What Blockbusters Are Made Of”

12 Friday 21st October, 2011 said to have particularly made for his SRK the producer more than SRK the Block Buster Hindi son Aryan. Incidentally, Ra.One is the producer more than SRK the actor. I Release for Deepawali first of its kind technology-based film to knew SRK the producer would get me At the newly refurbished be produced in India. Renowned techni- SRK the actor. This film required a cer- Majestic Cinema cians like Jeff Kleiser (X-Men, Scary tain amount of care, vision, belief and From 26th Oct Movie 4, Tron) have been hired for the trust to not only invest that kind of Hindi with English sub-titles project, which is being converted into a money but also to sustain it for so long Imported by Aiswariya Films 3D format. “Over a thousand technicians and see it through. That was the biggest Distributed by – CEL across five different countries are cur- thing I got from SRK, the investor.” A Ceylon Theatres presentation rently working on the visual effects. Ra.One is touted to be the most Every night we meet over web confer- expensive film so far produced in India. encing and carry out work. Ra.One is on But SRK never cringed even as the budg- “Ra.One is what blockbusters are made of” Director Anubhav Sinha is grateful to par with any other VFX film in the ets escalated. Says Shah Rukh Khan for allowing him to world,” he claims. Anubhav, “SRK and I live his fantasy. Ashwini Deshmukh etting the busiest actor in the never discussed budg- finds out why country for a project like this ets. He said spend as Gmust have been a task. “Even much as you need but ne look at the 30 second teaser of before I wrote the film I had only SRK in don’t compromise on the Shah Rukh Khan’s Ra.One is mind to play the role. I sent him a mes- quality of the film.” Oenough to incite mass hysteria. sage saying I had an idea that could not While foreign sci-fi films Any wonder that in a recent poll, Film be made into a film without him. like Avatar, Spiderman, fare discovered that Ra.One was the He asked me how much time I’d Batman, Iron Man and Matrix most anticipated film of 2011? require for the narration. I replied just have set a benchmark, it does- The director of the much awaited five minutes. He heard it and asked me, n’t perturb Anubhay. “I have a film, Anubhav Sinha is super confident ‘When do you want to make this?’ It was humble difference of opinion. too. With superstar Shah Rukh Khan a strange question as it obviously Those films only run in big- producing the film and playing the depended on his availability. I said it ger cities, they don’t superhero, a pack of super talented tech- would take me a year and a half before reach the nicians helping him translate his dream we began real and super girl Kareena Kap000r adding shooting. He said, ‘Let’s do it’. It dollops of glamour, Ra.One has whipped sounded very casual then. We kept in up enough curiosity. touch, exchanging notes, bouncing ideas, It’s been four years since Anubhav’s hiring people,” recalls the director. “SRK last project Cash hit the marquee in comes from the world of video games India.” 2007. And to make Ra.One it’s taken him and sci-fi films. Strangely, the kind of He a good three years, which has sparked films that he likes and the kind of films insists off speculations. The director defends he used to feature in were completely Ra.One himself saying, “A film like Ra.One can- different. This is somewhat of a first for has a not be made in a year’s time. You’ll him. That’s why I couldn’t think of any- perfect understand this when you see it. It’s a one else but SRK when I conceived this mix of high concept film. The first two years film.” high end to such nonsense. SRK only met the tech- went in making the concept comprehen- It was ideal to have an investor and technology nicians on the sets. As for creative sible. There were around 3,500 visual an actor like SRK to give wings to and an inputs, why not? He’s creative. He under- effects shots. These were drawn on paper Anubhav’s vision. The director asserts emotional stands filmmaking. And when he sug- first. Each shot had five layers that had SRK brought more than that to the table. touch. gests something, you better listen. to be captured with great technical