Ra.One (Hindi:full: Random Access–Version 1.0) is a 2011 Hindi science fiction superhero film written and directed by Anubhav Sinha. The film, which features Shahrukh Khan in dual roles, as a game developer and his superhero look-alike G.One, also stars Kareena Kapoor, Armaan Verma and Arjun Rampal as the titular game villain Ra.One. Shahana Goswami, Dalip Tahil and Chinese-American actor Tom Wu appear in supporting roles, along with Rajinikanth, Sanjay Dutt and Priyanka Chopra making guest appearances. It is jointly produced by Eros International and Khan's production company, Red Chillies Entertainment,and was originally scheduled to release on 3 June 2011. However, due to extensive post-production work involving special effects and the 3D conversion, its release was postponed.
Development of the project commenced in 2004 when Sinha wrote a three-page short story based on a commercial he had seen. Upon finalizing the story, pre-production work began after the release of Khan's Om Shanti Om in 2007,with principal photography commencing in March 2009.In July 2011, it was announced that the entire film would be converted into 3D.With an estimated budget of around 175 crore (US$39.03 million),Ra.One overtook Enthiran (2010) to become India's most expensive film to date.Prior to its international release of 26 October 2011, the film had multiple premieres in Dubai, London and Toronto during the period of October 24 - 26.The film released across 5,000 screens worldwide in 2D and around 600 screens in 3D,along with its dubbed versions in Tamil, Telugu and German,making it the largest Indian cinematic release in the world. Upon release, the film garnered positive to mixed reviews from critics worldwide.
Cast
*Shahrukh Khan as G.One / Shekhar Subramanium
*Kareena Kapoor as Sonia Shekhar Subramanium
*Arjun Rampal as Ra.One
*Armaan Verma as Prateek Subramanium a.k.a. Lucifer
*Shahana Goswami as Jenny Nayar
*Tom Wu as Akashi
*Dalip Tahil as Barron
*Suresh Menon as Taxi Driver
*Satish Shah as Iyer
*Rajinikanth as Chitti (Guest appearance)
*Sanjay Dutt as Khalnayak (Guest appearance)
*Priyanka Chopra as The Damsel in Distress (Guest appearance)
*Amitabh Bachchan (Voice-over)
Plot
The storyline of the film revolves around a father and son's relationship. Shekhar Subramaniam (Shahrukh Khan), a geeky gaming expert, wants to be a super hero for his son Prateek (Armaan Verma). But his young son, like all kids, thinks super villains are more cool. In an effort to impress his son, Shekhar designs a game which changes their lives. He creates the ultimate clash of good against evil by pitting a very powerful anti-hero "Ra.One" against a seemingly less potent good guy "G.One".
Marketing
Pre-release revenue
In March 2011, it was announced that the television broadcasting rights for Ra.One had been sold to Star India for a then-record sum of 40 crore (US$8.92 million), surpassing the previous record set by 3 Idiots (2009) for 33 crore (US$7.36 million).[The film's music rights were bought by T-Series for 15 crore (US$3.35 million) whilst the distribution rights were acquired by Eros Entertainment for 77 crore (US$17.17 million).The distribution rights for the film in Tamil Nadu and Kerala were bagged by Abirami Ramanathan for a reportedly record, but undisclosed price.Ra.One set a new record for total pre-release revenue earned, netting 132 crore (US$29.44 million) and surpassed the previous record held by 3 Idiots, which had netted 85 crore (US$18.96 million).
Promotions
Khan promoting the Ra.One Happy Meal from McDonald's.
The producers of Ra.One set a record marketing budget of around 52 crore (US$11.6 million), of which 15 crore (US$3.35 million) was used for online promotion, making it the highest ever for a Bollywood film.[52][53] Often described as the "longest promotion in Bollywood history", as well as "the most comprehensive and all-pervasive among people's lives",[46] the term "promotional blitzkrieg" has often been used in connotation with the project's extensive marketing campaign.[54]
Promotion of the film officially began as early as December 2010 when the first poster was published in all leading news papers across the country.[15] The film's first look was later unveiled by Khan on his Twitter page on January 1, 2011.[46] Several months later, director Anubhav Sinha announced that he would be launching two teaser trailers of the film during the 2011 Cricket World Cup, a prior nine months before the film's actual release date.[55] Asked about why he was launching the film's trailer so early, Sinha commented, "Ra.One is not a Bollywood film that [the audiences] have seen before. The kind of size and magnitude that the film has requires it to be slowly introduced to the audience and that is the very purpose why we are starting the whole communication so early."[55] The film's first theatrical trailer was released three months later to the public. As a way to promote the theatrical trailer, Khan was accompanied by the director on a five city tour, which included such places like Delhi, Chandigarh, Indore and Ahmedabad.[46] During the same event, a 3600 ft long fan mail collecting audience wishes and messages for the film was also launched.[46]
On 3 June 2011, the official website of the film was hacked by suspected Pakistani cyber criminals who stated that the act was a form of revenge to a similar attack on a Karachi press club website, three days after the launch of the page. They also left a note threatening the Indian Press Club, defacing the homepage.[56] In early September, Red Chillies Entertainment (RCE) launched a sizeable viral marketing campaign for promoting the film more effectively in the online arena.[57] The company launched the official customized Ra.One channel of the film on YouTube (a first for an Indian film) where several song and theatrical promos were released to the public, along with videos of the film's making, events and uncut footage.[46] The channel also hosts games, including the first social game from India, and contests where participants can create promos from clips, music and dialogues of the film.
