Retrieved 15 March 2012.
  50. ^ "Ra.One interesting facts". India Today. 25 October 2011. Archived from the original on 20 April 2012. Retrieved 15 March 2012.
  51. ^ Shelar, Jyoti (14 September 2011). "Workload takes toll on Shahrukh Khan". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 19 September 2012. Retrieved 18 March 2012.
  52. ^ "Vivek Oberoi can replace Arjun in Ra.One". The Times of India. 5 February 2010. Archived from the original on 25 May 2013. Retrieved 17 April 2012.
  53. ^ Vyavahare, Renuka (10 February 2010). "Jackie Chan's acting pricey with SRK!". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 12 April 2012. Retrieved 22 August 2010.
  54. ^ Dedhia, Sonil (12 October 2011). "'Rajnikanth became a part of Ra.One a year ago'". Rediff. Archived from the original on 25 June 2012. Retrieved 1 May 2012.
  55. ^ "Sanjay Dutt's action in Shahrukh Khan's Ra.One". Oneindia.in. 11 July 2011. Archived from the original on 14 April 2012. Retrieved 25 April 2012.
  56. ^ Sinha, Divashri (26 June 2011). "Sabu Cyril, the dream weaver". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 7 May 2013. Retrieved 20 April 2012.
  57. ^ a b c d Krishna Ahuja, Rahul (2 December 2011). "Making of Ra.One". Pandolin. Archived from the original on 25 April 2012. Retrieved 25 April 2012.
  58. ^ a b KBR, Upala (27 July 2010). "My name is Karan and I am not directing Ra.One". Mid-Day. Archived from the original on 21 November 2011. Retrieved 20 April 2012.
  59. ^ Cooper, Sarah (3 May 2012). "UK's Black Hangar Studios officially opens for business". Screen Daily. Archived from the original on 28 January 2013. Retrieved 25 May 2012.
  60. ^ Hanks, Douglas (2 January 2010). "The Bollywood effect in South Florida: lights, camera, ka-ching!" (PDF). The Miami Herald. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 March 2012. Retrieved 22 September 2010.
  61. ^ Das, Chuman (18 March 2010). "Shahrukh Khan has a super active schedule in 2010". Business of Cinema. Archived from the original on 22 March 2010. Retrieved 20 April 2012.
  62. ^ "SRK concentrates on Ra.One". Filmfare. 6 May 2010. Archived from the original on 25 March 2012. Retrieved 22 August 2010.
  63. ^ Pradhan Singh, Manisha (20 September 2010). "Shooting of Shahrukh Khan's Ra.One second last schedule begins at Filmistan". Business of Cinema. Archived from the original on 27 July 2012. Retrieved 20 April 2012.
  64. ^ a b Parkar, Shaheen (17 August 2010). "Next SRK's Ra.One schedule in September". Mid-Day. Archived from the original on 15 April 2012. Retrieved 19 April 2012.
  65. ^ "SRK introduces animated G.One on Twitter". Bollywood Hungama. 20 June 2011. Archived from the original on 23 April 2012. Retrieved 19 August 2011.
  66. ^ "Ra.One at Film City". BoxOfficeIndia.co.in. 23 July 2011. Archived from the original on 26 April 2012. Retrieved 19 March 2012.
  67. ^ "When SRK calls, even Rajni overrules family advice". Mid-Day. In.com. 3 October 2011. Archived from the original on 9 May 2015. Retrieved 14 April 2012.
  68. ^ Joshi, Tushar (18 October 2011). "Ra.One gets an addition". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 15 July 2012. Retrieved 18 October 2011.
  69. ^ a b c Jeshi, K (27 March 2012). "The making of a superhero". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 29 April 2012. Retrieved 4 April 2012.
  70. ^ Ghosh, Suktara (14 August 2011). "The foreign hands". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 10 November 2013. Retrieved 24 April 2012.
  71. ^ a b "Ra.One might have some parts in 3D". NDTV. Indo-Asian News Service. 1 June 2011. Archived from the original on 23 August 2011. Retrieved 26 September 2011.
