Over a decade after Ra.One hit theatres with sky-high expectations, director Anubhav Sinha has opened up about the emotional toll of its failure and his experience of working with superstar Shah Rukh Khan, reports Hindustan Times..
Released during Diwali in 2011, Ra.One was one of the most ambitious sci-fi films ever made in Bollywood. Produced by and starring Shah Rukh Khan, the film promised cutting-edge visual effects and a futuristic storyline. However, despite the massive hype, it received mixed reviews and fell short of box office expectations.
In a recent conversation with the YouTube channel Ulta Chasma UC, Sinha reflected on the period following the film’s release. “I meet a lot of people who now tell me they like Ra.One, but at that time, the film was declared a flop,” he recalled.
“There was a lot of pain after it flopped. I made a film with Shah Rukh Khan and it was a flop and people didn’t like it at that time. That film broke me emotionally. It took time for me to recover from that.”
Despite the setback, the filmmaker spoke warmly of his collaboration with the Bollywood icon. “I was very fortunate that I was able to meet Shah Rukh Khan. I value him more than a star and an actor,” Sinha said. “Even if I don’t work with him ever, I know him as a person and that is enough for me. You learn a lot from him; he is a very passionate, compassionate person. Despite all the stardom, he has a middle-class mind.”
Following Ra.One, Sinha reinvented his filmmaking journey with hard-hitting social dramas such as Mulk, Article 15, Thappad and Bheed, earning acclaim for his bold storytelling and political nuance.
Shah Rukh Khan, meanwhile, continues to dominate the screen, recently winning the National Award for Best Actor for Jawan. The actor was last seen in Dunki (2023) and is set to appear next in King, alongside Deepika Padukone and his daughter Suhana Khan.