"My last strategy was that I do not want any one to know what the bad guy looks like. You see it in the film. The film is called Ra.One but no one knows what [he] looks like. Last week before the film releases, we will let everyone know what he looks like. It is not going to shake the earth, but all the facets are being revealed as a picture puzzle being peeled off."
—Khan talking about the promotional strategy regarding the look of the villain, "Ra.One"
In addition to YouTube, Khan announced that the film would also subsidize through major brand ties-up worth over 52 crore (US$11.6 million), some of which included the Formula One races, Nokia, Godrej Consumer Products, Coca-Cola, HCL,Horlicks, HomeShop18 and multiple live chats conducted on Google Plus for which Khan became the first Indian film personality to utilize.Three weeks before the film's release, a mass media campaign was launched by Western Union for international promotions. Encompassing platforms such as the radio, television, print media and outdoor advertising, it was launched in the U.S., Canada, the Middle East, Africa and Asia-Pacific as a way to connect with the millions of non-resident Indians across the world.Co-producers and distributors of the film, Eros International, released an official statement stating that along with RCE, they have recovered a major portion of their investments through in-film branding, media endorsements, and other music and satellite rights.
The look of the film's titular character, Ra.One, portrayed by Rampal, was heavily guarded and kept under strict wraps, with the entire filming unit required to keep mobile phones away from shooting locations, and signing non-disclosure agreements.The first look of the character was initially scheduled to be revealed on the eve of Dussehra. According to the producers, the time was chosen to show the symbolism between Ra.One and the mythological villain Ravana (of the Ramayana), both of whom are supposedly "equally bad".Due to certain technical glitches, it was later revealed in the film's final theatrical trailer to a positive response.Commenting on the response to his look in the film, Rampal noted: "The response has been phenomenal. People have liked my look. I am glad I have not disappointed anyone as there was so much anticipation for the film. I was petrified initially, wondering if my look would be appreciated and accepted. But it has been worth the wait."
Development of the project commenced in 2004 when Sinha wrote a three-page short story based on a commercial he had seen. Upon finalizing the story, pre-production work began after the release of Khan's Om Shanti Om in 2007,with principal photography commencing in March 2009.In July 2011, it was announced that the entire film would be converted into 3D.With an estimated budget of around 175 crore (US$39.03 million),Ra.One overtook Enthiran (2010) to become India's most expensive film to date.Prior to its international release of 26 October 2011, the film had multiple premieres in Dubai, London and Toronto during the period of October 24 - 26.The film released across 5,000 screens worldwide in 2D and around 600 screens in 3D,along with its dubbed versions in Tamil, Telugu and German,making it the largest Indian cinematic release in the world. Upon release, the film garnered positive to mixed reviews from critics worldwide.
Cast
*Shahrukh Khan as G.One / Shekhar Subramanium
*Kareena Kapoor as Sonia Shekhar Subramanium
*Arjun Rampal as Ra.One
*Armaan Verma as Prateek Subramanium a.k.a. Lucifer
*Shahana Goswami as Jenny Nayar
*Tom Wu as Akashi
*Dalip Tahil as Barron
*Suresh Menon as Taxi Driver
*Satish Shah as Iyer
*Rajinikanth as Chitti (Guest appearance)
*Sanjay Dutt as Khalnayak (Guest appearance)
*Priyanka Chopra as The Damsel in Distress (Guest appearance)
*Amitabh Bachchan (Voice-over)
Plot
The storyline of the film revolves around a father and son's relationship. Shekhar Subramaniam (Shahrukh Khan), a geeky gaming expert, wants to be a super hero for his son Prateek (Armaan Verma). But his young son, like all kids, thinks super villains are more cool. In an effort to impress his son, Shekhar designs a game which changes their lives. He creates the ultimate clash of good against evil by pitting a very powerful anti-hero "Ra.One" against a seemingly less potent good guy "G.One".