  72. ^ a b "Company news". Broadcast and Cable Sat. Archived from the original on 10 March 2014. Retrieved 14 April 2012.
  73. ^ a b DeMott, Rick (31 October 2011). "Synthespian Studios provides VFX for Ra.One". Animation World Network. Archived from the original on 12 January 2012. Retrieved 19 March 2012.
  74. ^ Desai, Jasmine. "The IT effect in animation or special effects". Express Computer. Archived from the original on 21 October 2012. Retrieved 25 April 2012.
  75. ^ Chakravorty, Sohini (29 March 2012). "The sound of movies". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 31 March 2012. Retrieved 31 March 2012.
  76. ^ "The path much tread on". Mumbai Mirror. 31 March 2010. Archived from the original on 29 January 2013. Retrieved 18 April 2012.
  77. ^ Sinha, Priyanka (29 July 2011). "Picture perfect". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 26 January 2013. Retrieved 25 April 2012.
  78. ^ a b Thakkar, Mehul S (17 October 2011). "Ra.One gets panic attacks". Mumbai Mirror. Archived from the original on 23 December 2011. Retrieved 17 October 2011.
  79. ^ Dibyojyoti, Baksi (19 October 2011). "Diwali release Ra.One still incomplete". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 23 January 2012. Retrieved 19 October 2011.
  80. ^ a b "Ra.One escapes delay in release". Rediff. 21 October 2011. Archived from the original on 25 January 2012. Retrieved 21 October 2011.
  81. ^ "Shahrukh Khan down with knee pain". India Today. Archived from the original on 18 December 2011. Retrieved 20 December 2011.
  82. ^ "'We can't compete with foreign filmmakers': SRK". The Express Tribune. Indo-Asian News Service. 3 June 2011. Archived from the original on 1 January 2012. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
  83. ^ a b "Rs. 1 crore superhero suit for SRK!". The Times of India. 23 March 2010. Archived from the original on 12 May 2013. Retrieved 18 March 2012.
  84. ^ "SRK is a superhero at a super price". Gulf News. 9 May 2011. Archived from the original on 14 September 2011. Retrieved 18 March 2012.
  85. ^ Bhattacharya, Roshmila (21 March 2011). "Superhero costumes are SRK's most expensive clothes". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 18 April 2012. Retrieved 18 March 2012.
  86. ^ a b A Khan, Rubina (7 October 2011). "Kareena Kapoor wala red is dictating fashion trends". The First Post. Archived from the original on 15 January 2012. Retrieved 12 April 2012.
  87. ^ Mitra, Ipshita (23 December 2011). "Red hot Vidya Balan brings red saris in vogue". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 12 May 2013. Retrieved 12 April 2012.
  88. ^ "Salesman of the year: Shahrukh Khan". Hindustan Times. 13 September 2011. Archived from the original on 30 December 2011. Retrieved 12 April 2012.
  89. ^ a b c d Kher, Ruchika (16 September 2011). "Ra.One". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 23 April 2012. Retrieved 4 April 2012.
  90. ^ "Rahman scores for Ra.One". The Times of India. 25 October 2011. Archived from the original on 2 June 2013. Retrieved 25 October 2011.
  91. ^ Kamath, Sudhish (5 October 2011). "When G.One took Chitti's help". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 1 May 2012. Retrieved 11 October 2011.
  92. ^ Bhat, Varada (19 September 2011). "Bollywood's longest promotion". Business Standard. Archived from the original on 28 December 2011. Retrieved 3 May 2012 – via Sify.
  93. ^ Ra.One rampage. NDTV. 14 October 2011. Archived from the original on 19 December 2011. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
  94. ^ Tuteja, Joginder (23 March 2011). "Ra.One first look to be unveiled today during World Cup telecast". Bollywood Hungama. Archived from the original on 24 April 2012. Retrieved 23 March 2011.
  95. ^ Pereira, Priyanka (24 October 2011). "Selling Ra.One". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 26 January 2013. Retrieved 12 May 2012.
