Red (2002 film)
Encyclopedia
Red is a 2002 Tamil
film
directed by Ram Sathya and produced by S. S. Chakravarthy. The film stars Ajith Kumar
and Priya Gill
, while Manivannan
, Salim Ghouse
and Raghuvaran
play pivotal roles. The film's score and soundtrack are composed by Deva
. The film won poor reviews and became a commercial failure at the box-office.
) is his biggest enemy. Red falls for Gayatri (Priya Gill), the daughter of his friend and confidante Narayanan (Manivannan) and helps her without her knowledge. She too likes him but wants him to give up his life of violence. Meanwhile a reporter (Rajesh) for Ananda Vikatan begins to serialise Red's story under the name Aadi and it becomes quite the rage among readers.
, Mugavaree and Citizen signed him to appear in a film titled Right directed by debutant Ram Sathya, an associate of Sundar C
. The original plot point of Ajith's 1999 film Unnaithedi was recommended by Ram Sathya, and Ajith had mentioned that if the film became a success he would feature in a future film to be directed by Ram Sathya. Priya Gill
was signed as heroine while the film has music by Deva
and cinematography by Rajasekar. The shoot of the film started at Annapoorna Studios where art director Sabu Cyril
erected a part of Madurai
town for the film. Other members announced to a part of the cast included Salim Ghouse
, Rajan P. Dev
, Raghuvaran
, Manivannan
and Srividya
.
The film was initally supposed to release in the Diwali season of 2001 but was postponed to January 2002 to avoid competition with Kamal Haasan
's Aalavandhan
and Vijay's Shahjahan
.
cited that "Red fails to make even a very slight impression, it is because the story and emotions lack depth" citing that the film would become a failure.
The failure of the film prompted S. S. Chakravarthy to halt and shelve his production Mahaa, featuring Ajith Kumar
as a police officer and Kiran Rathod
in the lead roles. Ajith revealed that his character in the film was "too glorified" and lamented his character for being a reason for the film's failure.
. The film's soundtrack became a success prior to release, with critics praising the songs "Thai Madiyae".
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
directed by Ram Sathya and produced by S. S. Chakravarthy. The film stars Ajith Kumar
Ajith Kumar
Ajith Kumar is an Indian film actor who works mainly in Tamil cinema. He began his career as a supporting actor in a Telugu film before gaining critical recognition in the Tamil thriller Aasai . A succession of high-grossing films followed where Ajith was usually depicted as a romantic hero, with...
and Priya Gill
Priya Gill
Priya Gill is an Indian actress. She has acted in Bollywood, Tollywood, Malayalam and Punjabi film.-Film career:She began her Bollywood career with the ABCL production Tere Mere Sapne along with Arshad Warsi and Chandrachur Singh. She was known more for her Indian appeal and simple...
, while Manivannan
Manivannan
Manivannan is a popular Tamil actor and director. With over 400 films to his name, Manivannan is one of the most experienced actors in the field. He normally plays the role of a dad or a senior comedian.- Background :...
, Salim Ghouse
Salim Ghouse
Salim Ghouse is a film, television and theater actor, theater director and martial artist. He has acted in several Indian languages including Hindi, Tamil and Malayalam....
and Raghuvaran
Raghuvaran
Raghuvaran was an Indian actor who predominantly acted in movies made in South India. He became famous for his portrayal of villain and character roles in Tamil films. He has acted in more than 150 Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Hindi films...
play pivotal roles. The film's score and soundtrack are composed by Deva
Deva (music director)
Deva is an Indian film composer and singer. He has composed songs and provided background music for Tamil films in a career spanning about 20 years. Many know his gaana songs, written mostly using Madras Tamil. He is known as the "Father of Gaana Genre" in the Tamil film industry.Deva has composed...
. The film won poor reviews and became a commercial failure at the box-office.
Plot
Ajith is Red (it stands for Revolution, Education, Development), an orphan who has since grown up to be the local don in Madurai. Naturally he possesses a heart of gold and when not bashing up bad guys, he spends his time forcing schools to accept students without donations and taking care of orphans. Cheeni (Salim GhouseSalim Ghouse
Salim Ghouse is a film, television and theater actor, theater director and martial artist. He has acted in several Indian languages including Hindi, Tamil and Malayalam....
) is his biggest enemy. Red falls for Gayatri (Priya Gill), the daughter of his friend and confidante Narayanan (Manivannan) and helps her without her knowledge. She too likes him but wants him to give up his life of violence. Meanwhile a reporter (Rajesh) for Ananda Vikatan begins to serialise Red's story under the name Aadi and it becomes quite the rage among readers.
