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.

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 !

Made an attempt to see this film, as the sticker on the DVD case states that, it is based on a true story and also India being my birth place have a duty to keep myself updated of a crucial issue like Naxalism or Maoism called by various names depending on the region.

Hats off to the producers of this film for having invested money in a project which is unlike mainstream Bollywood movies, where return on investment becomes risky. One can easily see the noble motive of its producers. Although there have been many films made in Hindi on this subject, but this one is definitely worth it, as it based on actual events and portrays the issue as close to reality as possible. If one sees this picture with above mentioned intentions, then one feels that the Producers of this film, have done Indian citizens a favour and the time spent to see this film was worth it.

Ananth Narayan Mahadevan's 'Red Alert: The War Within' is an honest effort, that has some engaging moments, and a stellar performance by Sunil Shetty. However, the writing in the second hour lacks the bite.

'Red Alert: The War Within' tells the story of a common man caught in a movement. The Common Man struggles to fight with the Naxalites and the Police. It's a journey that is filled with bloodshed and cruelty, but the commoner still survives it.

Ananth Narayan Mahadevan has made an honest film in all respects. 'Red Alert: The War Within' is arguably his finest film as a storyteller. His work truly deserves brownie points. Screenplay by Aruna Raje, is super in the first hour, but lacks the bite post-interval. Also, the culmination doesn't leave any impact. How one wishes if these minuses could've been worked on!

Performance Wise: Sunil Shetty is the life of the show. The once-known bad actor, delivers an amazing performance from start to end. He gets into the skin of the character. This truly ranks amongst the finest performances of recent times. Vinod Khanna is excellent in a brief role, while Seema Biswas shines in a strong supporting role. Sameera Reddy is alright. Ashish Vidyarthi, Makrand Deshpande, Bhagyashree, Gulshan Grover & Ayesha Dharker are satisfactory. Nasseruddin Shah hams in a tiny role.

On the whole, 'Red Alert: The War Within' surely deserves a watch for the sheer honesty it's been made with, and also for the performances it packs in, especially by it's leading man.