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Bollywood’s Shah Rukh the one to beat this Diwali

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By Taru Sugandha Dhir

SHAN RUKH KHAN’S science fiction superhero film "Ra.One" looks set to be the only blockbuster this Diwali as Bollywood gears up for the annual festive period.

Like Christmas in the West, the holiday season around the Hindu festival of lights on October 26 is traditionally a bumper time for the Hindi-language film industry, with a slew of big name, big budget movies vying for top spot.

But while major productions have gone head-to-head in previous years, this year there are few, if any, challengers to Khan`s special effects-packed movie, which has cost more than $20 million (£12.5 mn) to make one of Bollywood`s most expensive films ever.

Some analysts predicted that the film, which sees Khan play "G.One", who saves humanity from evil villain Ra.One, would break box office records.

"`Ra.One` will get a record opening," said trade analyst Komal Nahta on the entertainment web site koimoi.com. "You will not get tickets. People will go mad when this film releases."

Bollywood fans could be forgiven for thinking that "Ra.One" was already in cinemas, with Khan rarely out of the media and aggressively promoting the movie with a series of marketing tie-ups and promotions in recent months.

The buzz around the film has eclipsed a slew of pre-Diwali releases coming on the back of a successful period from August to October, which produced a string of hit films.

Two other films are due out on October 27, "Tell Me O Kkhuda" (Tell Me O God), starring 1970s star Hema Malini`s daughter Esha Deol and veteran actor Dharmendra, and "Damadamm" with singer-turned-actor Himesh Reshammiya.

But both are low budget and low profile in comparison.

Khan has become an established Diwali favourite with the festival providing him with the biggest hits of his career, notably "Diwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge" (The Braveheart Gets The Bride) in 1995 and "Om Shanti Om" in 2007.

His first Diwali release since then, "Ra.One" is easily Khan`s most ambitious film to date, raising the stakes for the 45-year-old actor and his Red Chillies Entertainment production company.

Mayank Shekhar, national cultural editor at the Hindustan Times newspaper, said the huge costs could largely be recovered through marketing and promotion deals.

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