RE: Halla Bol - 2008 (11. Januar) - 4

SANTOSHI SHINES AS DIRECTOR, BUT FAILS TO ENTERTAIN
By Pankaj Shukla

Critic's I-view

The New Year has started and after witnessing ups and downs of the first popular awards for the last year announced last night, I entered the theater to watch the first film of this year, Halla Bol. I was quite curious to see what my dear friend Raj Kumar Santoshi has made this time. His last film Family was like a trash from a brilliant and wonderful director. So, all his well wishers expected a lot from him this time. Santoshi who almost transformed the image of an angry young man with films like Ghayal, Damini and Ghatak, succumbed to the box office pressure later. He did make some very good films like Lajja though it didn't do well for him, and some like Khakee that did wonders for its cast and crew.

With Halla Bol, Santoshi has tried to go back to his roots and focus on common man's life that has almost gone unnoticed during the last one decade or so. The irony of this Friday is that both the films released share one common string in the story: common man visualizing uncommon dreams like that of becoming a super star. While My Name is Anthony Gonslaves takes this line and keeps digging as much masala from it as its director E. Niwas could, Santoshi takes a U-turn and manages to salvage his image to some extent. He has a very strong point of view, courtesy Jessica Lal murder case, plus a very good team of technicians. However, he lacks in face value for the film. Ajay Devgan as a solo hero is not a good proposition these days and even Vidya Balan who is among the top three heroines now, does not command a good opening at the box office.

I watch Halla Bol with some questions in mind. Though I was not old enough to understand the Halla Bol movement when it formed part of the socialist movement in India, I did witness its ugly face in Indian politics when Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav launched a "Halla Bol" against Amar Ujala, a big Hindi daily. Santoshi's Halla Bol is a welcome change from the run-of-the-mill comedy films. It takes you back to films like Kanwarlal, Inqlaab and others, depicting political hypocrisy coupled with the main protagonist working against it.

The problem with Santoshi's film is that it starts the Inqlaab way and ends up the Yuva way. While usual Hindi film viewers prefer to see their hero bashing all the villains (wrong doers) on his own, it's very rare that a hero crusades along with the crowd. The story of Halla Bol revolves around a common man Ashfaq, played by Ajay Devgan. A real life based character of PWG (People's War Group) assists him. Pankaj Kapoor plays this role of Sidhu, a reformed history sheeter in the film. Ashfaq gets noticed in plays and turns a super star overnight.

And, with the success and the money coming his way lead to bad omens for him and his sweet home. As Sameer Khan the superstar, Ashfaq starts enjoying the worldly pleasures of life and soon gets corrupted. This evil reaches his wife Sneha (Vidya Balan). But all that changes at a party where Sameer is a witness to a shootout and a cold-blooded crime. Santoshi takes his plot from here to a very different level to what actually happened with Shyan Munshi who is a real witness in the historical Jessica Lal murder case. Like Munshi , he turns hostile in the witness box. This sudden change of the character is actually a borderline between success and failure for Santoshi's Halla Bol.

Raj Kumar Santoshi is very good at screenplay. His scene formation and shot division is par excellence, but sometimes he plays it too hard with the story line. Last time he did it in Lajja and failed with Ajay Devgan. He also seems to have got a fixation with Ajay Devgan post his version of Bhagat Singh film. Liking a particular star is one thing and ruining your career is another. Ajay Devgan is actor by default and instead of learning and improving his acting; he has gone into a super star mode kind of thing. Sooner Ajay Devgan learns the fact that his fans are turning away from him because of this habit, the better will it be for him as an actor. He has failed earlier as a producer, now before he is tested as a director; he needs to put his records as an actor straight.

Moving on from Ajay Devgan to Pankaj Kapoor who won the best actor in a negative role award last night, makes you feel like traveling from a field to a mountain in one go. Pankaj Kapoor is one of the endangered species of senior actors in Bollywood, who make you feel value for money. He acts his role like he does always, but the problem here is not with acting, but his brand value. Whatever he does, Pankaj Kapoor is still miles away from attaining stature of the likes of Amrish Puri. He has a certain fan following, but he is not a craze among masses. Vidya Balan should seriously think about her selection of films. It is not that Halla Bol is a bad film for her, but what matters is that you get to deliver on screen. Darshan Jariwala leaves his mark again on celluloid and so does Anjan Shrivastava.

