RaOne Reviews: Index Pg 1 *Viewbie's Note Pg 98* - Page 109

Shah Rukh Khan's sci-fi magnum opus RA.One grossed Rs 26.5 crore with a net of Rs 18.5 crore on Wednesday (October 26th) making it the highest ever Diwali day collection in the history of Indian cinema.

The second day collections on Thursday, 27th October, were even more impressive with the film raking in a whopping Rs 36 crore gross with a net of Rs 25.10 crore net, making it the highest collection ever for a single day for an Indian film.

RA.One released on Diwali and while some critics gave it a thumbs up for blending elegance of Hollywood with Indian sensibilities, others panned the superhero drama by labelling it a 'video game'.

The reviews notwithstanding, the film managed to collect Rs 18 crore at the home box office on the opening day.

Earlier, as predicted by trade pundits, the film couldn't break the first day collection records of Salman Khan-starrer Bodyguard, which earned Rs 22 crore in the domestic market on the opening day.

In the overseas market, the Red Chillies Entertainment and Eros International co-production raked in Rs 6.5 crore.

If reviewers have a different take on the film, viewers are also reacting differently but theatre owners predict good business in the coming week.

"Although the film has got mixed reviews, the first day has been really good. We witnessed more than 80 percent occupancy," a source in PVR said.

"Moreover, the extensive marketing of the film has created a curiosity among people, who are eager to see what is the film all about," the source added.

Cinemax witnessed an average footfall on the first day.

"There could be two reasons -- the 3D version of the film was made available a little late. Although in metros it was fine, but in other cities due to delayed release in 3D we had to cancel some of the shows," said Sunil Punjab, CEO of Cinemax.

"Also, we saw a decline in the occupancy in the evening as it was Diwali time and people were busy in Diwali puja. But today (Thursday) the response has been encouraging since morning we have had good number of people coming to see the film," he added.

Directed by Anubhav Sinha, the Rs 150-crore film, which also stars Kareena Kapoor and Arjun Rampal in prominent roles, was released in as many as 3,500 screens across the world.

Even before the film reached the theatres, its makers earned money by selling its satellite rights reportedly for Rs 35 crore and the distribution rights for Rs 77 crore.

The film's highlight is high-tech VFX shots, which were outsourced from multiple specialty studios in London, Paris and Bangkok, as also the US.

Puneet Sahay of Spice Cinemas, however, informed that the film is not appealing to adults.

"Although Shah Rukh's acting is good, RA.One is basically a film for children as it boast of lot of animation and special effects. Adults are not actually liking the film. However, it is likely to do well in the coming days," Sahay said.

"Actually, it's nothing more than a video game," said college student Akhil Sharma