  96. ^ "Big Cinemas launches longest travelling fan mail for Shahrukh Khan's Ra.One". Business of Cinema. 2 June 2011. Archived from the original on 12 June 2012. Retrieved 20 April 2012.
  97. ^ a b S, Anusha (27 September 2011). "SRK's superhero power: turning Ra.One to marketing gold". Business Today. Archived from the original on 2 April 2012. Retrieved 3 October 2011.
  98. ^ "Shahrukh meets fans on Google Plus Hangout for Ra.One chat". CNN-IBN. Archived from the original on 24 December 2011. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
  99. ^ "Shahrukh hiding Arjun's look in Ra.One". Oneindia.in. 6 August 2011. Archived from the original on 14 April 2012. Retrieved 10 October 2011.
  100. ^ Mahadevan, Sneha (22 October 2011). "Arjun Rampal comes clean on "friction" with Shahrukh Khan". Daily News and Analysis. Archived from the original on 4 March 2012. Retrieved 22 October 2011.
  101. ^ a b Shinde, Shivani (30 August 2011). "India's first social game for Ra.One". Business Standard. Afaqs!. Archived from the original on 13 May 2013. Retrieved 3 May 2012.
  102. ^ "Ra.One: exclusive and authentic movie merchandise". Seventymm. Archived from the original on 25 April 2012. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
  103. ^ a b "G.One, with the wind". Outlook. 24 October 2011. Archived from the original on 11 February 2012. Retrieved 18 November 2011.
  104. ^ "Shahrukh Khan to battle with gamers at Ra.One NVIDIA GeForce LAN". Business of Cinema. 14 October 2011. Archived from the original on 6 April 2012. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
  105. ^ "PlayStation launches game on SRK flick Ra.One". The Economic Times. Press Trust of India. 5 October 2011. Archived from the original on 23 September 2012. Retrieved 5 October 2011.
  106. ^ Raghavendra, Nandini (13 September 2011). "Indian cinema must evolve; Ra.One not urban centric: Shahrukh Khan". The Economic Times. Archived from the original on 21 January 2012. Retrieved 13 September 2011.
  107. ^ "Velayudham And Ra One Superheroes". Kollywood. Retrieved 14 June 2023.
  108. ^ a b c "Ra.One to hit 3,500 screens in India". Box Office India. 20 October 2011. Archived from the original on 28 April 2012. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
  109. ^ "'Ra.One' gets Rs 52-crore promotional push". Ibnlive.in.com. 14 October 2011. Archived from the original on 25 December 2013. Retrieved 10 August 2013.
  110. ^ "Bollywood learning new languages for the South". The Economic Times. 26 November 2011. Archived from the original on 31 May 2013. Retrieved 26 November 2011.
  111. ^ Lalwani, Vickey (20 October 2011). "Ra.One: Shahrukh Khan's latest movie gets 95 per cent of shows across multiplexes". The Economic Times. Archived from the original on 22 October 2011. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
  112. ^ "SRK's RA.One earns Rs 170 crore at BO". Hindustan Times. 31 October 2011. Archived from the original on 11 December 2013. Retrieved 10 August 2013.
  113. ^ "SRK's Ra.One beats Bodyguard at international box office". Oneindia. 28 October 2011. Archived from the original on 13 May 2013. Retrieved 18 April 2013.
  114. ^ a b c Pahwa, Nikhil (7 October 2011). "Shahrukh Khan: could never release Ra.One in 3,500 prints if not for digital; 50–60% digital prints". MediaNama. Archived from the original on 15 April 2012. Retrieved 17 October 2011.
  115. ^ "Superhero Ra.One flying high with Rs. 170 crore collection". One Pakistan. 31 October 2011. Archived from the original on 12 November 2017. Retrieved 18 April 2013.
  116. ^ "Shahrukh Khan's Ra.One succumbs to piracy". Business of Cinema. 27 October 2011. Archived from the original on 19 December 2011. Retrieved 20 April 2012.
