Ra.One’ is one of the most ambitious, expensive and perhaps technologically complex Hindi films ever. And the probability of the success of producer-actor Shah Rukh Khan’s projects is a national debate. “It is an enormous challenge for Shah Rukh,” says Karan Johar, perhaps SRK’s closest friend. “It challenges Shah Rukh Khan, the star.”
Riding on brand SRK: ‘Ra.One’ director Sinha says, “There have been some serious investments in the film.” Three days before the film’s music launch, he nervously asked T-Series’s Bhushan Kumar, “Music chalegi na?” There was a pause on the other end of the line, before Kumar, who has bought the music rights for a reported Rs 15 crore, replied: “Are you crazy? This is a Shah Rukh Khan film, it is bound to work!” Kumar admits that he is banking on brand SRK. “While Akon is a huge international star, for our market, he is just a value add,” says the music moghul.
SRK to the challenge: The man at the epicentre of expectation is pulling out all the stops. SRK’s calendar is choc-a-bloc with appearances, launches, events. “There are FMCG brands, consumer electronics, media, all keen to be a part of the film,” says Bhalla. It helps, of course, that SRK is the face of several such products already. Ra.One’s music launch was streamed live on a video-sharing site for an undisclosed amount, telecast rights were sold to a TV channel for a reported Rs 10 crore, satellite rights for Rs 35 crore, distribution rights are said to have been sold for Rs 77 crore, and an electronics giant has bought a ‘Ra.One’ game for Rs 5 crore. Cast away doubts about youngsters and a 40-plus superhero. The film will be an SRK affair. “Without giving away too much of the film, I can tell you that it has everything – song, dance, romance and love well integrated with the technology,” says Johar.
Pressure on SRK? Sinha maintains his producer-actor has rarely showed the pressure on the sets. “He was always smiling, full of energy and extremely patient,” he says, adding, “The only time one saw him crumble was when his close friend Bobby Chawla slipped into coma.” SRK’s tweets, however, imply a mind possessed by an idea – “music sitting…sound sitting & baby sitting. so much sitting & my feet r killing me. been woken up by kids before i could sleep.” “@nittmish its a big responsibility… to bring new technology and new genre in bollywood. kuch naya nahi kiya ton kya kiya?kya jiya” “so tired can’t even hit the bed…cant hit anything. i feel a farishta (angel) watches over my source of energy & resilience. Thanx Allah.” “overworked.overeaten.overunderslept.overquestioned. over & out time. will try & sleep. hope it rains tomorrow to wash away remains of today.” SRK’s friends say he thrives in chaos. “It has been his dream to make this kind of a film,” says Johar. “And he loves this frenetic pace, he thrives in this kind of pressure.” Besides the desire to make money – perhaps the only star honest enough to admit to dancing at weddings to make moolah – SRK is driven by an intense desire to be liked, observes a senior film writer close to the star: “With ‘Ra.One’, he has set himself up for a different test – make a film that will appeal to your inner child. It is a tough thing to do. And no one quite knows what is going on inside his head at the moment.”