Cast
- Ajith KumarAjith KumarAjith Kumar is an Indian film actor who works mainly in Tamil cinema. He began his career as a supporting actor in a Telugu film before gaining critical recognition in the Tamil thriller Aasai . A succession of high-grossing films followed where Ajith was usually depicted as a romantic hero, with...
as Red - Priya GillPriya GillPriya Gill is an Indian actress. She has acted in Bollywood, Tollywood, Malayalam and Punjabi film.-Film career:She began her Bollywood career with the ABCL production Tere Mere Sapne along with Arshad Warsi and Chandrachur Singh. She was known more for her Indian appeal and simple...
as Gayathri - ManivannanManivannanManivannan is a popular Tamil actor and director. With over 400 films to his name, Manivannan is one of the most experienced actors in the field. He normally plays the role of a dad or a senior comedian.- Background :...
as Narayanan - RaghuvaranRaghuvaranRaghuvaran was an Indian actor who predominantly acted in movies made in South India. He became famous for his portrayal of villain and character roles in Tamil films. He has acted in more than 150 Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Hindi films...
- RevathiRevathiRevathi is an award-winning Indian actress and film director. She has acted in Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, Telugu and Hindi movies, directed several feature-length films, and has acted in and produced multiple television programs, totaling over twenty years of experience in the entertainment...
- Vindhya
- Rajesh
- Salim GhouseSalim GhouseSalim Ghouse is a film, television and theater actor, theater director and martial artist. He has acted in several Indian languages including Hindi, Tamil and Malayalam....
as Cheeni - Nizhalgal RaviNizhalgal RaviNizhalgal Ravi is an Indian actor who has performed in Tamil, Malayalam and Telugu films. He started his career in 1980 with the film Nizhalgal.-Career:...
- Thalaivasal VijayThalaivasal VijayThalaivasal Vijay is a Tamil film actor. He is noted for his character roles, especially in R. Sukumaran's 2010 Malayalam film Yugapurushan as Narayana Guru...
- Ganesh JanardhananGanesh JanardhananGanesh Janardhanan, also known by his stage name VTV Ganesh, is a film actor and producer. He is best known for his appearances in films featuring Silambarasan.-Career:...
Production
NIC Arts, the producers of Ajith Kumar's previous films VaaliVaali
Vaali is a 1999 Tamil thriller film written and directed by S. J. Suryah. The film stars Ajith Kumar in a dual role with Simran appearing in another leading role. The supporting cast of the film include Jyothika in her debut venture, Livingston and Vivek. The film's music is composed by the music...
, Mugavaree and Citizen signed him to appear in a film titled Right directed by debutant Ram Sathya, an associate of Sundar C
Sundar C
Sundar C. is a Tamil film director and actor. He has directed 24 films in Kollywood and debuted his acting career in 2006 with the film Thalai Nagaram. His most notable films include Ullathai Allitha, Arunachalam and Anbe Sivam and other notable films include Mettukudi, Winner, Naam Iruvar...
. The original plot point of Ajith's 1999 film Unnaithedi was recommended by Ram Sathya, and Ajith had mentioned that if the film became a success he would feature in a future film to be directed by Ram Sathya. Priya Gill
Priya Gill
Priya Gill is an Indian actress. She has acted in Bollywood, Tollywood, Malayalam and Punjabi film.-Film career:She began her Bollywood career with the ABCL production Tere Mere Sapne along with Arshad Warsi and Chandrachur Singh. She was known more for her Indian appeal and simple...
was signed as heroine while the film has music by Deva
Deva (music director)
Deva is an Indian film composer and singer. He has composed songs and provided background music for Tamil films in a career spanning about 20 years. Many know his gaana songs, written mostly using Madras Tamil. He is known as the "Father of Gaana Genre" in the Tamil film industry.Deva has composed...
and cinematography by Rajasekar. The shoot of the film started at Annapoorna Studios where art director Sabu Cyril
Sabu Cyril
Sabu Cyril is an Indian film art director. He has won National Film Award for Best Art Direction four times and Filmfare Best Art Direction Award twice. His latest work Enthiran, in which he also played an important role, has won him international recognitions.-Early life and education:Sabu Cyril...
erected a part of Madurai
Madurai
Madurai is the third largest city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. It served as the capital city of the Pandyan Kingdom. It is the administrative headquarters of Madurai District and is famous for its temples built by Pandyan and...
town for the film. Other members announced to a part of the cast included Salim Ghouse
Salim Ghouse
Salim Ghouse is a film, television and theater actor, theater director and martial artist. He has acted in several Indian languages including Hindi, Tamil and Malayalam....