  117. ^ KBR, Uppala (26 May 2011). "Always Kabhi Kabhi cast gets a sneak peek into Ra.One". Mid-Day. Archived from the original on 8 September 2011. Retrieved 20 April 2012.
  118. ^ Pahwa, Nikhil (5 October 2011). "Shahrukh Khan: There needs to be more film-based digital content; would like to keep Ra.One alive on digital". Medianama. Archived from the original on 11 April 2013. Retrieved 18 April 2013.
  119. ^ "Iron Man VFX are nothing in front of Ra.One VFX – first audience reaction". Business of Cinema. 24 October 2011. Archived from the original on 11 June 2012. Retrieved 3 May 2012.
  120. ^ Rai, K.K (27 September 2011). "Shahrukh Ra.One to premiere in London, New York, Dubai, Toronto!!". Stardust. Archived from the original on 25 May 2024. Retrieved 5 October 2011.
  121. ^ "SRK raises Dh30,000 for special needs children". The National. 25 October 2011. Archived from the original on 22 April 2012. Retrieved 25 October 2011.
  122. ^ "Shahrukh's Ra.One breaks Mideast record". International Reporter. 20 October 2011. Archived from the original on 15 May 2013. Retrieved 18 April 2013.
  123. ^ "Bollywood star Shahrukh Khan brings Ra.One to Toronto". Yahoo!. 27 October 2011. Archived from the original on 25 April 2012. Retrieved 27 October 2011.
  124. ^ Aklekar, Rajendra (2 November 2011). "Ra.One rubs Mumbai's railway cops the wrong way". Daily News and Analysis. Archived from the original on 6 January 2012. Retrieved 10 March 2012.
  125. ^ "Ra.One passes the Censor Board scrutiny, but ." Mid-Day. In.com. 17 October 2011. Archived from the original on 20 December 2011. Retrieved 15 April 2012.
  126. ^ Kotwani, Hiren (17 March 2012). "Change in Censor Board panel irks Bollywood". Mid-Day. Archived from the original on 19 April 2012. Retrieved 18 March 2012.
  127. ^ "Has Ra.One been inspired from this?". Rediff. 19 September 2011. Archived from the original on 17 January 2012. Retrieved 27 April 2012.
  128. ^ "Ra.One includes a tribute to Rajinikanth". Hindustan Times. Press Trust of India. 13 September 2011. Archived from the original on 25 January 2012. Retrieved 13 September 2011.
  129. ^ "Ra.One superhero is a family man, says SRK". CNN-IBN. Indo-Asian News Service. 14 October 2011. Archived from the original on 19 December 2011. Retrieved 15 October 2011.
  130. ^ Thomas, Shibu (21 October 2011). "TV writer seeks stay on Ra.One". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 8 July 2012. Retrieved 21 October 2011.
  131. ^ "Shahrukh to pay Rs. 1 crore to lift a ban on Ra.One". e-News Gulf. 22 October 2011. Archived from the original on 25 April 2012. Retrieved 23 October 2011.
  132. ^ Baksi, Dibyojyoti (24 October 2011). "I developed the original story of Ra.One: Anubhav Sinha". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 28 December 2011. Retrieved 24 October 2011.
  133. ^ Singh, Divyesh (3 June 2011). "Shahrukh Khan's Ra.One website hacked". Daily News and Analysis. Archived from the original on 4 March 2012. Retrieved 15 October 2011.
  134. ^ Sharma, Smrity (2 June 2011). "SRK upset over Chammak Challo leak". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 2 June 2013. Retrieved 27 April 2012.
  135. ^ a b Dubey, Rachana (21 October 2011). "Ra.One will make Rs. 100 crore in a week". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 25 January 2012. Retrieved 29 February 2012.
  136. ^ "Ra.One signals upward ratings trend of big movies on TV". IndianTelevision.com. 27 January 2012. Archived from the original on 31 January 2012. Retrieved 30 January 2012.
