Back in 2011, Shah Rukh Khan was at the peak of his career, delivering back-to-back hits while cementing his status as Bollywood’s biggest global superstar. During this time, he embarked on his most ambitious project yet—Ra.One, a high-budget superhero film that was unlike anything Indian cinema had seen before. Directed by Anubhav Sinha, the film promised cutting-edge VFX, an international soundtrack, and a larger-than-life spectacle. However, upon release, Ra.One underperformed at the box office and was met with mixed reviews, becoming one of Bollywood’s biggest disappointments.
In a recent interview with The Lallantop, director Anubhav Sinha, who later found critical acclaim with films like Mulk, Article 15, and Thappad, reflected on the making of Ra.One and why it failed. He admitted that the project spiralled out of his control and that he “betrayed” the film and Shah Rukh Khan’s trust.
The making of an overwhelming project
Anubhav revealed that Ra.One was conceived years before it was actually made. “I conceptualised the film in 2005 and started writing it in 2006. I was in talks with Shah Rukh Khan, but nothing was finalised. Then, one day, at a press conference in Berlin, Shah Rukh announced the project and got on a plane to India,” he recalled.
Unaware that the announcement had been made, Anubhav was bombarded with phone calls about the film. “I didn’t know if he had actually said anything, so I didn’t know how to respond. Eight hours later, when I could finally reach him, he simply said, ‘Why hide it?’”
Despite being at the helm of such a grand-scale project, Anubhav admitted that he never had to worry about the budget because Shah Rukh handled everything. “He is above money. He never discussed numbers with me. Of course, I heard that the budget was somewhere between ₹90-120 crore (approximately £8.6-11.5 million), but I didn’t know the exact amount,” he said.
However, the film’s scale and international collaborations quickly became overwhelming for the director. “I was spending 18 hours a day with Shah Rukh Khan. There was an Italian cinematographer, an American VFX supervisor—everyone around me knew more cinema than I did. I was completely overwhelmed by the resources,” he admitted.
The film that didn’t go as planned
Despite its record-breaking VFX and hit soundtrack—including Chammak Challo, a collaboration with Akon—Ra.One failed to strike a chord with audiences. Anubhav took full responsibility, stating, “Ra.One was a bad film, that’s why it didn’t perform well. The script was bad. The editing was bad. I would correct a lot of things in the film except for the music and the VFX. The core story was strong, but our ambition to appeal to everyone was our downfall.”
He also recalled how Ra.One was new territory for everyone involved, including Shah Rukh. “SRK is a very intelligent person. He knows how to impress his decision upon you without making you feel bad about it. I was consulted about everything, including casting. Even bringing Akon for Chammak Challo was initiated by Vishal-Shekhar. I simply called SRK and said, ‘Akon chaahiye,’ and he replied, ‘Let me try.’ It’s Shah Rukh Khan—he makes things happen.”
Industry politics and the hope for failure
Beyond the film’s shortcomings, Anubhav suggested that there were deeper forces at play. “During Ra.One’s second week in theatres, I realised it wasn’t going to recover as we had expected. I was depressed. I reached out to Kishore Lulla in London, and he assured me that he and Shah Rukh Khan would still make money from the film, even if it didn’t perform well,” Anubhav said.
However, he believed that some people in Bollywood wanted the film to fail. “There were people in the industry who wanted Shah Rukh Khan to fall. I’ve been in cinema long enough to recognise that kind of sentiment,” he revealed.
Despite the negativity surrounding the film, Shah Rukh eventually admitted that Ra.One had flopped, which Anubhav found heartbreaking. “I betrayed the film. More importantly, I betrayed his trust. I couldn’t deliver a film that he could be proud of.”
No Room for Excuses
When asked if he was being too harsh on himself, Anubhav remained firm. “I am the director. I should be harsh on myself. Because I also enjoy the privileges that come with being a director.”
More than a decade after Ra.One, Anubhav has built a reputation as a filmmaker known for tackling hard-hitting subjects. But looking back, he remains candid about his past missteps. While Ra.One may have fallen short of expectations, it remains one of Bollywood’s most ambitious projects, proving that even a superstar like Shah Rukh Khan can take risks—whether or not they pay off.