If film-making is nothing short of a gamble, Shah Rukh Khan is the Great Gambler of the year.
Ra.One, at an estimated Rs 150 crore, will probably be Bollywood's most expensive movie ever. “Gawd, I am making a film beyond my means,” he tweeted (even if he's not telling us what his budget is). But the ante goes far beyond the mere financials with this movie for the Badshah of Bollywood.
What's at stake, beside the big money invested in Ra.One, is a dream, his once-unchallenged supremacy as the reigning deity of Bollywood, and that intangible called reputation. SRK has invested so much of his personal reputation in his dream project, and stuck his neck out so far with this one that nothing short of mega-success will do.
Bollywood's history is littered with the shards of many dreams; the smaller ones are crushed underfoot and forgotten quickly, the bigger, more ambitious ones serve as cautionary tales. Shah Rukh himself has tasted a fair amount of financial and creative defeat as a producer — big-time with Asoka and Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani; to a lesser degree with Paheli and Billu.
But cinematic history also has its glorious triumphs. Like Mughal-e-Azam, the result of K. Asif's magnificent and extravagant passion. Or the more recent Devdas, which often survived merely on Sanjay Leela Bhansali's determination and passion (but also turned out to be his biggest hit).
But then, there's more to Ra.One than the money. The Badshah of Bollywood has been a little battered of late, with his throne under attack, mainly from the other two mega-Khans, Aamir and Salman.
Aamir has been near-infallible over the last few years with a string of record-breaking mainstream films as actor (Rang de Basanti, Ghajini, 3 Idiots) and more offbeat movies as producer (Taare Zameen Par, Peepli [Live], Delhi Belly, Mumbai Diaries). All of them have delivered profits. Aamir has delivered both quality and box-office collections — the Holy Grail, in short.
