Red Alert - The War Within

The Naxal issue isn't a recent one, but there has definitely been a recent upsurge. So, while there have been films based on it for about 40 years ... read more

The Naxal issue isn't a recent one, but there has definitely been a recent upsurge. So, while there have been films based on it for about 40 years now, this being the first one that dealt explicitly with Naxalism v2.0 aroused considerable interest, the lead cast notwithstanding. In fact, one was hoping that this film could - in the vein of certain great films of yore - throw some hitherto unshed light on this delicate issue that's not given due coverage by the media. The story of Narasimha (Suneil Shetty) and his involvement with a group of Maoists deep in the jungles of Andhra Pradesh definitely had the potential to do so.

So when the viewer got treated to a mix of content straight out of the national pages of a daily broadsheet and typical Bolly action fare complete with glaring inaccuracies, the experience - needless to say - was not a particularly pleasant one. Several key turns in the plot merit a mention here but those would act as spoilers for the two or three of you who still intend to watch this, so here's another instance. Would a delegation of multi-national corporates and government officials move around on a narrow, winding road surrounded by cliffs with almost non-existent security? I think not.

So, journalist being led into their lair, blindfolded? Check. Power-hungry leader who had convinced himself more than others they were leading a revolution for people's rights? Check. Tribal girl molested by the tyrannical local police? Check. Unsympathetic politician looking to wipe out the rebels with help from high level police officers? Check.That's right, all stereotypes as created by our mainstream media were duly reinforced. But a much bigger problem was the one-sided perspective we were offered - other than a few stray dialogues, there seemed to be no genuine effort on the maker's part to dig deep and present us a PoV that could possibly arouse sympathy in the hearts of the urban audience.

The saving grace, then, surprisingly, was the acting. The leads - Suneil Shetty and Sameera Reddy (as the violated tribal Lakshmi) - were good as long as they were not required to mouth scripted lines. The supporting cast was, as expected, rock solid, although one couldn't help but feel how most of them were reprising an extra-judicial character from earlier in their careers, be it Bandit Queen Phoolan Devi (Seema Biswas here as Saralaka), Malli The Terrorist (Ayesha Dharker here as Radhaka) or Wazira from Maachis (Suneel Sinha). Ashish Vidyarthi played his part of the unsympathetic leader Velu to perfection while Vinod Khanna's cameo as "high command" Krishnaraj was good enough for such a poorly scripted character.

But the recent trend of exploiting the brand name that Naseeruddin Shah is in the world of meaningful cinema has just got to stop. We saw it at the start of this year with Bolo Raam; we saw it again recently during Raajneeti. While the latter was marketed on the basis of how Naseer liked the script so much he worked for free, the latter featured him prominently in all the trailers, posters as well as the website. In this, his appearance in one inconsequential scene is literally blink-and-miss. Clearly, the legendary actor needs to get more judicious before giving the nod.

Both sides of the coin are what we don't get to see, and while this film does touch upon the raw nerve that is the People's War (or whatever else it is that you want to call it), it only succeeds in bringing to life what we keep reading almost every single day on the big screen. The action sequences are unwarranted, while the ending is quite preposterous - the solution offered is simple and unreal; if it weren't, we wouldn't have had such a movement in our hinterland for over 4 decades now. But what absolutely kills this one - and what, sadly, is almost surely the reason for whatever accolades it garnered at foreign film festivals - is a quote that graces the frame immediately after the film ends, and which quite clearly tells us where the makers of this film stand.

Watch it, only if you don't read the papers at all, and are okay with a slow narrative injected at certain points with escapist action as well as with an over-simplistic solution to this complex problem that (given your age, location as well as your socio-economic background) doesn't affect you and thus probably don't care about.view less

Now what could be more topical than a film on India's most burning issue of the moment: the Naxalite movement that has metamorphosed into a civil w... read more

Now what could be more topical than a film on India's most burning issue of the moment: the Naxalite movement that has metamorphosed into a civil war that seems to be setting our nation on fire. Ananth Narayan's film, scripted by one of our finest women directors, Aruna Raje, is doubly important. First, it literally takes off from the headlines that have been glaring in your face in the last few years. Second, it dares to enter not only the geographical territory of the war within, but also explores the more tricky ideological terrain. Is there any justification at all for the maoist movement which has created heroes out of people who are allegedly responsible for unprecedented violence and death? More importantly an ideology which is gradually growing into a mass movement, resulting in an ever-growing Red corridor, running through the heart of India. view less

Definitely not a time pass type of a film. A serious film, but only for the really really really serious movie fans. Sunil Shetty has made a comeba... read more

Definitely not a time pass type of a film. A serious film, but only for the really really really serious movie fans. Sunil Shetty has made a comebackand a decent one. How he managed to bag so many awards for the film, however, I do not understand as the movie was JUST decent. Not award worthy, but also not meant to be trashed. It was an okay film.

