Film enthusiasts look at a poster of Ra.One at Stutee Cinema in Bhubaneswar. Picture by Ashwinee Pati

Bhubaneswar, Oct. 25: Controversy over the copyrights of its script or not, audiences in the city are excited about Shah Rukh Khan’s most ambitious film Ra.One, which is set for a worldwide release on Wednesday. The film will release at 80 theatres across the state on the occasion of Diwali.

A superhero movie, Ra.One attracted comparisons with similar ventures in the Indian film industry such as the Hrithik Roshan-starrer Krrish and Rajnikant’s mega hit Robot, ever since its announcement last year. Even as Shah Rukh, whose Red Chillies Entertainment has produced the film, dismissed these rumours, Ra.One was enmeshed in a major controversy regarding the copyrights of the script of the film.

But Shah Rukh’s fans in the city do not seem at all concerned about the controversy. The enthusiasm among people for the film is massive and hundreds were seen at the advance booking counters.

“Shah Rukh has entered the sci-fi world for the first time. I really wanted to see Ra.One on the first day of its release, but sadly tickets are neither available at the counters nor online anymore,” said a disappointed SRK fan, Ramesh Rout, who is a corporate employee.

“I love Shah Rukh’s romantic films and honestly do not feel he looks his best in this new avatar. But still I’m excited about watching the film and was lucky enough to be able to book tickets online last week,” said Deepa, a college student.

In Bhubaneswar, the film will release at four cinemas — Keshari, Stutee, Maharaja and Swati. The tickets are priced between Rs 15 and Rs 100. Since most theatres are releasing the 3-D version of the film, viewers will need to pay a security deposit to borrow the 3-D glasses. This deposit will be refunded once the glasses are returned after the show.

Cinema hall authorities, too, are excited about the business prospects of Ra.One.

“The craze for Shah Rukh Khan is huge in the city. Moreover, noon and matinee shows are, as such, houseful during Diwali. Ra.One is a much-awaited film and all advance tickets were sold by the end of last week,” said Rabindra Sahoo, manager, S-complex cinema halls.

“We are sure that all shows will be houseful in the first week. Ra.One is a big film and we are very positive about the response from the city audience,” said Rabi Mohanty, manager of Keshari Talkies.