Long before Anubhav Sinha became known for his hard-hitting social dramas like Mulk, Article 15, and Thappad, he ventured into the world of high-budget mainstream cinema. One of his most ambitious projects was the 2011 sci-fi superhero film Ra.One, starring Shah Rukh Khan, Kareena Kapoor Khan, and Arjun Rampal. While expectations for the film were sky-high, it failed to deliver at the box office and received a lukewarm response from critics. Despite the setback, Anubhav Sinha still views Ra.One as a brave attempt to create something new in Indian cinema.
Reflecting on the film, Anubhav Sinha admitted that Ra.One didn’t live up to its commercial expectations, but he praised Shah Rukh Khan for his dedication and passion throughout the project. In hindsight, he sees the film as a turning point in his career—one that revealed the need to reconnect with his artistic identity.
In a previous interview, Sinha spoke candidly about the backlash he faced following the film’s release. He explained how the negative reception deeply affected him, especially since much of the criticism seemed rooted in association rather than genuine understanding. “When Ra.One released, it disappointed 50–70 per cent of those people, and they hated me because I had made this film with Shah Rukh. But they had never even met me. Post this incident, when I met new, intelligent people, they ‘complimented’ me saying you are not the person who made those films, you are someone else. This was heartbreaking to hear. Because if I don’t reflect in my own films then I am not a filmmaker. That was the discontentment I felt and recognised. And then Mulk happened. And ever since then I have been driven by that. In fact, even when Mulk happened, nobody was willing to pay me money to make the movie. It wasn’t until a month of the shoot that Deepak Mukut (co-producer of Mulk) came on board.”
Ra.One may not have been the triumph many expected, but it marked a significant shift in Sinha’s trajectory as a storyteller. The film, notable for its cutting-edge visual effects and novel approach to the superhero genre in India, remains a reminder of a filmmaker’s bold leap that led to profound self-reflection and ultimately, reinvention.