One could tell that Sunit Shetty put his best efforts in acting and they came out, again, OKAY. Sameera Reddy on the other hand outdid her previous roles. From being an item girl to having actual lines. Quite a surprise, and a pleasant one. Naseeruddin Shah did not play a huge role in Red Alertagain like Rajneeti, just a cameo. The story line was different but at the end I could not sympathize with either the good or the bad guys. Or rather, it was one of those movies where even the good do bad, and the bad do good. So the audience was left hanging in the end, not sure who to side with.

I went into the film with no expectations, and if you decide to go watch it, you should probably do the same. This is probably the only reason why I came out not disappointed with the film. It is worth a onetime watch and nothing more.
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In most Hindi films, the first thing you notice at the very start is a disclaimer which states that the film is a work of fiction and bears no rese... read more

In most Hindi films, the first thing you notice at the very start is a disclaimer which states that the film is a work of fiction and bears no resemblance to any person living or dead. But RED ALERT - THE WAR WITHIN admits that it's based on a real story. Even otherwise, the issue it dares to portray -- the Naxalite movement -- is topical, piping hot and an issue that has been dominating the front pages of newspapers for quite some time now.

Come to think of it, who'd be interested in knowing what happened in the life of a poor villager, living a hand to mouth existence in a hamlet in Andhra Pradesh? Aren't these stories covered on news channels and forgotten the next day itself?

But the written material [screenplay: Aruna Raje] of RED ALERT - THE WAR WITHIN is so powerful and the execution of the subject so rivetting that you can't help but keep your eyes wide open as the story unfolds. You gradually realize that you aren't merely watching a film on the Naxal movement, but also the heart-wrenching story of a simpleton who gets embroiled in a mess only because he wants to feed his family and send his kids to school.

Final word? Give this realistic film a dekho. It's worth it!

RED ALERT - THE WAR WITHIN tells the story of Narsimha [Suniel Shetty], a farm labourer, who desperately needs money to fund the education of his children. He suddenly finds himself in the midst of Naxalites, when he goes to deliver the food in the jungles. From being a mere cook to actually training in weapons to being involved in shootouts and kidnapping, Narsimha finds himself in the thick of life he had never bargained for. A confrontation with the group leaders turns his life upside down; he is now on the run from both law and the militants.

Almost a decade ago, LAAL SALAAM [2002], starring Nandita Das and Sharad Kapoor, tackled the Naxal movement quite effectively. RED ALERT - THE WAR WITHIN is real as well and though it stars well-known stars who're known for their work in hardcore masala films, immense care has been taken to present them as characters, instead of capitalising on their star status. This is evident at the commencement of the film itself, when Suniel Shetty, who has played a toughie in film after film, runs for cover and loses consciousness when the cops and Naxals indulge in gunfire. He's as helpless as you and I would be, if caught in a hazardous sitaution like that. That's not all, even Sameera Reddy is minus makeup and as shattered as any woman would be, after being gang-raped.

The characters apart, RED ALERT - THE WAR WITHIN keeps you engrossed in most parts, more so towards its second hour. However, its ending, talking strictly in terms of impact, isn't as strong and impactful as the rest of the film.

RED ALERT - THE WAR WITHIN is director Ananth Narayan Mahadevan's best work to date. It overshadows his previous works and proves that he has genuinely evolved into a fine storyteller. His handling of the difficult subject -- a complete contrast to what he has attempted earlier -- is simply first-rate. Aruna Raje's screenplay is watertight, save for the climax that tends to get predictable. Action scenes [Allan Amin] are as real as real can be. K. Rajkumar's cinematography is top notch. It must've been so tough to shoot this film in dense forests!

Every actor in RED ALERT - THE WAR WITHIN delivers a splendid performance. Suniel Shetty delivers his most sensitive, most amazing performance that can easily be called his career-best. It makes you realize that there's a reservoir of talent that hasn't been tapped to the optimum. Sameera Reddy is a complete revelation, a complete shocker. She leaves a hammer-strong impact. Like always, Seema Biswas is excellent, while Ayesha Dharkar is supremely efficient. Ashish Vidyarthi is outstanding. Why don't we see more of him these days?

Gulshan Grover leaves a mark. Bhagyashree is effective. Makrand Deshpande underplays his part very well. Zakir Hussain is super. Aditya Lakhia is perfect. Sunil Sinha and Ehsaan Khan are good. Vinod Khanna, in a brief role, and Naseeruddin Shah, in a lone sequence, are superb.

On the whole, RED ALERT - THE WAR WITHIN is a well-made film that portrays realism effectively. It may not lure the audiences in hordes or set the box-office afire, like a typical entertainer generally does. Nonetheless, it will leave a strong, indelible impression on those watching it. Watch it for the sake of encouraging thoughtful, relevant and truly scorching content!
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