Raj
Kumar Santoshi is no ordinary filmmaker. Unlike most of his contemporaries,
the man is about issues pertinent to the masses. His films are raw,
unkempt and brash. But the message is always clear and it is the same
case with Halla Bol. This flick is Santoshi's milestone (after The
Legend of Bhagat Singh).
Since the film released, there have been rumours that it is based
on the life of Shah Rukh Khan. That is a misconception. It is, however,
about the Indian film industry and takes its inspiration from Jessica
Lall murder case that threw the Indian judicial system and Indian
politics into the spotlight. It is about the incorrigible apathy towards
every day crimes and the effects should one attempt to speak up.
The film's protagonist is Ashfaque (Ajay Devgan), a small town man
whose aspiration is to make it big in the Indian film industry. His
stint with acting begins with a street theatre, which is headed by
a dacoit-turned-playwright Sidhu (Pankaj Kapoor).
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Ashfaque's
struggle pays off and he does break into Bollywood. And he transforms
from an honest, young lad into 'Sameer Khan', an actor who cheats
on his wife, lies about his childhood to gain publicity and sympathy
and uses his celebrity to screw with other actors.
But everything changes with one murder. And thus begins Halla Bol...
The film is heavily inspired by Jessica Lall's murder that took
place in Delhi in 1999. Jessical's murder involved some influential
people's kids. Testimonies were turned around, corrupt officials
were bribed and threats were made and not surprisingly, the murderers
were acquitted. But it was media pressure that eventually became
public outcry on a massive level that led to the conviction overturn.
In Halla Bol, media is not the only that fights. It is Sameer Khan.
And what comes out of this story is a reflection of some serious
problems in modern-day India even today. Sameer's effigies are burnt.
This is in fact what happened with Aamir Khan when he was involved
with Narmada Bachao Andholan. His last three films have struggled
to be screened in the state of Gujrat.
Sameer Khan is made to look like a liar because when the murder
takes place, it is at a Bollywood party and there are other actors
who keep quiet. This plot is also driven from reality. In 2003,
Preity Zinta was the only actress who had testified against Indian
underworld and unlike her colleagues Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan,
she never reiterated her earlier testimonies. As a result, she was
under Witness Protection for several months and had been advised
to stay out of the spotlight for a few months.
There are other sub-plots but we won't mention them. The important
thing is that it is an incredible film that does not attempt to
paint a black and white picture of Urban India or its industry.
Furthermore, it is the Ajay Devgan-Santoshi team up that makes it
a fabulous film. The two go back to the days of the excellent The
Legend of Bhagat Singh (2002). Afterwards we saw films like Lajja
and Khakee between these two and it is safe to say that as far as
camps in Bollywood go, this one is as solid as it gets.
Ajay Devgan as an actor likes to do cerebral cinema. For every You,
Me Aur Hum he has done, he does three films that have something
to do with the society. Over the years, his star power has been
overshadowed by actors like Shah Rukh, Salman and Hrithik Roshan.
And Devgan has done some mediocre work like Cash, Golmaal. In Halla
Bol lies the man's real skill as an actor. From his beginning as
a young lad to the transformation into a greedy and narcissistic
megalomaniac to a man whose sleeping conscious rises, it is one
of Ajay Devgan's finest performances.
Then there is Pankaj Kapoor as Sidhu. Like others, Sidhu too is
based on real-life man, that of Safdar Abbasi, who was the leader
of street theatre, died at the hands of political goons while he
was performing a play by the name of Halla Bol, back in 1989.
Pankaj Kapoor is a class-act. He is phenomenal in this film and
this was a major casting coup. There is no one else who could've
done this role so beautifully and effectively.
Finally there is Vidya Balan and she delivers a decent performance.
This is no Parineeta but it works nonetheless.
The only flaw in the film is editing. The film should've one been
tighter and the music could've been better. But having said that,
it is still a powerful film that makes the right statement. It is
about the responsibility of media, the apathy of people, some of
whom are movie stars, and is about the voice of the common man that
collectively has the power to shake the system. Bravo!
– Maheen
Sabeeh
*YUCK
**WHATEVER
***GOOD
****SUPER
*****AWESOME
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