, Rajan P. Dev
Rajan P. Dev
Rajan P Dev was an Indian film and stage actor. He was born in Cherthala in the Alappuzha district of the former state Thiru-Kochi . He had acted in over 140 films in Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada language films. He was noted for his villain roles laced with a touch of humour...
, Raghuvaran
Raghuvaran
Raghuvaran was an Indian actor who predominantly acted in movies made in South India. He became famous for his portrayal of villain and character roles in Tamil films. He has acted in more than 150 Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Hindi films...
, Manivannan
Manivannan
Manivannan is a popular Tamil actor and director. With over 400 films to his name, Manivannan is one of the most experienced actors in the field. He normally plays the role of a dad or a senior comedian.- Background :...
and Srividya
Srividya
Srividya was a leading Indian film actress of the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s in the Tamil film Industry, in addition to being a good singer. In the latter part of her career, she concentrated on Malayalam films. Her brilliant portrayals as a mother in many films were highly acclaimed....
.
The film was initally supposed to release in the Diwali season of 2001 but was postponed to January 2002 to avoid competition with Kamal Haasan
Kamal Haasan
Kamal Haasan is an Indian film actor, screenwriter and director, considered to be one of the leading method actors of Indian cinema. He is widely acclaimed as an actor and is well known for his versatility in acting...
's Aalavandhan
Aalavandhan
Aalavandhan is a Indian Tamil Thriller film released in 2001. Directed by Suresh Krishna, it stars Kamal Haasan in a dual role, with Raveena Tandon and Manisha Koirala as his love interests. The film's soundtrack was composed by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy and the background score by late Mahesh Mahadevan...
and Vijay's Shahjahan
Shahjahan (film)
Shahjahan is a 2001 Tamil film directed and written by K. S. Ravi and produced by R. B. Choudary. The film features Vijay and Richa Pallod in the lead roles while Krishna and Vivek portray supporting roles. The film, which had music was composed by Mani Sharma, released to [highly positive reviews...
.
Release
The film won negative reviews upon release and the critic from The HinduThe Hindu
The Hindu is an Indian English-language daily newspaper founded and continuously published in Chennai since 1878. According to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, it has a circulation of 1.46 million copies as of December 2009. The enterprise employed over 1,600 workers and gross income reached $40...
cited that "Red fails to make even a very slight impression, it is because the story and emotions lack depth" citing that the film would become a failure.
The failure of the film prompted S. S. Chakravarthy to halt and shelve his production Mahaa, featuring Ajith Kumar
Ajith Kumar
Ajith Kumar is an Indian film actor who works mainly in Tamil cinema. He began his career as a supporting actor in a Telugu film before gaining critical recognition in the Tamil thriller Aasai . A succession of high-grossing films followed where Ajith was usually depicted as a romantic hero, with...
as a police officer and Kiran Rathod
Kiran Rathod
Kiran Rathod is an Indian film actress. She has appeared in Hindi and Tamil films.-Early life:Rathod was born on 11 January 1981 in Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh into a Rajput family. She is a graduate of Mithibai College in Mumbai...
in the lead roles. Ajith revealed that his character in the film was "too glorified" and lamented his character for being a reason for the film's failure.
Soundtrack
The soundtrack features 6 songs composed by DevaDeva (music director)
Deva is an Indian film composer and singer. He has composed songs and provided background music for Tamil films in a career spanning about 20 years. Many know his gaana songs, written mostly using Madras Tamil. He is known as the "Father of Gaana Genre" in the Tamil film industry.Deva has composed...
. The film's soundtrack became a success prior to release, with critics praising the songs "Thai Madiyae".
- Red Red - SP Balasubramanyam
- Olikuchi Udambukari - Kay Kay, Anuradha SriramAnuradha SriramAnuradha Sriram is an Indian carnatic and playback singer who hails from the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. She has sung in many Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada and Hindi films.- Personal life :...
- Dil Dil Italy Kattil - TR. Silambarasan, Mathangi, Sivakumar
- Roja Kaadu - HariharanHariharan (singer)Hariharan , born 3 April 1955) is an Indian playback singer in Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, Marathi, Bhojpuri and Telugu movies, an established ghazal singer, and one of the pioneers of Indian fusion music. His melody is strongly appreciated by the film fraternity...
- Thai Madiyae - KarthikKarthik (singer)Karthik is an Indian playback singer.Karthik started his professional singing career as a backing vocalist and has since been a playback singer in Tamil cinema while also single in other Indian languages for various composers...
. - November Madham - HariharanHariharan (singer)Hariharan , born 3 April 1955) is an Indian playback singer in Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, Marathi, Bhojpuri and Telugu movies, an established ghazal singer, and one of the pioneers of Indian fusion music. His melody is strongly appreciated by the film fraternity...
, Mahalaxmi Iyer