Shah Rukh Khan Reflects on ‘Ra.One’ Failure, Says Film Was Ahead of Its Time; Open to Sequel with Anubhav Sinha

As Shah Rukh Khan celebrated his 60th birthday, the superstar got candid about one of his most ambitious and misunderstood films — Ra.One (2011). During a special fan interaction, SRK opened up about the film’s mixed reception, his lofty expectations from it, and the possibility of returning to its universe someday.

Calling Ra.One “a film very close to his heart,” Shah Rukh said he had envisioned it as a trendsetter for Indian visual effects and superhero cinema.

“It was a new kind of film, very close to my heart. Anubhav (Sinha) made it with great sincerity and hard work. I wanted it to inspire others — to make them think, ‘We should make films like this.’ I thought everyone would say, ‘What a superhero film!’ Not just for the hero, but for the VFX and technology. But it fell short of those expectations,” SRK admitted.

The actor explained that while Ra.One did perform well commercially, it didn’t reach the level of cultural or cinematic impact he had hoped for.

“As a film, it did really well. People loved it even then. Maybe there were many things — PlayStation, video games, iPads — that people didn’t relate to as much back then. Today, it would probably be more acceptable,” he said, suggesting the movie was ahead of its time.

Would He Do ‘Ra.One 2’?

When asked about a possible sequel, SRK said he’d be more than willing — but only if Anubhav Sinha helms it again.

“If Anubhav ever decides to make it again — because only he can recreate what he made — I’d love that. He put in so much hard work. Maybe someday, when the time is right, we can do it,” he said, smiling.

He also fondly recalled the challenges of wearing his iconic superhero costume:

“It took an hour to wear that suit. Three people had to help me — two women and one man. They’d apply powder on my legs so I could slip into it. I couldn’t drink water because going to the washroom meant taking it all off again! I even lost eight kilos while shooting in that costume.”

What’s Next for SRK

After a blockbuster 2023 with Pathaan and Jawan, Shah Rukh Khan is now preparing for Siddharth Anand’s action-thriller King — co-starring his daughter Suhana Khan, along with Rani Mukerji, Deepika Padukone, Abhay Verma, Raghav Juyal, Abhishek Bachchan, Anil Kapoor, Jaideep Ahlawat, Arshad Warsi, Saurabh Shukla, and Jackie Shroff.

Produced by Red Chillies Entertainment and Marflix Pictures, King is slated for a 2026 release and marks SRK’s long-awaited return to big-screen action alongside his daughter’s theatrical debut.