“Ra.One,” which was released across the world a few days ago, is the first genuine Hindi science-fiction film. It stars one of India’s most salable actors: Shahrukh Khan, who loves wearing somewhat tight trousers even when he is not playing a superhero. The visual effects of the film are unprecedented in Indian cinema. In the middle of action sequences, beautiful women sing and dance in 3-D. Also unprecedented in Indian cinema is a scene in which the hero places his hand unambiguously and for several seconds on the breast of the leading lady.
The film is meant to get every Indian to see it. But it has received mostly poor reviews. People are calling friends and begging them not to watch the film.
Just days after its release, on a public holiday, the halls were not packed. Regular Hindi film fans complain that the film is silly. But then, a typical hit Hindi film is not “Citizen Kane.” Far from it.
Even those who are disappointed with the film do not deny that the visual effects are surprisingly good. So what is wrong with “Ra.One”?
Could it just be that the fundamental character of Hindi film and of its huge audience is such that it dooms a Hindi sci-fi from the very start? Would there ever be a mainstream sci-fi film genre in India? That has been Mr. Khan’s belief for several years.
He is a clever and informed man. People around him usually behave as if he were the only person in the room who reads newspapers. As an actor and a film producer, he has more than a passing interest in visual effects.
“The first thing I learned about special effects is that they are actually called visual effects,” he told me about five years ago when I interviewed him soon after he had created a visual effects company. He was already using sophisticated technology in his films then.
Mr. Khan spends hours playing video games with his son, and for years the boy has been pushing his star father to make a sci-fi film. Mr. Khan told me five years ago that he had no choice but to make such a film. “Ra.One” was inevitable. Considering its objectives, it is an efficient film. But there are simple reasons it was ill-fated.
Hindi cinema has survived the cultural conquest of Hollywood in India because Hollywood cannot make Hindi films. But a sci-fi film, even if it is a Hindi sci-fi, is pitted directly against the Hollywood experience, and this is a vastly unequal battle. The economics of a major Hollywood film, which has a global market, supports a budget of a few hundred million dollars. “Ra.One,” whose billing as the most expensive Hindi film ever made is believable on screen, cost 1.35 billion rupees, or $27 million, according to Mr. Khan, which is laughably modest by Hollywood standards. So even though the effects in “Ra.One” are good, Indians have seen far better.
There are sci-fi films that have become extraordinary hits across all age groups, genders and psychiatric states — the Matrix trilogy, for example. But usually, sci-fi, like country music or any other genre, need not be appreciated by all to be a success. A genre survives because of the indestructible affection of its core base of followers.
They forgive moments of mediocrity in a work as long as its creator has respected the basic principles of the genre.
Seen in this light, “Ra.One” is the weirdest sci-fi film ever. In one scene the superhero starts singing and extras stand in line and dance, shaking their admirable midriffs. All this in 3-D. A sci-fi fan would never forgive such an experience. “Ra.One” has the schizophrenic personality of trying to be at once two dramatically different genres — sci-fi and Hindi cinema.
Also, “Ra.One” is a ridiculous film for a reason that has nothing to do with its artistic merit. In fact, it is not even the fault of “Ra.One”: The nation’s cultural mainstream is North Indian in character. South India, which is almost half the country, is somehow fringe. And the north of India perceives the south through moronic but enduring clichés. The perception is decades old. “Ra.One” feeds North Indians exactly what they think they know about South Indians.
The protagonist of “Ra.One,” a game programmer, is from the south — a man who speaks Tamil, allegedly. Anyone who speaks Tamil would be rolling on the floor at the sound of this strange foreign language because it is mostly rubbish. So an Indian film actually does not care to get a major Indian language right.
Also, the Tamil programmer is shown eating noodles with yogurt curds using his hand, as South Indians are believed to mix everything they eat with curds. And his standard exclamation, especially when he is surprised, is “Ayyo.” South Indians usually hear this word only when North Indians think they are mimicking South Indians.
Is there any other nation in the world where one half is so clueless about the other half?
Mr. Khan, in flesh and blood, is a truly jovial man. His humor usually is of a high quality. He would expect South Indians to take a joke sportingly. He has told me in the past that one thing he hates most about India is its inability to laugh at itself. But then, all that South Indians are saying is, “For God’s sake, crack a new joke.”
Manu Joseph is editor of the Indian newsweekly Open and author of the novel “Serious Men.”
This article first appeared HERE.
and yet the flick has made millions.
I enjoyed it thoroughly- loved the mix of sci-fi and corny humour - so what if the ones who write reviews didn't like it.
But he is right , many fiends told me not to see it as I am a Green Lantern , Thor, Star Wars, Matrix super-fan, but I psyched myself up to think- hey this is an Indian sci-fi flick and bingo- enjoyed to the hilt!
Brought back memories of school days and how we would muse about an Indian super-hero mouthing camp lines a la Robin (of Batman)- and hey 40 years later we have one!
Posted by: Lachman Balani | November 11, 2011 at 07:09 AM