Anant on red alert

...says filmmaker Anant Mahadevan in an exclusive chat with LT.

His name rings a bell instantly. He��s the much loved actor of serials like Sword of Tipu Sultan and Khandaan. But then Anant Mahadevan is also a film writer and director who has churned out flicks like Aggar, Anamika, Anjaam, Aksar and Dil Maange More.
Currently working on Red Alert-The War Within, a film on the Naxalite movement, Mahadevan speaks to LT in a no-holds barred interview
Why pick a controversial issue like Naxalite movement?
The film is based on the true story of a man who needed money for his kids' education and got pulled into a world different from his own �� which changed him.When I read this story in a newspaper, I felt it needed to be told.

But movies on such issues earn the ire of the Censor Board. Aren��t you worried that yours could run into trouble?
The Censor Board's stance on certain aspects of filmmaking is exaggerated. My movie takes an uncompromising look at the circumstances that society creates which can change a person completely. It presents both sides of the problem.
You have an impressive starcast...
Yes. With actors like Suniel Shetty �� who has undergone a complete makeover, Naseeruddin Sh-ah, Vinod Khanna, Ashish Vidyarthi, Ayesha Dharker, See-ma Biswas, Gulshan Gr-over, and Mar-kand Deshpande, all are good actors in their own right. I wanted the smallest role to be done by an accomplished actor so that the movie is a class apart. Aruna (Raje) has written the screenplay for I knew she is among the top shelf writers from the industry, and is very politically aware.

When��s the movie slated for release?
Maybe in October-November as I wish to premiere the film at a well-known international film festival. That��s just to touch the international sensibilities, while also to send across a message that Indian cinema has matured too. Our films are otherwise mocked at the international forum as they feel Indian filmmakers can��t make serious films.
Have Indian filmmakers matured?
A big wake up call is required. And we need more filmmakers in the league of Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Mrinal Sen and Shyam Benegal, who have given some memorable films. It's going to take a while before we are looked upon as mature filmmakers. See, formula films are slowly dying out and cinema at its best is yet to be seen in India.
Any plans of returning to TV?
I don��t relate with the kind of work happening on TV today. Previously stalwarts like Ramesh Sippy, Sai Paranjpe, Hrishikesh Muk-herjee, Aziz Mirza, Shridhar Kshirsagar, Kundan Shah creating content for TV. Today rehashes of the 60s and 70s films make for content on TV, where I see the same old regressive tales on women. The sad part is that even the cigarette puffing top notch creative executives of these shows and channels don��t know the names of the legends of television like the ones I just mentioned.

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