Red Alert: The War Within

Red Alert review :

Written by veteran Aruna Raje, Red Alert is a good exposè on the naxalite movement plaguing the country. Suniel Shetty plays the innocent cook who is drawn in to the naxal brigade for no fault of his and the film chronicles his incredible journey to redemption. The actors are good, the setting is quite realistic and the narrative doesn't over stay its time. I have been a fan of Aruna Raje since Shaque (1976) and here again, she is still in her solid form. Ananth Mahahdevan has directed the movie competently as well.

Regards, Sumeet Nadkarni.

Seldom do we see movies being produced even after knowing very well that it would be get a lukewarm response at the box office.RED ALERT is one such movie and this thing really propels me to think that why such movies do not attract audiences?As very evident from the earlier reviews this movie circumscribes the most burning issue which has exposed the whole agenda of "Inclusive Growth" of Indian Government.It is one thing to make a movie which is concocted with issues like poverty,politics,violence and it is other thing to show the reality...and when i mean reality,it stays reality.I am assuring you..when you would be through with this movie,i don't know whether it would leave a good impression in your mind or a bad one but it would for sure stretch your mind and bring you closer to the conscience of Naxalite problem.As expected,in my city,this movie did not get a single screen presence and audience did not care too.I feel this movie should have been promoted on a large scale so that everyone would have understood what the problem is all about.I mean,we have poverty in northern India too,but we don't have Naxalism there.This movie pierces the realms of any other movie till date on Naxalism.

If "Hazaron Khawhishe Aise" was the starting,"Red Alert" is the culmination.What i really liked about the movie was that it was not about how the Naxalites operate or how the govt operates against them.The soul of the movie was that how poverty and desperation drives common pastoral people to their revolution.This is brilliantly portrayed by Sunil Shetty who i thought played the role of his life.He is not concerned about the revolution even after he joins it and he is unsure about the means of achieving their ultimate goal.He openly questions Vinod Khanna too,who is the mastermind behind this so called revolution.This process reflects some interesting points.

1st is the attitude of the group leader towards the newcomers.This is brilliantly reflected in a scene where the leader is interviewed by a pro Naxalite journalist and he makes tall claims about socialistic ideas and his vision of development,but finds himself a bit embarrassed when Sunil Shetty demands his monthly wage saying that he has been denied that before too.The journalist watches the proceedings quietly and the leader in order to redeem his image,gives some money to Sunil Shetty but after making his displeasure very clear.That scene showed the shallow root of this movement.

2nd point is the attitude of police towards the villagers and how the Naxalites use it to their advantage.Sameera Reddy was also quite convincing in her role and i was particularly impressed by the scenes where she was convinced by her comrades that violence is the only option and that having a bullet in your hand is good.

3rd point is where Sunil Shetty expresses his willingness to study and is helped by an intellectual who for unknown reasons is also a part of the revolution.This shows the human side of Naxals and unfurls an hitherto obscure mindset of the naxals.These conversations also subtlety points to the failure of government to tap the talents of educated people and how they join this movement.

4th and the most important point which i felt made the movie worth watch are the two conversations between Sunil Shetty and Vinod Khanna.While the first conversation is about indignant defiance of the methods adopted,the second conversation is about introspection.This passage rightly focuses on how the Naxal movement has lost not only its way but also its purpose.The point which Vinod Khanna makes is very interesting where he says that he has no idea that whether he can live a peaceful life in his lifetime and what would he achieve out of it!The second conversation remarkably reflects how the leader accepts the loss of vision and how he could have done differently to avoid this day.

Finally acting skills displayed by the complete cast are amazing.Sunil Shetty's neural recess was perfectly captured in the scene where he feels the guilt of murdering a person who trusted him and when he is unable to save a school children.I believe he has matured as an actor during this movie.Vinod khanna was a big relief after his stupid role of a maniac father in dabang.He justifies his role as a leader and looked tough.All other people were excellent though i don't understand why Naseerudin shah was given a solitary scene.I also felt that Gulshan Grover could have been used more effectively.

The movie has its share of glitches with the most prominent glitch being how the Naxals find out the informer.But i feel that the movie has heralded a path where most others did not go till now and that to me is the biggest achievement.Music is excellent and the last song is amazing.The lyrics are from Javed Akthar so you can expect some class here.The lyrics of the last song where credits roll out are excellent.It is a pity that most of the audience would miss this movie but the people who would watch it would be experiencing anything but gratification.It leaves you with a heavy mind and compels you to introspect how and where did we go wrong?are we too responsible for the mess which is continuously gulping thousands of individuals in this useless Armageddon?

My last suggestion would be go and watch this movie.Do not expect technical brilliance or eye catching cinematography!Just focus on the soul of the movie which is the message,and then you would feel the agony of the protagonist which despite all odds is only concerned about his family.

It is often argued that there is no so called artistic kind of cinema in existence and every movie should be treated with the same yardstick, whose sole purpose is to simply entertain its audience. But whatever may be said, the difference does exists and it's quite visible, mainly in the eyes of the viewers. However, to avoid any further arguments, we can simply segregate cinema into two parts wherein one deals with the mainstream commercial movies supported by the big stars and the other which deals with a more realistic kind of meaningful cinema having a limited appeal in the name of entertainment.

