Ra.One - Random Access Version 1.0
Cast: Shahrukh Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Arjun Rampal, Sahana Goswami, Armaan Varma, Satish Shah, Dalip Tahil, Tom Wu, Priyanka (Damsel in distress) Chopra, Sanjay (Khalnayak) Dutt and Superstar Rajinikanth (Chitti)
Genre: Sci-Fi
Music: Vishal-Shekhar
Writer: Anubhav Sinha
Editor: Sanjay Mishra & Martin Walsh
Director: Anubhav Sinha
Ra.One, the most ambitious project by SRK, released with over 3,500 prints across the globe, is no doubt a path breaking film in Indian cinema both in terms of scale and money invested. The dedication and hardwork of the entire team is commendable and was made obvious with the help of some smart Integrated Branding by SRK and his Ra.One team. But what makes a film worth talking about is when there are enough elements to talk about. Ra.One provides us with just that. Technology-checked, chartbuster music-checked, action-checked, menacing villain-checked, charming hero-checked, hot heroine-checked, emotion-checked, comedy-checked and in that sequence. So, even if Ra.One does not appeal to everyone, it sure is a film to watch for all these elements. Like my other pieces, I will try to keep this to the point talking only about the quality of the film covering characters, technicalities, marketing and why I am going to watch it for a second time (huhu).
There is so much more to the movie than just the story. This film has sequences and unfolding of events just as a pattern in a kaleidoscope that you enjoy every scene and you know that the next scene will give you a different element. The evolution of the characters is well sketched. A stark contrast from what has been said and what we saw in the G.One in Ra.Ville comic, G.One is not the next generation Super Hero. G.One is so far, a Super Hero with a H.A.R.T. who only protects the wife and son of late Shekhar Subramanyam. This is reinstated when SRK aka Shekhar Subramanyam says “Banta nahi super hero muscle ya power se. banta hai super hero dil se”. Kareena aka Sonia Shekhar Subramanyam aka Chammak challo is scrumptiously stunning, delectably dazzling and has taken a giant leap from her zoobi doobi days in terms of her oomph factor. Armaan is adorable, has got the attitude and the charm, an unmistakable star, no doubt. But my favorite character remains that of Arjun Rampal as Ra.One. Ra.One is devilish and deadly in appearance, mean and merciless in feat. SRK kept the look of Ra.One unrevealed for a long time which has worked in the favor of the character because one tends to liken Ra.One all the more for his rawness and matchless splendor.The movie has a lot of drawbacks which become apparent as we sit through the first half. There are scenes that have been hurriedly shot and there are moments where the film lacked originality bettering only by spoofs on previous SRK films. Anubhav Sinha, like many of us thought SRK would pull it off. Alas, even SRK cannot charm us twice with his caricatured styles from an Om Shanti Om, Rab Ne Banadi Jodi or even his most recent My Name is Khan. These could have been avoided to keep the class and genre of the movie intact. Having said that, there are spectacular scenes in the movie, not one or two or three but several breathtaking action sequences which is where the money that has been much talked about has been invested. The flying glass pieces, the car chasing scenes in London, the fight between G.One and a mob of rowdies, the way Ra.One draws power from electricity, the demolitions by Ra.One are all worth the money. The film has brisk editing, is fast paced and even though there are lousy moments, there is no time to think because the next thing you know, there is an item number to rev it up. Also, there is a lot of hobnobbing throughout the movie, between new neighbors, co-workers, security cops and others.
In my book, Ra.One is an out and out blockbuster with some really catchy item numbers and stylized 3D action. It will sweep the weekend box office collections easily and will go on to be a landmark movie in Indian cinema. One must not try to intellectualize a masala film like this one. It will be ‘criminal’ to do so, because the theme does not allow us to do that. Also, it cannot fail for one more reason, there’s Superstar Rajinikanth as Chitti after all. As I’m completing this article, I’m also booking the tickets for one more time, this one for the love of SRK.