Much has been said about Shahrukh Khan’s ambitious Ra One which has been in news for more than a year now. But we don’t really know the exact plot or the story, nor do we know what the film is all about or how the villain who portrays the title role looks like. All that we know so far is that Ra One is a superhero film, a battle between the good versus the evil.
Sanjay Dutt, in an interview, has probably spilled a few beans. Talking about Ra One the actor says “The basic plot of the movie is a game that a kid is playing. I am doing a cameo where Shahrukh and I will be seen fighting against each other.”
The previous unconfirmed story of Ra One sounded quite similar – Supposedly, SRK as Geevan (pronounced as G One) portrays the role of a Miami based software engineer, who as a video game hero fights his own creation, a monster by the name of Raavan (Ra One). The story soon progresses into a love story as SRK falls in love with Kareena Kapoor who plays the mother of a 8 year old son, whom he starts imagining as one of the characters.
Sounds different and interesting, but a little complicated, doesn’t it? But that story was rubbished by the makers, calling it ‘fake’.
Going by what Dutt has to say about the plot, we wonder if the movie actually takes place inside a game? And if, the whole idea of creating a Ra One PS3 game is because the film itself is based around a video game?
if 1 has tallent,it doesnt means all others are waste.
i’m sure tht it’l break all other records .
sHaRuKh RoCkZZZZZZ!!!!!!!
if one guy has tallent it doesnt meanz all others r waste.
im sure ra.one will break all other records.
sharukh alwayz RoCkzZzZz!!!!!
u guys dont understand it is the best movie ever in the history of the Indian film.and dont ever insult srk u got it. gone talkin
I THINK ITS A BIG FLOP A 4 DIRECTORS FILM IT WILL ONLY GAIN LOTS OF MONEY AND 1 OR 2 STARS ONLY THE GRAPHICS AND ACTIONS ARE GOOD.
raone is best movoe of 20……
nice songs & super hit
there is no doubt that srk is a far better actor than salman and if he has the guts to act like srk then why not advise salman to do films like devdas or veer zaara . Tab sallu ki acting ki aukat ka pata chal jayega
good ???? but not so interiesting
ra one is not inception
but u have to see the development of bollywood
visual effects are mind blowing comparing to any indian movie
those who want to know bodyguard was a malayalam movie first directed by siddique
it was a flop in Malayalam
then it came to Hindi with the same director the movie became all time hit
ra one is an entertainer not an award winning movie
i am an srk fan and i am not dissapointed with ra one
check the story of avatar,iron man etcccc
can u admit that with u r logic
is it going to happen
no its a non sense
but both movies r awesome and became big hits
then what is the problem with ra ones story
why u cant admit it
ra-one is first friction flim who suceed in their nation but this flim is only for child who like video game.
best wishes for ra1 from my side.. i hope it does not go a flop,…
its very booring movie i cant see it
i think ra one is a good movie…….
i know…its sorta 4 children but still……the effect and stuff is pretty the cool,
The plot is ok….
so overall i think its a good movie….
coz it is the most talked abt film……
but in saying that its not great either…just good :)
Me kehta hun ki RA.one movies sirf bacho ke liye he,par isme kuch khas baat jarur he,isiliye to ye hit hokar fir plof hua
RA-ONE IS COOL MOVIE
STORY IS STERTED NOW!
==> Ra.One had generated curiosity among the public and distributors ever since the announcement of Akon’s participation as a part of the film’s soundtrack. The film also received a lot of media attention due to the early launch of the film’s publicity campaign which was unprecedented in addition to being untested. However, since the release of the first trailer of the film, many analysts predicted that Ra.One would not succeed at the box office. Reasons cited included its unique use of technology and action, a supposedly different type of script and the urban feel suggesting that Ra.One would be a “class” phenomenon, and would not percolate down to the “masses”.[167] The high budget of the film was another area of concern for the film, as this meant high prices for distributor rights and lesser chances of profits. As time went by, the film was hit by multiple accusations of plagiarism involving posters, script, stunts and visuals, further putting down the film.[91][168] A major problem for the film was that the superhero genre was untested by Khan, and the genre itself was not popular in India. Khan’s earlier success was predominantly based on romantic roles with notable exceptions such as Swades (2004) and Chak De! India (2007).[169]
Some trade analysts were, however, quite positive about the film.[170] As noted by Ormax Media, a specialist consumer research company for films, Ra.One set records for Buzz and Reach among films even six weeks before release. Such high figures maintained right till the release date.[171] Moreover, Ra.One’s unique and vast marketing campaign, which utilized concepts previously unheard of in Indian films, was cited as a smart business move that would make the film reach as big an audience as possible.[167] It was also widely noted that in spite of the high cost of the movie and the seemingly risky venture, Khan managed to recover most of the film’s production costs well before the release time through various film rights and sponsor tie-ups.[167] As time progressed, the layered marketing campaign coupled with extensive brand tie-ups and new concepts built up to a very high expectation level among the audiences.[172] The public were comparing it to previous Indian superhero and science-fiction films such as Mr. India (1987), Krrish (2006), Drona (2008) and Enthiran (2010),[173] Drona being a major box office failure,[174] as well as American superhero films like Batman Begins (2005) and more frequently Tron: Legacy (2010).[168]
