Suneil Shetty starrer ‘Red Alert’, which explores the Naxal problem in the country, will premiere at the upcoming International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa this month.
Directed by Anant Mahadevan and scripted by Aruna Raje, the film had won the Director’s Vision Award at Stuttgart Film Festival in Germany and Shetty won the Best Actor Award at South Asia International Film Festival (SAIFF) in New York this year.
“It is very fortunate that the film has won a critics award and 5-star rating at the Stuttgart Film Festival. It always feels great to get international recognition for your work. I am now looking forward to its premiere in Goa,” Shetty told PTI.
‘Red Alert’ is based on the Naxalite movement in India and has actors like Sameera Reddy, Naseeruddin Shah and Vinod Khanna in key roles. ‘Maine Pyar Kia’ star Bhagyashree will also be seen on the silver screen after a long time.
Talking about the film and his character, Shetty said, “It is based on a true story, in which I play a simple farmer who gets involved in the Naxal movement. It deals with a very sensitive issue and the problems of the Naxals.”
“There is a thin line between terrorism and not. It is not a terrorism movie. It is the system which the Naxals don’t believe in. The climax of the film shows that if we can avoid the gun, then we can achieve what we want to,” the actor said.
Though the film has been gathering accolades from various quarters in the world, its release date for the general audience in India has not been decided yet.
“I think it will be released at the end of December,” Shetty said.
Meanwhile, the actor is gearing up for his upcoming Bollywood film ‘De Dana Dan’, which is set to hit theatres on November 27. The magic quartet from ‘Hera Pheri’ -- Shetty, Akshay Kumar, Paresh Rawal and director Priyadarshan have come together for the comedy once again.
“Hera Pheri is one of my favourite films, I don’t know whether ‘De Dana Dan’ will be better or not, but it is definitely a faster film,” said Shetty.
Although the audience are waiting to see the ‘Hera Pheri’ magic again, Shetty refuses to give credit to only the main star cast for the film.
“It is a complete team effort. There are 22 characters in the film who have a great contribution to the fun element in the film,” Shetty said.
The 48-year-old actor, who was known for his macho man image and the action films he did in the beginning of his career, has turned over a new leaf and has been starring in quite a number of comedy films too.
“It is the success and the appreciation which prompts people like me and Akshay do comedies. Comedy films are more fun and families can sit and watch together,” said Shetty.
Talking about Akshay as a co-star, Shetty said, “About Akshay, people ask me -- ‘friend or foe?’ I say ‘inspiration’
He is an amazing actor and the way he handles his career is remarkable.”