  137. ^ "Star syndicates Ra.One airing rights to Disney XD". Indian Television. 31 May 2012. Archived from the original on 4 June 2012. Retrieved 9 June 2012.
  138. ^ Las Marias, Stephen (7 May 2012). "Cable subscribers to get free Asian movies, music in celebration of APAHM". Asia OnScreen. Archived from the original on 13 May 2013. Retrieved 26 May 2012.
  139. ^ "Ra.One (2011) (Hindi movie / Bollywood film / Indian cinema DVD)". Amazon. 13 December 2011. Archived from the original on 18 April 2012. Retrieved 4 April 2012.
  140. ^ Joshi, Tushar (2 October 2011). "Ra.One DVDs to feature alternate endings". Mid-Day. Archived from the original on 8 September 2011. Retrieved 4 April 2012.
  141. ^ "Ra-One (Movie, VCD)". Flipkart. Archived from the original on 24 January 2013. Retrieved 4 April 2012.
  142. ^ "Ra-One (Movie, Blu-ray)". Flipkart. Archived from the original on 20 November 2018. Retrieved 4 April 2012.
  143. ^ "Ra.One Blu-ray Release Date June 1, 2012 (Superheld mit Herz) (Germany)". Blu-ray.com. Archived from the original on 18 August 2018. Retrieved 8 February 2020.
  144. ^ "Voltage 3D/2D Blu-ray Release Date July 24, 2013 (SteelBook) (France)". Blu-ray.com. Archived from the original on 8 September 2018. Retrieved 8 February 2020.
  145. ^ "Ra.One Blu-ray Release Date September 27, 2013 (ラ・ワン) (Japan)". Blu-ray.com. Archived from the original on 16 October 2022. Retrieved 8 February 2020.
  146. ^ "Top lifetime nett grossers (all time)". Box Office India. 17 January 2012. Archived from the original on 12 October 2013. Retrieved 18 March 2012.
  147. ^ "Top lifetime distributor shares (all time updated) 05/04/12". Box Office India. 5 April 2012. Archived from the original on 20 April 2012. Retrieved 7 April 2012.
  148. ^ a b c "Despite Rs 170cr income, RA.One not a hit?". Hindustan Times. 2 November 2011. Archived from the original on 28 August 2016. Retrieved 26 June 2016.
  149. ^ "Ra.One nets highest ever Diwali day collections". NDTV. 28 October 2011. Archived from the original on 1 January 2012. Retrieved 28 October 2011.
  150. ^ "Ra.One second day territorial breakdown". Box Office India. 28 October 2011. Archived from the original on 28 April 2012. Retrieved 28 October 2011.
  151. ^ "Top opening weekends (all time) Agneepath 5th". Box Office India. 7 February 2012. Archived from the original on 19 April 2012. Retrieved 5 March 2012.
  152. ^ a b "Ra.One (Hindi) has good extended first week". Box Office India. 4 November 2011. Archived from the original on 28 April 2012. Retrieved 4 November 2011.
  153. ^ "Ra.One has 15.50 crore nett second week". Box Office India. 11 November 2011. Archived from the original on 28 April 2012. Retrieved 30 May 2012.
  154. ^ "Ra.One has heavy fall in week three". Box Office India. 16 November 2011. Archived from the original on 7 January 2012. Retrieved 30 May 2012.
  155. ^ "Top openings overseas (all time updated) 21/02/12". Box Office India. 21 February 2012. Archived from the original on 19 April 2012. Retrieved 7 April 2012.
  156. ^ "Ra.One has huge opening in overseas and is biggest hit of 2011". Box Office India. 2 November 2011. Archived from the original on 21 April 2012. Retrieved 30 May 2012.
  157. ^ "Ra.One falls in overseas but number one of 2011". Box Office India. 9 November 2011. Archived from the original on 28 April 2012. Retrieved 9 November 2011.
  158. ^ "Family powers Ra.One on day I". The Telegraph. 27 October 2011. Archived from the original on 18 January 2012. Retrieved 27 October 2011.