“Wherever you go, be it a mall or be it a hospital, you are bound to find one certain G.One smiling at you with enticing blue eyes. This fierce promotional drive is getting on the audiences’ nerves now and has the potential of killing the enthusiasm of movie goers.”[175]
—Rohit Vats, CNN IBN, on the strategy of marketing used in Ra.One
With time, the promotional overdrive surrounding the film began to evoke strong reactions from viewers and box office trackers. Much debate ensued regarding the fate of the film due to over-promotion, with speculations that the “carpet bombing” strategy would backfire on the film in the end. The omnipresence of Ra.One had the unintended effect of widely popularizing a series of internet and SMS jokes based on the film, several of them targeting the film’s publicity drive and, post-release, the film itself. Khan, however, was unfazed by the huge popularity of these jokes, saying “Some people have devoted their lives to writing about how Ra.One is not a good film. But I am glad, since people are discussing it, it pretty much shows how the film hasn’t been ignored.”[176] The promotional overdrive also showed that Khan had “bet it all” with the film. Outlook India commented that “Stardom, brand value, ambition, reputation: Shahrukh’s bet it all on Ra.One. No wonder he has never hardsold a film like this one.”[177] The nature of Khan’s role in the film, that of a superhero, was unfamiliar to Khan’s usual fans who generally recognize him as a romantic actor with “arched brows, deep dimples, perennially outstretched arms and a sarcastic half-smile”. Filmmaker Paromita Vohra, a fan of Khan, commented “Will the superhero have traces of the SRK I love or not?”, a feeling echoed by many others. Author Supriya Mandangarli noted that “the SRK persona has not been so much about aggressive masculinity as about nostalgia, the reason why Ra.One seems a big risk.” It has been widely known that Ra.One was Khan’s biggest gamble.[177]
However, the reasons behind marketing the film in such a manner was attributed to a personal ambition to regain the numero uno status in the film industry. Columnist Anil Thakraney said “It’s not so much about money as about prestige, about getting the rightful plank back. SRK is no more the lone King Khan he has been for almost two decades. [He] has continued to retain the No. 1 slot in the overseas market but his domestic ranking has tumbled.”[177] However, trade experts were confident of the film’s success. Lyricist Prasoon Joshi stated that “He [Khan] understands the 360 degrees of the game. He is available to the consumer at any touch point.” However, it was noted that to get back all that was at stake, it would have to run for a long period of time in theaters, and not be like the short-lived Bodyguard or Singham. Image guru Dilip Cherian said “SRK is building the film as a franchise much as Hollywood studios do. It’s like bludgeoning the market into submission.”[177]
Post release, Ra.One generated a mixed response from the audiences as well as critics. Opinions of the film varied widely, which is visible given that the user ratings from the film ranged from 1.5 to 4.5 stars out of 5.[178] While audiences unanimously praised the visual effects and technical aspects of the film, many were left feeling the need of a better and more original script. Vats commented that “Ra.One banked upon mammoth promotional drive in order to pull the audiences to the theatres and therefore mixed reviews actually have brought down the fever a bit. The focus on technical fineness has made Ra.One an experience worth watching but the hype around the film has begun to fizz away.” While children and teenagers unanimously loved the movie, adults were critical of it.[178] A major short-coming of the film was that it failed to connect with Khan’s own built-in fan base. Noted film producer Pritish Nandy echoed these sentiments by saying “I’m no fan of SRK but I must say, even if it disappoints you all, I enjoyed Ra.One. […]The problem with [it] is that it does not connect with SRK’s own fan base. They were cursing the film and walking out.”[179]
Went to see Ra.One with no expectations. Was stopped by random people at Inox, discouraging us. Including a charming old lady.
—Pritish Nandy’s tweet about the planned negativity factor, when he went to watch the film.
It has been generally accepted that the film failed to meet the very high expectations, and hence negativity about the film spread. A member of the film’s production unit commented, “The attention was now diverted to speculating the figures, hinting at the figures not being true. It has now come to point of being nasty.” Reportedly, Khan was upset with the kind of negative word-of-mouth around the film which he felt was “a clever marketing strategy to undercut the film when it was going on at full-steam in the theatres.” Nandy, in addition to several other viewers, reported about “random people coming up to the audience and asking them to go back rather than watch the film” in several multiplexes across Mumbai.
youa are a great man you can kil ra one you can kill bad human
SSSSSHHHHHHHHHHUUUUUUUUUUTUUUUUUUUUPP! RA.ONE WAS FLOP BECASUE EVERYONE HAD GOT HURT OF MAKING THAT SRK AND ARJUN RAMPAL WOULD GOT HURT THATS WHY THE MOVIE ‘RA.ONE’ IS FLOP -_-
dont fight survives
THOSE WHO CALL RAONE A MESS SHOULD GO OUT THERE AND PRODUCE THEIR OWN SHIT FOR US TO SEE.FRICKS.
Thanks for the blog. Keep writing.