Ra.One is a 2011 Indian Hindi-language superhero film directed by Anubhav Sinha and produced by Gauri Khan under Red Chillies Entertainment.

Upon release, Ra.One earned praise for the visual effects, action sequences, direction, music and the performances of Khan and Rampal, but criticism for the script.

[20][21] Sinha then approached Shah Rukh Khan, who liked the story and decided to produce the film under his production company Red Chillies Entertainment.

[20] Khan felt that the film possessed significant commercial potential in addition to being a fulfilment of his "childhood dream" to be a superhero and to fly.

[26] He declined to make the film in English to increase its appeal for Western audiences, feeling that "cracking Hollywood on their terms" was unnecessary.

[30] To prepare the film's premises and characterisation, Sinha spent several months viewing video clips, digital art portals and comic books.

[47][27][48] The cast encountered problems during production, Khan faced difficulties with his superhero suit and prosthetic makeup and injured his left knee.

[49][50][51] The decision to cast Rampal was met with scepticism due to "questionable acting abilities", a statement Sinha criticised.

[21] In addition, Rampal encountered back problems (which were treated by the time production began),[41] prompting speculation of a possible replacement by Vivek Oberoi.

[21][73] Nvidia provided the information technology–based software utilised for the effects, while Edwark Quirk supervised over the computer-generated imagery used in the film.

[78][81] The bodysuits worn by Khan and Rampal were designed by Robert Kurtzman and Tim Flattery, and made by a team of specialists based in Los Angeles.

[20] To create the suit, Khan was required to enter a small chamber where a warm latex-like liquid was released up to his neck and allowed to solidify, forming the mould which was then peeled off his body.

[83] Computer-generated embellishments such as light beams and electricity were added to the suits after Khan expressed dissatisfaction with the initial rushes of the film.

[45] In addition, the non-porous nature of the suits created intense heat inside, causing excessive perspiration despite the presence of special air conditioning ducts.

[24] Manish Malhotra designed the look and the costume of Kareena Kapoor for the song "Chammak Challo", which received widespread media coverage.

[90] Sinha announced that R&B singer Akon and the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra would be a part of the soundtrack;[89] the former lent his vocals for "Chammak Challo" and "Criminal", while the latter performed in "Bhare Naina".

[89] The soundtrack contains fifteen tracks, including seven original songs, four remixes, three instrumentals and an international version of "Chammak Challo".

[95] Khan and Sinha undertook a multi-city tour during which they unveiled a 3,600 feet-long piece of fan mail to collect audience messages.

[113] In addition, the film was released in Pakistan and non-traditional territories like Brazil, Spain, Italy, Greece and Hong Kong.

[107] The wide digital release was implemented to lower distribution costs, make the film accessible to a wider audience and reduce piracy.

The Board raised strong objections to the film's action scenes, fearing that they would influence young children to emulate the stunts.

The police and the Indian Railways security force had made similar objections to the train-based stunts in the film, claiming that youngsters would "blindly imitate them" and hence put their lives at risk.

[123] The film was finally passed with a 'U' certificate without cuts, but under the condition that prominent disclaimers were shown, stating that the stunts were computer-generated and should not be imitated.

[1] In March 2012, a Mid-Day report alleged that Ra.One had received a favourable rating, pointing out that the producers had violated the rules by meeting the Board officials during the screening.

[126] The Indian television premiere of Ra.One took place on 21 January 2012 on STAR Gold, garnering a 28% market sharefor the channel and a TVR of 6.7.

[128] In May 2012, International Media Distribution announced that Ra.One would be televised on Comcast and Cox, as a part of the celebrations of the Asian Pacific American Heritage Month.

[136] The film faced allegations of plagiarism with similarities to Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), the Batman series, Iron Man (2008), The Sorcerer's Apprentice (2010) and Tron: Legacy (2010).

[180] Mixed views were opined regarding the plot's gaming concept, with some critics deeming it "far-fetched" and others lauding the "gaming-style aesthetics".

[182][183] Raja Sen of Rediff.com gave a 1.5 out of 5 star rating explaining that "Ra.One is a subpar superhero film with a mediocre soundtrack and occasionally terrific effects.

Producer Goldie Behl brushed aside arguments about the success of the first film, saying, "If the people think that they can earn some more, then it doesn't matter how big or small the hit was."