This surprising little diamond was released in 1980 and its no surprise that it was received coldly. The reason is, It was far ahead of its time. Rajesh Khanna's brilliant performance embellished by the presence of professional actors like Poonam Dhillon, Om Shivpuri, Aruna Irani and Satyen Kappu makes this film precious in all regards. The name 'Red Rose' has a special meaning here, which has something to do with the perverted fantasy (or reality) of a psychopath, and symbolizes the color of blood which has a special role to play in the life of our misogynist. I can clearly understand that 80s was a time of fantasy, action and loud social films, and 'Red Rose' was particularly hated for two reasons: 1. People weren't ready to accept Kaka negatively and 2. The concept of 'misanthrope' and specifically 'misogynist' was unacceptable to the common social standards of a heavily socially-oriented country like India. I don't blame the director or the actors for this, because they have simply made the concept work in an alien country, and the only thing to blame here is the time, which wasn't too favorable for this powerhouse of a movie. In the coming years, Khanna signed 'Kudrat', and 'Souten', which were overwhelmingly received by the Indian audience, so you can evaluate the mentality of the masses during that decade as they were more open to the family dramas and reincarnation stories than something hellish and wicked like "Red Rose.'
Anand (Rajesh Khanna) lives a very wealthy but secluded life style in his palatial house. He owns an export company and addresses at least hundred 'Good Mornings' a day. His activities are obscure and his awareness to the surroundings is questionable, but something is down inside Anand that the viewers don't know. He is a psychopath. Most of the girls he comes across remind him of his tormented and annihilated past, that has left him like this. He has special empathy towards dangerous prisoners and considers them innocent in a way. One day, he comes across a salesgirl Sharda (Poonam Dhillon) who is down to earth and comes from a lower-middle family. Khanna is impressed by her attitude and soon proposes her. Taking his love for Sharda a step ahead, he decides to marry her only to make his father (Satyen Kappu) furious. We also come to know that a young and attractive stenographer Chitra (Padmini Kapila) goes missing after spending couple of days in Anand's firm. Sharda is shocked to find that Anand is a great disbeliever and things like religion, chastity, veneration, love and ethics don't mean much to him. Thinking that its her responsibility to put Anand on the right path, she decides to set things properly.
On the first day of their wedding, Sharda peeks out of the window and screams when she gets a glimpse of a dead body in Anand's garden. She also discovers Anand's father reveling real snuff films in his room along with the gardener Shera (Om Shiv Puri). With great courage, Sharda locks the two men inside and lands up in an anonymous room only to find the walls filled with Anand's hate notes. She comes to know of the reasons that forced Anand take his wayward lifestyle and decides to get away from Anand's clutches as soon as possible.
I really admire the director Bharathi Rajaa for his brilliant direction and the continuity he is able to maintain for more than 2 hours. The film doesn't flip a bit and maintains its pace throughout the course. Rajesh Khanna is undoubtedly India's first superstar and he really validates this honor awarded to him in this flick. Poonam's innocent face is unforgettable and I am sure you'll develop a great sympathy to her in those 2 hours. Satyen Kappu has a precise but over-the-top part to play here and Aruna Irani and Om Shivpuri should be watched for their abilities. Let them say whatever they want to, I still advise those who have lost their faith on the classic Indian films to look for this promising little gem as this may be easy to miss but is really hard to forget.
