Planet Bollywood
Ra.One
 
Producer: Gauri Khan
Director: Anubhav Sinha
Starring: Shahrukh Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Arjun Rampal, Shahana Goswami
Music: Vishal-Shekhar
Lyrics: Atahar Panchi, Vishal Dadlani and Kumaar
Genre: Action
Recommended Audience: General
Approximate Running Time: 160 Mins
Film Released on: 26 October 2011
Reviewed by: Stutee Ghosh  - Rating: 8.0 / 10
More Reviews and Analysis by PB Critics:
    • Feature Review by Lidia Ostepeev - Rating: 6.5 / 10
    • Analysis by Ankit Ojha - Rating: 6.0 / 10
 
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Public Rating Average: 5.11 / 10 (rated by 410 viewers)
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Opinion Poll: Does Ra.One live up to all the mega hype?

Ladies and Gentleman let’s give it up for SRK’s Ra.One!! You are sure to have heard of this one and although your expectations from it might vary from utter skepticism to pure wonder it’s a film you cannot ignore. So far carried solely on the extra-terrestrial strength of astute marketing and SRK’s Stardom, the film isn’t a complete roll over after all.

To put it simply it’s a film of victory of good over evil. Shekhar Subramaniam (Shah Rukh Khan) wants his son Prateek (Armaan Verma) to think of him as a hero. He produces an ultimate video-game with a good at heart valiant hero G.One pitted against a strong villain, Ra.One. As in folklore, so in Bollywood it’s a fight worth watching and the happenings have more than enough meat to keep us glued to the very end.

Director Anubhav Sinha spices this bland palate with some super special effects, computer graphics and visual somersaults. It’s video game-like for most of it and clearly skewed to make kids watch the movie wide–eyed and with unflinching attention. Since there is a child in each one of us, it doesn’t do too badly with us adults too!

A sci-fi super hero film, Ra.One is bound to provide fresh fodder for our fertile imagination. Touted as the most expensive Hindi film with masterful special effects, Ra.One thankfully does not suffer from performance anxiety. Starring Kareena Kapoor and Arjun Rampal in the lead roles along with the mighty SRK, no stone has been left unturned to put us under a spell.


Child actor Armaan Verma does a brilliant job of playing a video-game addict. It also stars Shahana Goswami, Dalip Tahil and Chinese-American actor Tom Wu in supporting roles. There is a voice over by Shehensha Amitabh Bachchan (that’s how he is referred to in the credits!) along with a special gig by Rajnikanth in addition to Sanjay Dutt and Priyanka Chopra making guest appearances.

It has been said that SRK decided to re-shoot the whole film and add renewed vigor into the special effects after seeing Rajni’s Robot. Although Ra.One has definitely taken a leaf out of Robot’s histrionics it manages to blossom into its own. SRK roped in Jeff Kleiser from Hollywood and Oscar winner Resul Pokutty was appointed to take care of the sound department.

Seeing our superhero fly through the sky, do gravity-defying somersaults, chasing trains and the likes...the first half before the interval is tastefully packed. Post interval, while it seems to lose some of its charge, the stunts are well balanced with some genuine emotional scenes between the father and son tugging at our heartstrings. In the end it’s an idea made larger than life and money well spent.

Knowing SRK this wasn’t just another film. What with his other fellow Khan’s rubbing him the wrong way with enviable box office collections, Ra.One was SRK’s gamble which seems to have paid off. It is neither thought provoking like an Amir Khan production nor totally brainless like Salman’s whims. Ra.One has a soul that is well adorned by special effects never seen in a Hindi film and some dazzling doze of the Badshaah of Bollywood’s charisma.

This Diwali let the celebrations continue with an enticing display of fireworks within the film Ra.One. It’s well worth watching and a suggestion, watch it in 3D if you get the chance!

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