No-One would go to Ra-One to watch good cinema. And since I’m No-One, thats precisely what I did. And for many of us who are still busy digesting "My Name is Khan", this was a touch too much.
The first thing Ra-One reminds you of is the book "Luka and the Fire of Life" by Rushdie, released in 2010. There are quite a few similarities in treatment of the plot but I wouldnt hazard the risk of suggesting that the movie has been inspired by the book.
The movie is about virtual world gaming and how the boundaries between the real and the virtual is increasingly getting blurred day by day. Ra-One is a powerful villain in the eponymous game made by SRK as a tribute to his son. However, the programming goes a bit haywire and Ra-One descends into the real world to wreak havoc. Stop. We won’t talk much about the plot and play spoilsport. Suffice it to say No-One goes to a SRK movie to watch a story. If we talk too much of the plot and not of SRK, its kinda demeaning him, isnt it ? So let me stick to general comments.
For starters, Ra-One is a spoof on many things, from Jackie Chan to super heroes to women who spend their time bashing chauvinists to South Indians eating noodles with curd ! Coupled with Conom Conom (aberration for "Kunjam kunjam" meaning "little little"). It beats me how the movie hasnt been banned in the South but guess thats the magic of SRK. And maybe thats why he got Rajni to do a meaningless cameo to get the official stamp of acceptance down South.
However, the movie’s main draw is the computer generated action extravaganza. Its supposed to have a whopping 3300 odd jaw-dropping, state of the art, VFX sequences including prolonged scenes at the Battersea power station (yes you read it right. PF fans would be livid at the crass commercialisation of the iconic building but who cares these days) and Victoria station, nearer home. There’s nothing new for those of us who have got sick and tired of watching movies on 3D. However if going for the movie makes you think of yourself as a patriot supporting the Indian 3D industry, its a must watch !
If Akshay had done the logic defying sequences, it would have been bizarre, even absurd. However, you can’t dream of SRK being absurd, can you ? If SRK has done it, it must be breathtaking action of the first water. Dialogues are very good because its supposed to be a 180 crore film. So is the choreography, again because its a 180 crore film. When a Sunny Deol stomps his foot to the tune of "chammak challo zara dheere chalo", we laugh at him. But when SRK does his arms flapping dance in Chammak Challo, it must be a new innovation of choreographer who’ll definitely get the Filmfare this year.
If some other actor had sagging skin or was sporting curls/pulling hair from behind to show in front, he would have been labelled as "over the hill". However, since its SRK who is in question here we presume, the script must have demanded pulling back hair/sporting curls and sagging skin.
A word on excess of sexual innuendos. The movie is being touted by many as a "Family movie" in spite of too many instances involving croch grabbing and breat touching, too much of maa-behen or to put it precisely Baap-Bhai. The movie starts with the Risque tone courtesy exchanges between Sanju baba and SRK and never lets go of it till the end. Had Aamir done it, it’d have been downright lewd, crude and offensive. However since its SRK we say’ll it was just naughty, even artistic …in the right sort of way of course.
SRK has raised the bar whether it is spending money or carrying out cheeky spoofs with aplomb or resorting to sexual innuendos in reel/on stage. If you want to educate your child on the "forbidden truths of life", SRK gives you a ’refined’ way of doing it. Of course there’s the cheaper "Delhi Belly" way of doing it but thats for lower middle class children who cant afford to watch SRK, not for sophisticated children, like ours.
Now coming to the business of breaking all box office records. If Salman spent 75 crores on Bodyguard and broke all box office records, SRK has spent more than double the money on Ra-One. So he should also get benefit of "double the loot offer", which basically entitles you to loot the public twice over. Of course since its SRK we are talking about, there is added bonus of getting Filmfare awards for the next 5 years for Ra-One.
Recommendation - You can’t hate a SRK movie. You either love it. Or you "have" to love it. There’s no 3rd way out. SRK is training very hard to be comical. This was dead apparent in MNIK and its coming out very clearly here too. You can get your money’s worth just by watching that "incredulous look" he sports on his face but why spend money for "the look" when you can get most of it on the promos for free. Honestly I wouldnt recommend the movie but if you wanna think reviews on MS compelled you to watch the movie, I dont mind saying "Yes".
Obviously if 150 crores gets spent in making a movie, to say nothing of other expenses, and SRK is hero, it must be worth the last dime you own. And if my eyes failed to find anything worth watching, must be No-one’s fault but mine..