റെഡ് വൈൻ RED WINE - MOVIE REVIEW (MALAYALAM)

Debutant Director Salamm Baappu’s “Red Wine” was doing its second-week in Grand Cinemas and although we gave it a miss last week, we decided to taste Red Wine on its second-week run as there were no other new Malayalam releases this week. We are glad we did because Red Wine turned out to be an intoxicating thriller!!

Salamm Baappu proclaims his arrival with an unconventional stroke in the opening scene of Red Wine' with the climax from a Stage-Play. His subject that looks like a whodunnit on the surface, but beautifully metamorphosizes into a story of three men who have not seen or known each other yet their lives are entangled with each other like a maze.

The main protagonist is Anoop (Fahad Fazil) a young comrade who has risen from the ranks to the level of the party’s local committee secretary. Anoop is popular among the masses through his sincerity and conviction, has the gift of the gab to influence even his opponents to accept his way of thinking and the dexterity to move ahead with the changing times. It is indeed surprising to see Fahad Fazil in a good guy role, used to as we are in seeing him as a ruthless corporate executive who stops at nothing to get what he wants, yet he excels in this role.

When Anoop is found murdered in his room in a nondescript and shady lodge, Asst. Commissioner of Police Ratheesh (Mohanlal) who takes charge of the investigation has several possible motives to explore, political rivalry being just one of them. As Ratheesh interrogates Anoop’s friends and those connected with him, Anoop’s character slowly unfolds and we get the full picture. Anoop a qualified engineer, instead of taking up a lucrative job joins politics and strives to bring in positive change. He can, not only communicate with the locals and comrades in local Wayanad dialect but also relate with ease to music crazy youngsters with his knowledge of Michael Jackson and Bob Marley.

Ramesh (Asif Ali) is exactly the opposite of Anoop. A Motorcycle salesman he tries to live beyond his means to lead an affluent lifestyle but being unable to make both ends meet, he is neck deep in debt, with a pregnant wife who has antagonized her affluent parents to marry her beloved. Ramesh’s character is brilliantly portrayed by Asif Ali through his subtle expressions and histrionics. A hired killer who has reformed and wants to lead a peaceful life but forced in to his old profession of contract killing, the fear and the guilt he shows in his eyes speaks volume about his histrionics.

Mohanlal, in the subdued role of an investigating officer ranks only as a third to Fahad and Asif Ali who steal the show.

Actor T.G. Ravi

It is indeed a pleasure to see veteran actor T.G. Ravi in a minor role as a comrade, party office bearer and a mentor of Anoop and he carries-off that role with élan. His excellent portrayal of a rich, old, terminally ill patient flirting with the nurses attending to him in the film '22 Female Kottayam' is still fresh in our minds.

Verdict: Red wine is tasty and smooth.