The second category is undoubtedly treated in a not so good manner by both the mass audience and the main exhibitors or distributors. And that's the reason RED ALERT finds less screens, less shows and even less footfall in the theater in comparison to the other commercial releases on the same Friday. But if you are a huge fan of realistic cinema, talking about some relevant issues prevalent in our present society then RED ALERT might be the much desired food for your thought.

To start with, RED ALERT is not for the people who are just interested in buying the ticket to have some good time in the theater with their friends or lovers. It is for all those thinking minds who can well understand and appreciate meaningful, realistic cinema. The movie revolves around the present Naxalite Movement in the country and showcases how the innocent people of the rural areas get involved in the movement unwillingly. It's based on the story of a poor food supplier who when visiting the jungle to supply food, finds himself in the middle of a police encounter and then is forced to live with the Naxalites for many months as their team member.

Without revealing the main storyline of the film, I would like to mention three strong surprises or merits in the movie, which altogether make it a worth watching commendable effort from the team.

The first pleasant surprise is its director Ananth Mahadevan, who comes up with his best product till date, which is in extreme contrast with his entire body of work of his career. Rising above all his previous inspired mystery movies, this time the director emerges as a winner with an original concept and a great attempt. Along with his writer Aruna Raje, Ananth delivers a partly powerful movie which is both thought provoking and exciting together. His execution of all the major sequences in the movie is quite impactful, which in fact forces us to believe that the director truly has rediscovered something in himself secretly. It really looks like a different Ananth Mahadevan behind the shots unbelievably.

The second unexpected merit of the movie is Suniel Shettyplaying the central character of the movie who is forced to become a naxalite. Walking on the similar lines of his director, Suniel's innocent portrayal of a poor food supplier is also in complete contrast with whatever he has done in his famous career till date. The tough suited Anna of the past transforms into a dhoti clad so easily and impresses. The loud shouts get converted into cowardly whispers and the angry eyes start asking for mercy and sympathy in this new Avatar of Anna. If you really loved Suniel Shetty in all his fiery action and funny comedy movies then you got to see this to believe the huge transformation made possible by the talented actor. In short, he is simply amazing.

Coming to its third merit, RED ALERT has some superb supporting performances by Sameera Reddy, Seema Biswas and Vinod Khanna. Sameera, without her glossy makeup shocks you with her brilliant act of a rape victim. She proves that she has got immense talent inside her yet to be explored. Seema Biswas is great as usual. Vinod Khanna shines brightly in his small but important role. Naseeruddin Shah, though is good but including him for only one scene was quite questionable. Zakir Hussain as the Minister is superb and so is Bhagyashree playing Suniel's helpless wife. Gulshan Grover and Makrand Deshpande both play it very calmly and effectively. Ashish Vidyarthi is OK but his role lacked any kind of novelty as such.

The movie mainly finds its grip over the viewers in its second half, when the things start moving at a brisk pace equally supported by its apt background music and terrific Cinematography. Especially watch out for the sequence where the naxalites attack a running school and yet try to save the children from the two way firing.

But the movie has its own share of flaws too which restricts it to be called as a true masterpiece. For instance, if a Police Officer is living with the naxalites under cover, then why on earth will he keep his Police I-Card in his own pocket or baggage? However the biggest drawback remains its climax, which somehow fails to pass on the exact message on to the audience. The final sequence involving the changed Vinod Khanna, talking about his new mind-set and vision should have been more direct and impactful.

All together, after watching it you strongly feel that you have seen something good and something relevant. But you don't take that message along with you to your homes due to the weak concluding moments of the movie. In other words, the film is a very controlled take on the burning issue of the Naxalite movement. Still it's indeed an applaudable effort from its director Ananth Mahadevan and should must be seen if you can seriously appreciate realistic kind of cinema. It's not entertainment, alright ……but it's certainly meaningful entertainment made for a cause, which needs to be given a chance once in a while.

A real good movie.Suniel Shetty, who is often underestimated in bollywood,is seen in one of his best roles here,humble,emotional and simple.Hence the title for my review. There's plenty of action stuff,no dance sequences or unnecessary scenes that can spoil a film based on social issues like this.Music is remarkable.

A poor cook is caught in the raging battle between Naxalites and police in Andhra Pradesh when he goes to work in a different town near the jungles to earn a little more money for his wife and kids,and is forced to work with the naxalites against his will. The film traces the story of a young man who struggles to come out of the situation he is in, between working for naxals,trying to take care of his family away from him, and his conscience which he has to battle as well. It also goes in depth into the lives of naxalites. The others like Vinod Khanna,Gulshan grover,Ashish are also seen at their best.

All in all,worth a watch.Deserved more attention really.

This movie is a over looked gem ! Suniel Shetty's best work by far. Grounded to the core gives a great message about the maoist problem. A poor cook who cant even have a meal a day caught in the midst of naxals. The choices he has to make in the movie are the choices we need to make as observers about the whole maoist issue. Its just great ! Its an absolute gem. MUST WATCH !