Anubhav Sinha says ‘People in Bollywood wanted Shah Rukh Khan to fall during ‘Ra One’: ‘I betrayed the film’

In a recent interview, director Anubhav Sinha elaborated on the making of Shah Rukh Khan’s much-anticipated ‘Ra One’ and the reasons behind its downfall.
In 2011, Shah Rukh Khan could do no wrong. He was trying his hand at interesting genres, finding success in almost every film, and cementing his legacy as the biggest Indian superstar globally.
This was the time when he was coming up with his most ambitious project to date. It was also his most expensive film to date. The director of this film was Anubhav Sinha, who had already done five films at that time, and despite all the difficulties, ‘Ra One’ was made.
However, it was one of the biggest disappointments of Indian cinema, and despite the voices that were raised in favour of the film, the louder voices of its critics silenced it.
Director Anubhav, who has made great films like Mulk, Article 15, Thappad and Anek, elaborated on the reasons behind the making and downfall of Ra.One in an interview with The Lallantop.
“I conceptualised this film in 2005 and started writing it in 2006. Of course, I was talking to Shah Rukh Khan about the film but nothing was confirmed. However, Shah Rukh Khan announced the project at a press conference in Berlin and boarded a plane to India,” Anubhav said, adding that he received a series of phone calls over the next eight hours when the project was first officially announced.
“Honestly, I didn’t know if he had actually said anything and I didn’t know what to say. Eight hours later, when I was able to connect with him, he simply said, ‘Why hide it?'”
Anubhav agreed that the film didn’t turn out the way he had envisioned, but he never had to think about the budget as Shah Rukh Khan never discussed money matters.
“He is above money. In fact, he doesn’t care about it at all. Of course, I heard it was between Rs 90-120 crore, but I didn’t know the exact number,” said Anubhav, admitting that he was completely overwhelmed by the events taking place in Ra One. “I lost control of the film.”
Talking about how Ra One was new territory for everyone involved, Anubhav revealed that he was unsure about a lot of things, and was overwhelmed by the scale.
“I used to spend 18 hours a day with Shah Rukh Khan. There was an Italian cameraman and an American VFX supervisor, and all of them knew more about cinema than me. I was overwhelmed with the resources,” said the Anek filmmaker, who shared that Shah Rukh Khan’s way of speaking ensured that he was never left behind.
“He is a very intelligent person. He knew how to impress his decision on you without making you feel bad. Of course, I was consulted about everything, including the casting. In fact, the initiative to get Akon for Chammak Chalo was also taken by Vishal-Shekhar. I called Shah Rukh and said, ‘Akon chahiye’ (we need Akon), and he only replied, ‘Let me try…’ And then there is Shah Rukh Khan. He makes things happen.”
Looking at the box-office results of Ra One, Anubhav gave all the credit to his work in the film. “Ra One was a bad film, so it didn’t do well. The screenplay was bad. The editing was bad. I still believe that the core story was good, but the film’s ambition to appeal to everyone and every section of the audience proved to be a detriment.
Anubhav also spoke on the kind of unspoken negativity that was spread around Shah Rukh Khan and Ra.One. “In the second week of the film I realised that the film will not do as well as we had hoped. I was depressed.
I contacted Kishore Lulla in London and he assured me that Shah Rukh Khan and he will make money from the film even though the film is not doing very well,” Anubhav said, stressing on how many people in the industry wanted the film to fail. “I believe there were people in the film industry who wanted Shah Rukh Khan to fall.
I have been in cinema for a long time and understand this kind of sentiment among people. But yes, when Shah Rukh Khan admitted that the film flopped, it was heartbreaking because I betrayed the film and his trust in me.
I could not deliver a film that he can be proud of.” When asked if he is being harsh on himself, the always outspoken Anubhav said, “I am a director. I should be harsh on myself because I enjoy the privileges that come with being a director.”