  159. ^ "After Ra.One success Bollywood gears up for more shorter films in 3D". The Economic Times. 7 November 2011. Archived from the original on 18 April 2012. Retrieved 3 May 2012.
  160. ^ "Big budget films of 2011". India Today. Archived from the original on 13 April 2017. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
  161. ^ Roy, Priyanka (26 October 2011). "Ra.One raises price bar at plexes; fans sing rah-rah Ra.One – city shows willingness to pay more for SRK's big Diwali release today". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 28 December 2011. Retrieved 10 April 2012.
  162. ^ Dubey, Bharti (26 September 2011). "Today, a Steven Spielberg is looking for investment from us". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 12 May 2013. Retrieved 3 May 2012.
  163. ^ "Shahrukh Khan won't do Zor Ka Jhatka 2". The Times of India. 21 November 2011. Archived from the original on 12 May 2013. Retrieved 3 May 2012.
  164. ^ "Shahrukh's Ra.One beats Aamir's 3 Idiots in pre-release collection". Oneindia.in. 17 October 2011. Archived from the original on 17 December 2011. Retrieved 17 October 2011.
  165. ^ "Anna, Jan Lokpal Bill top FB status updates in 2011". CNN-IBN. 9 December 2011. Archived from the original on 11 January 2012. Retrieved 3 May 2012.
  166. ^ "Ra.One, Agneepath most eagerly awaited films: a recent poll". Mid-Day. 31 May 2011. Archived from the original on 6 August 2011. Retrieved 20 April 2012.
  167. ^ a b "Ra.One advance starts at select multiplexes". Box Office India. 21 October 2011. Archived from the original on 20 October 2013. Retrieved 11 April 2012.
  168. ^ "Ra.One advance: excellent". Box Office India. 25 October 2011. Archived from the original on 23 December 2011. Retrieved 11 April 2012.
  169. ^ Sharma, Amrapali (25 October 2011). "3D worries for the superhero". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 12 May 2013. Retrieved 10 April 2012.
  170. ^ "Critics' verdict: Ra.One gets mixed reviews". Hindustan Times. 27 October 2011. Archived from the original on 20 April 2012. Retrieved 27 October 2011.
  171. ^ a b "Ra.One". Rotten Tomatoes. 29 May 2020. Archived from the original on 25 September 2015. Retrieved 29 September 2015.
  172. ^ "Ra.One". Metacritic. 2011. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 29 September 2015.
  173. ^ "Review: Ra.One– not your usual SRK film". Zee News. 26 October 2011. Archived from the original on 30 January 2012. Retrieved 26 October 2011.
  174. ^ Kazmi, Nikhat (26 October 2011). "Ra.One". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 25 November 2011. Retrieved 26 October 2011.
  175. ^ "Movie review: Ra.One is a complete entertainer". International Business Times. 25 October 2011. Archived from the original on 7 December 2011. Retrieved 25 October 2011.
  176. ^ Vats, Rohit (27 October 2011). "Ra.One mixed verdict: are the audiences divided?". CNN-IBN. Archived from the original on 5 December 2011. Retrieved 27 October 2011.
  177. ^ Bamzai, Kaveri (26 October 2011). "Ra.One movie review". India Today. Archived from the original on 15 April 2012. Retrieved 26 October 2011.
  178. ^ Shekhar, Mayank (26 October 2011). "Mayank Shekhar's review: Ra.One". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 20 February 2012. Retrieved 26 October 2011.
  179. ^ a b Anshuman, Karan (27 October 2011). "Ra.Ted Ra.Ndom". Mumbai Mirror. Archived from the original on 31 December 2011. Retrieved 27 October 2011.
  180. ^ a b "Movie review: Ra.One is a Good.One, in more ways than one". The First Post. 26 October 2011. Archived from the original on 28 January 2012. Retrieved 26 October 2011.
  181. ^ Adarsh, Taran (24 October 2011). "Ra.One: movie review". Bollywood Hungama. Archived from the original on 15 April 2012. Retrieved 24 October 2011.
