Ra.One released on 26 October 2011, and this week it turns 15. The Shah Rukh Khan superhero film, produced by Gauri Khan under Red Chillies Entertainment and directed by Anubhav Sinha, still sparks plenty of behind-the-scenes wonder. Here are eight facts from its making that are worth a rewatch.
2,600 artists converted 4,400 shots
Converting Ra.One to 3-D was suggested during filming and implemented in July 2011, when interest in 3-D films revived. The process required 2,600 artists to convert 4,400 shots of the film.
The title is modern-day Ravana
The title is inspired by the Hindu Saga character Ravana. Shah Rukh Khan put it plainly:
Ra.One is the modern, new age technology version of our mythological “Raavan”, who was a mixture of ten different evil characters.
A 2005 ad started it all
According to director Anubhav Sinha, the idea of Ra.One originated in 2005 when he saw an advertisement on television which showed children remotely controlling a human. He was attracted to the concept, wrote a script based on it, and then approached Shah Rukh Khan, who liked the story and decided to produce the film under Red Chillies Entertainment.
Kareena got the role because she insisted
Kareena Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra and Asin had initially been considered for the lead female role. Kareena Kapoor was ultimately chosen because she insisted on playing the part.
Jackie Chan said no to Aakaashi
Jackie Chan had initially been approached for the role of Aakaashi, but he declined the offer. Rajinikanth suffered from health problems which caused a delay in the filming of his cameo appearance. Sanjay Dutt faced a scheduling conflict with Agneepath (2012), which was later resolved.
Arjun Rampal’s casting was questioned
The decision to cast Rampal was met with scepticism due to “questionable acting abilities”, a statement Sinha criticised. Rampal also encountered back problems, which were treated by the time production began, prompting speculation of a possible replacement by Vivek Oberoi.
The cast trained and took the hits
Rampal and Kapoor followed special diets to lose weight. Khan and Verma performed their own stunts, and Kapoor subsequently did so as well despite initial reluctance. Khan faced difficulties with his superhero suit and prosthetic makeup and injured his left knee.
The final print had two days
Post-production faced significant delays owing to digital inter-mediation, the increased workload of the 3-D and dubbed versions, and delays in completing the visual effects. The delays left only two days for printing the film and sending it to theatres. Khan postponed his knee surgery to complete the film on time.
From a 2005 ad to a two-day race to theatres, Ra.One’s making was as ambitious as its superhero. Which of these facts did you not know?
Facts from Wikipedia: Ra.One, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Film images from TMDB. This product uses the TMDB API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDB.