Sharukh Khan appeared on every reality shows of India and did his “Chammak Challo” moves to promote the movie which reportedly is the most expensive movie yet in Bollywood costing more than Rs 1.25 billion.[break]
After months of hype, publicity and expectations, Ra. One hit the theaters all over the world, offering nothing more than some visual magic for Bollywood to cherish as the industry had never experienced one to such magnitude before.
The movie falters badly with its plots, subplots and execution. The biggest problem of the movie, however, is the lack of a solid storyline.
Ra. One is one of such movie that proves that visual improvisations and technological adaptation can alone do nothing to a movie if the script does not make sense.
Initially you are introduced to a nerdy South Indian character Shekhar (Sharukh Khan), his wife Sonia (Kareena Kapoor) and son Prateik (Armaan Verma).
The father is a computer geek and makes video games, the mother is doing her PhD in abusive languages and the son remains uninterested by their inane chemistry.
Prateik, in fact, is really embarrassed by his father’s nerdy personality. He believes in creating his own rules.
So to win back his son’s heart, Shekhar after detailed tutorials develops such a virtual game, where the protagonist and the antagonist of the game come to the fore.
Shekhar brings out the characters from the battle field of the video game to real world and introduces them as G.One and Ra.One.
The initial proceeding that follows then do not contribute much to the film, with the screen-time during the first half expended on dirty jokes.
The special appearance of Sanjay Dutt and Priyanka Chopra does not support the script but disgusts the film. The other half of the movie is all about the battle between G.One (SRK) and Ra. One (Arjun Rampal).
While the sci-fiction concept seems to far-fetched to pull off for director Anubhav Sinha, it’s the visual effects that keeps the audiences seated inside the theater.
While the visual effect climbs up, the narration soars badly in the second half.
But one should know this that the film is not shot in 3D format but later converted which means one would not miss a lot when watching the 2D version either.
Nonetheless some of the scenes are exotically shot and are extravagant. Ra. One is an outright Sharukh Khan film but nothing more than that.
The film has a very typecast sense of humor; for a larger family target movie, the dialogues are more vulgar than clever.
Just because in Bollywood everything sells when it comes to Sharukh, you are offered with butt-spanking, crotch-grabbing, cleavage-popping, condom innuendoes and garish gags.
Imagine any other actors doing that, he would have been already labeled ‘cheap’. SRK, nonetheless, would still call that charming.
Frankly speaking, this SRK is neither cute, nor wacky. He is not funny and does not go away with kisses and applauses.
He looks overambitious while developing his character of a superhero. Arjun Rampal as Ra.One does not get enough screen space while Kareena Kapoor has hardly anything to do in the film. Child artist Armaan Verma delivers his part the best.
Vishal-Shekhar’s music does not go any further than Akon’s Chammak Challo while Oscar winning Resul Pookutty’s sound design makes some impacts.
Honestly speaking Rajnikanth’s 2010 hit Robot was more entertaining than SRK’s overdone gimmicks in Ra. One.
No wonder a small appearance of Rajnikanth in the film gathers more gaga than Sharukh Khan in the entire film. However, it deserves a one-time watch for Bollywood’s new visual magnificence.
Screening at QFX Cinemas.
The writer is Program Officer at Indian Cultural Centre.
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