I watched the movie though I have seen 'Thadam' before. One I did not like is there is good difference between the 2 characters which was not there in the original. And, the character name reveal scene. Its a faithful remake and good watch for who have not watched the original.

I became a fan of Thadam as I watched it and every second of it had me intrigued, even if the setup took some time. And just having watched its official Telugu remake Red on Netflix with subtitles, I can assure you it has enough intensity to work on its own. Ram Pothineni's subtle performance is the main reason this remake doesn't turn out to be shoddy or plain predictable. Also, while a lot of negative response to the film can be attributed to the film's solely being a remake (and the commonly believed notion that remakes don't match up to the original),Red is also a good way to revisit Thadam, albeit in a different language and with a different cast.

Ram, who is known for his colorful lighthearted entertainers, must be lauded for trying something different this time. A film which is high on dialogue and plot development is not easy to deliver without the fear of losing out on the casual fans of a star who's not usually known for such films, but the makers have done a splendid job with Red. It's pretty long and yet manages to mix suspense, drama, action and even some humor from time to time. The fight scenes, while not as intense as those in Thadam, are still very well choreographed and delivered with brilliance. The songs are pretty good, and the very first one that gives Ram's fans a dose of his "Ismartness" (Ismart Shankar reference; his previous blockbuster film) should be enough for the masses. The first half takes too long to get to the point (about 50 minutes until the "thriller element" comes into play),and this filler segment could've been cut short. I wish I could've said the same for Thadam, but that film handled those portions pretty well too, so no.

Ram's casual fans might enjoy the initial first half for giving them the standard package of romance and music bits, but the latter bit of it is where the plot starts intensifying and those expecting this to be some regular masala ride can leave. Those who haven't seen Thadam can surely enjoy it as the writing is strong even here, and luckily, even as someone who has seen and loved Thadam, I was able to enjoy Red without getting bored. Even if the dialogue gets heavy, some little but subtle humor dilutes the tension and intense action scenes served from time to time, even if only as per plot demands, keep the tension coming. You may or may not share the same opinion as me, but Red is indeed a well made film, and that is visible from the visuals alone. It's a good neo-noir action thriller with beautiful, stylish frames as opposed to the gritty and grounded visuals of Thadam, and that alone should be enough to conclude the makers haven't just replicated the original scene-by-scene.

I already saw Thadam but my friend still insisted to watch Red also as they made it more interesting. The movie was interesting but Ram acted poorly while playing the dual character as he was lifeless throughout the film. He couldn't match the energy and enthusiasm - Arun Vijay showed when playing this dual character in Thadam.

Positives: The 3 main actresses did their job well. The screenplay and camera work was good.