The first trailer for Shah Rukh Khan's eagerly anticipated Raees was released amid much fanfare on Wednesday (7 December).

The actor was joined by co-star Nawazuddin Siddiqui at a live launch event which was relayed to fans of the superstar who had gathered at selected cinemas in Mumbai for the exclusive screening of the first trailer.

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Set in 1980s Gujarat, Raees tells the story of a bootlegger named Raees Alam (Khan) who is pursued by a police officer, (Siddiqui) intent on taking down his illegal racket.

The film, directed by Rahul Dholakia, also stars Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub, Pakistani actor Mahira Khan who makes her Bollywood debut with the film and actress Sunny Leone.

Following the unveiling of the two and a half minute trailer, the hashtag #RaeesTrailer was trending on social media all day, as fans and critics shared their excitement about the film.

The trailer raked up over 7 million views on YouTube just hours following its release in the morning. That figure rose to 21 million views in 24 hours, surpassing the record set by Aamir Khan's Dangal which scored 9 million views in 24 hours.

Responding to the positive reaction to the trailer, the actor tweeted a message saying: "To the Fan Clubs well wishers & my twitter family shukriya [thank you] for viewing & reviewing it so. Seems like a movie release."

Set to clash with Hrithik Roshan's Kaabil, Raees will release on 25 January, 2017.