Ra.One is a 2011 Indian science fiction superhero film directed by Anubhav Sinha, and starring Shah Rukh Khan, Arjun Rampal, Kareena Kapoor, Armaan Verma, Shahana Goswami and Tom Wu in pivotal roles. The script, written by Sinha and Kanika Dhillon, originated as an idea that Sinha got when he saw a television commercial, and which he subsequently expanded. The film follows Shekhar Subramanium (Khan), a game designer who creates a motion sensor-based game in which the antagonist (Ra.One) is more powerful than the protagonist (G.One). The former escapes from the game's virtual world and enters the real world; his aim is to kill Lucifer, the game ID of Shekhar's son and the only player to have challenged Ra.One's power. Relentlessly pursued, the family is forced to bring out G.One from the virtual world to defeat Ra.One and protect them.
Principal photography began in March 2010 and took place in India and the United Kingdom, and was overseen by an international crew. The post-production involved 3-D conversion and the application of visual effects, the latter being recognised as a technological breakthrough among Indian films. With a budget of at least INR1.25 billion (US$20 million), Ra.One was one of the most expensive Indian films at the time of release. The producers spent INR100 million (US$1.6 million) out of a INR520 million (US$8.2 million) marketing budget, which involved a nine-month publicity campaign, brand tie-ups, merchandise, video games and viral marketing.
Ra.One was initially scheduled to release on 3 June 2011, but delays due to a lengthy post-production process and escalating costs pushed back the release date. The film also faced controversies involving plagiarism, content leaks and copyright challenges. Consequently, Ra.One was theatrically released on 26 October 2011, the beginning of the five-day Diwali weekend, in 2D, 3D and dubbed versions, with three international premieres being held between 24 and 26 October 2011. The film witnessed the largest international theatrical release for an Indian film as of 2011, and was preceded by high audience and commercial expectations.
Upon release, Ra.One received mixed reviews from critics, with the visuals and music receiving general praise, and criticism towards the script and direction. Commercially, the film became the third highest-grossing Bollywood film of 2011 and broke a number of opening box office records, though it failed to sustain at the box office after its extended opening weekend. Box office website Box Office India deemed Ra.One a domestic "hit" and overseas "super hit". The film subsequently won a number of awards for its technical aspects, notably one National Film Award, one Filmfare Award and four International Indian Film Academy Awards.
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