Marketing
Pre-release revenue
In March 2011, it was announced that the television broadcasting rights for Ra.One had been sold to Star India for a then-record sum of 40 crore (US$8.92 million), surpassing the previous record set by 3 Idiots (2009) for 33 crore (US$7.36 million).[The film's music rights were bought by T-Series for 15 crore (US$3.35 million) whilst the distribution rights were acquired by Eros Entertainment for 77 crore (US$17.17 million).The distribution rights for the film in Tamil Nadu and Kerala were bagged by Abirami Ramanathan for a reportedly record, but undisclosed price.Ra.One set a new record for total pre-release revenue earned, netting 132 crore (US$29.44 million) and surpassed the previous record held by 3 Idiots, which had netted 85 crore (US$18.96 million).
Promotions
Khan promoting the Ra.One Happy Meal from McDonald's.
The producers of Ra.One set a record marketing budget of around 52 crore (US$11.6 million), of which 15 crore (US$3.35 million) was used for online promotion, making it the highest ever for a Bollywood film.[52][53] Often described as the "longest promotion in Bollywood history", as well as "the most comprehensive and all-pervasive among people's lives",[46] the term "promotional blitzkrieg" has often been used in connotation with the project's extensive marketing campaign.[54]
Promotion of the film officially began as early as December 2010 when the first poster was published in all leading news papers across the country.[15] The film's first look was later unveiled by Khan on his Twitter page on January 1, 2011.[46] Several months later, director Anubhav Sinha announced that he would be launching two teaser trailers of the film during the 2011 Cricket World Cup, a prior nine months before the film's actual release date.[55] Asked about why he was launching the film's trailer so early, Sinha commented, "Ra.One is not a Bollywood film that [the audiences] have seen before. The kind of size and magnitude that the film has requires it to be slowly introduced to the audience and that is the very purpose why we are starting the whole communication so early."[55] The film's first theatrical trailer was released three months later to the public. As a way to promote the theatrical trailer, Khan was accompanied by the director on a five city tour, which included such places like Delhi, Chandigarh, Indore and Ahmedabad.[46] During the same event, a 3600 ft long fan mail collecting audience wishes and messages for the film was also launched.[46]
On 3 June 2011, the official website of the film was hacked by suspected Pakistani cyber criminals who stated that the act was a form of revenge to a similar attack on a Karachi press club website, three days after the launch of the page. They also left a note threatening the Indian Press Club, defacing the homepage.[56] In early September, Red Chillies Entertainment (RCE) launched a sizeable viral marketing campaign for promoting the film more effectively in the online arena.[57] The company launched the official customized Ra.One channel of the film on YouTube (a first for an Indian film) where several song and theatrical promos were released to the public, along with videos of the film's making, events and uncut footage.[46] The channel also hosts games, including the first social game from India, and contests where participants can create promos from clips, music and dialogues of the film.
"My last strategy was that I do not want any one to know what the bad guy looks like. You see it in the film. The film is called Ra.One but no one knows what [he] looks like. Last week before the film releases, we will let everyone know what he looks like. It is not going to shake the earth, but all the facets are being revealed as a picture puzzle being peeled off."
—Khan talking about the promotional strategy regarding the look of the villain, "Ra.One"
In addition to YouTube, Khan announced that the film would also subsidize through major brand ties-up worth over 52 crore (US$11.6 million), some of which included the Formula One races, Nokia, Godrej Consumer Products, Coca-Cola, HCL,Horlicks, HomeShop18 and multiple live chats conducted on Google Plus for which Khan became the first Indian film personality to utilize.Three weeks before the film's release, a mass media campaign was launched by Western Union for international promotions. Encompassing platforms such as the radio, television, print media and outdoor advertising, it was launched in the U.S., Canada, the Middle East, Africa and Asia-Pacific as a way to connect with the millions of non-resident Indians across the world.Co-producers and distributors of the film, Eros International, released an official statement stating that along with RCE, they have recovered a major portion of their investments through in-film branding, media endorsements, and other music and satellite rights.
The look of the film's titular character, Ra.One, portrayed by Rampal, was heavily guarded and kept under strict wraps, with the entire filming unit required to keep mobile phones away from shooting locations, and signing non-disclosure agreements.The first look of the character was initially scheduled to be revealed on the eve of Dussehra. According to the producers, the time was chosen to show the symbolism between Ra.One and the mythological villain Ravana (of the Ramayana), both of whom are supposedly "equally bad".Due to certain technical glitches, it was later revealed in the film's final theatrical trailer to a positive response.Commenting on the response to his look in the film, Rampal noted: "The response has been phenomenal. People have liked my look. I am glad I have not disappointed anyone as there was so much anticipation for the film. I was petrified initially, wondering if my look would be appreciated and accepted. But it has been worth the wait."
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