  182. ^ a b Malani, Gaurav (26 October 2011). "Ra.One: Movie review". The Economic Times. Archived from the original on 19 April 2012. Retrieved 26 October 2011.
  183. ^ Honeycutt, Kirk (26 October 2011). "Ra.One: film review". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 1 May 2012. Retrieved 26 October 2011.
  184. ^ Sivaswamy, Sairesh (27 October 2011). "Ra.One review: SRK can fail too". Rediff. Archived from the original on 31 December 2011. Retrieved 17 December 2011.
  185. ^ Sen, Raja. "Ra.One: What a letdown!". Rediff.com. Archived from the original on 17 August 2021. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
  186. ^ Chatterjee, Saibal. "Review: Ra.One". NDTV. Archived from the original on 2 March 2012. Retrieved 16 June 2012.
  187. ^ Shetty-Shah, Shubha (26 October 2011). "Ra.One fails to impress". Mid-Day. Archived from the original on 23 June 2012. Retrieved 6 June 2012.
  188. ^ Masand, Rajeev (26 October 2011). "Masand: Ra.One is ambitious but flawed". CNN-IBN. Archived from the original on 20 April 2012. Retrieved 26 October 2011.
  189. ^ Verma, Sukanya (28 October 2011). "3D review: Ra.One could have been so much more". Rediff. Archived from the original on 5 May 2012. Retrieved 28 October 2011.
  190. ^ "Ra.One: critic reviews". Movie Web. Archived from the original on 16 May 2013. Retrieved 3 May 2012.
  191. ^ J Pais, Arthur (26 October 2011). "Review: Ra.One disappoints New York". Rediff. Archived from the original on 19 April 2012. Retrieved 17 December 2011.
  192. ^ Guha, Kunal (26 October 2011). "Ra.One review". Yahoo!. Archived from the original on 18 April 2012. Retrieved 26 October 2011.
  193. ^ "Vidya Balan wins National Award for The Dirty Picture". The Times of India. 7 March 2012. Archived from the original on 30 April 2013. Retrieved 7 March 2012.
  194. ^ "Meet the winners of the 57th Filmfare Awards". CNN-IBN. Archived from the original on 21 April 2012. Retrieved 4 May 2012.
  195. ^ Radhakrishnan, Manjusha (5 May 2012). "ZNMD and Ra.One dominate IIFA tech awards". Gulf News. Archived from the original on 10 May 2012. Retrieved 10 May 2012.
  196. ^ "Salman Khan named 'worst actor' at Ghanta Awards". The Times of India. 20 March 2012. Archived from the original on 7 July 2012. Retrieved 4 April 2012.
  197. ^ a b Bhattacharya, Roshmila; Saini, Minakshi (11 March 2012). "Wanted: story for G.One". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 14 April 2012. Retrieved 28 April 2012.
  198. ^ Mehta, Shweta (6 October 2011). "SRK planning to make Ra.One sequel". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 18 January 2012. Retrieved 4 April 2012.
  199. ^ "No plans for Ra.One sequel: SRK". The Times of India. 5 November 2011. Archived from the original on 5 October 2013. Retrieved 4 April 2012.
  200. ^ a b "SRK planning Ra.One sequel?". Zee News. 2 November 2011. Archived from the original on 4 January 2012. Retrieved 4 April 2012.
  201. ^ Bhattacharya, Roshmila (10 March 2012). "Shahrukh Khan game for Ra.One sequel". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 16 April 2012. Retrieved 4 April 2012.
  202. ^ "Kareena Kapoor will not be a part of Ra.One sequel". The Times of India. 7 December 2011. Archived from the original on 4 October 2013. Retrieved 4 April 2012.

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ MensXP[2] mentioned the budget was more than ₹100 crore. The Financial Express[3] reported the budget to be 120 crore (US$14 million). India Today[4] stated that the budget was 130 crore (US$16 million). While Bollywood Hungama[5] and NDTV[6] said that the budget was ₹150 crore.
[edit]