pre- “I needed someone who’d not just invest “Recently a Filmmaking is not like making a sculp- cision. All this is time consuming,” he monetarily but also emotionally in this mainstream ture, where you do it alone. says of the superhero film which SRK is film. When I approached SRK, I needed Hollywood There were so many times when my website stunt coordinator, Andy (Gill) asked me reviewed if I was sure of a shot. Andy has worked Ra.One’s for Bad Boys and Fast And Furious. teaser and Whether I agree with him or not, I better said it makes listen to him.” Captain There have been a few unavoidable America’s trail- setbacks while making the film. er look pale. third world country. But we have “Unfortunately SRK had to manage We’re aware of ended up spending $ 20-25 million. Hawk without his right hand man Bobby these, films and Ostby (writer of Iron Man 1), a dear Chawla (the Red Chillies’ CEO suffered their quality. We’re striving hard to be friend, helped me with the script. He brain haemorrhage in 2010 and has been presentable. The audience understands was insisting I sell the story to a hospitalised). So he underwent a lot of that those films are made on a budget Hollywood filmmaker.” stress.” Shooting was gruelling with of $ 200-300 million and we’re still a Anubhav has been pretty miffed having to monitor three trains and 11 about numerous reports alleging differ- cameras at different locations. “There ences between SRK and him and that could have been loss of life too. I’ve lost Congratulations SRK kept him waiting for long, conse- count of how many expensive cameras quently delaying the film. He replies, “I were broken while shooting. Also, shoot- Coupon No. 148 (Daily Island) was the one who kept him waiting on ing in London was stressful. The weath- The correct answer is ’Rowan more occasions than one. I wanted to be er is unpredictable, it can rain any time. Atkinson’ absolutely ready before we could start If you Jose one day of shoot, you lose a huge amount of money. We’d shoot for 12 hours a day.” 1. Gordon Anthony Nugegoda There were fun times too though. 2. H. J. R. Perera Wadduwa “We stayed in huge apartments overlook- 3. Rasangika Gooneratna Galle Years from now when ing the river Thames. I learnt cooking 4. Indika Kumara Colombo 15 from Nino (Pansini- chief operative cam- 5. S. Berudict Colombo 6 history is written, I’ll eraman). I realised I could single-hand- 6. K. Mahadevan Colombo 2 edly cook for 30 people. SRK is extrava- 7. H. Hansarajee Panadura gant when it comes to food and he made be credited with sure that a different caterer was hired 8. Stefon Fernando Colombo 13 each day so that the unit could savour a 9. K. M. Gunadasa Colombo 6 making the biggest film wide variety of delicacies. But he only 10. H. R. Perera Moronthuduwa ate grilled chicken.” the country has ever But the most dream-like memory for Your complimentary tickets (2) will Anubhav was shooting a song with SRK. be delivered by EAP Film & produced Theatres (Pvt) Ltd. shortly. Cast shooting.” He isn’t too happy about Shahrukh Khan as Shekhar reports insinuating SRK taking over the Subramanium / G.One reins and even playing a major role in Kareena Kapoor as Sonia Shekhar directing the film. “It’s so disrespectful Subramanium to talk like this. In August 2005, I was 40 Arjun Rampal as Ra.One when I narrated the story to SRK. By the time this film releases I’ll be 46. That’s a Armaan Verma as Prateek long time. People should respect the fact Subramanium a.k.a. Lucifer that a man has invested six years of his Shahana Goswami as Jenny Nayar life in a project before jumping to any Satish Shah as Iyer Dalip Tahil as conclusions. Years from now when histo- Barron Tom Wu as Akashi Suresh ry is written, I’ll be credited with mak- Menon ing the biggest film the country has ever Rajinikanth as himself (Cameo appear- produced. Then all these rumours won’t have any place.” ance) He continues, “Of all the directors he Sanjay Dutt as Khalnayak (Special could have hired, he chose me and stuck appearance) by me for four years. People should Priyanka Chopra as The Damsel in respect his judgment and my investment Distress (Special appearance) of time and hard work before they resort.

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