As a director, Santoshi's caliber was never in doubt and he proves his credentials once again in Halla Bol. He is a very good technician and gets excellent output from his team mates. But he needs to be more attentive on creative part of his directorial soul. For the weekend, Halla Bol is not a bad choice over My Name Is Anthony Gonsalves, as it doesn't bore you, at least.

No Rating!

Quelle: http://ww.smashits.com/news/bollywood/mo...-entertain.html

Bol Halla bol
Indu Mirani
Friday, January 11, 2008 23:26 IST

Halla Bol
Cast: Ajay Devgan, Vidya Balan, Pankaj Kapur
Direction: Rajkumar Santoshi
Rating: ***

Rajkumar Santoshi’s ‘Halla Bol’ undoubtedly has its heart in the right place. It tackles the moral dilemma a superstar faces when he must put his stardom on line to tell the truth about a murder he witnesses.

It advocates the theory that there is nothing more powerful than public opinion. All this is cloaked in the trappings of mainstream cinema with a fair amount of digs at superstars, their quirks, their flaws and their descent into farce (read silly commercials) to make money.

Ajay Devgan plays Ashfaque, a small-town boy who dreams of making it big in Bollywood. He takes part in street theatre under the tutelage of Sidhu (Pankaj Kapur) a reformed dacoit.

Ashfaque eventually becomes a superstar (renamed Sameer Khan) in Mumbai but somewhere along the way, he loses his values. This alienates his childhood sweetheart, now wife (Vidya Balan) from him.

When he witnesses the murder of a young woman at a party he is faced with the quandary of telling the truth and putting his career on the line or pretending he saw nothing, like the other guests at the party.

Santoshi tackles this complex problem with a fine understanding of an actor’s insecurities. Ajay, who flounders in the role of the superstar, comes into his own as the man who has to balance what he believes in with what others expect of him. The director brings in the concept of street theatre as the means to mobilise vox populi with a firm yet gentle hand.

And yet, this would all pale into insignificance if the intimidator was not powerful. And Darshan Jariwala, who plays the politician father of one of the murderers, out to save his son at any cost, is an effective adversary.

The scene in which the actor, full of simmering anger confronts the politician, smiling even as he contemplates mayhem, is one of the highlights of the film, perfectly poised for maximum effect.

Well-made reality issue based films are a rarity nowadays and it is to Santoshi’s credit that he has persevered with it over the years after ‘Damini’ and ‘Lajja’.

For once though, his female lead plays a supportive role as the wife caught in the crossfire but not proactive except for one outburst at the media.

Where the film fails to convince is in the casting of Ajay Devgan who just does not look the part of the superstar and ends up caricaturing it.

Pankaj Kapur on the other hand is not only convincing but breathes fire into the multi-hued role. He is as superb as the friendly and encouraging teacher as he is as the aggrieved mentor. Prepare to be bowled over by him.

Quelle: http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?NewsID=1144502

Halla Bol is too idealistic
Published on Sat, Jan 12, 2008 at 00:09

Much like his signature films Ghayal and Damini, the theme of Rajkumar Santoshi's latest Halla Bol is also essentially one man's clash with a corrupt system.

In Halla Bol Ajay Devgan plays Sameer Khan, a shallow Bollywood superstar who's forced to question who he really is when he witnesses a gruesome murder first hand, and realises the culprits will get off scot-free because nobody -- including himself -- will testify.

A scathing comment on society's apathy and indifference towards other people's problems, Halla Bol tends to be too simplistic, too idealistic and in the end too preachy to really make much of an impression.

The film's unarguably well-intended and has its heart in the right place, but it's nothing like any of Santoshi's best films because it's got a severely flawed screenplay, and a narrative that's straight out of the eighties.

Once a master storyteller whose screenplays served as guidebooks for aspiring screenwriters, it is ironically Santoshi's script for Halla Bol that's the root cause of all the problems here. The film's first half is too long and yet when you leave the hall for a breather during interval, you can't help feeling like the story's barely unfolded.

Santoshi takes way too long to establish Ajay Devgan's character, going into elaborate scenes to convey what we've understood in the first ten minutes already. Worse than that, the director takes too many cinematic liberties to get out of tricky screenplay situations, and as a result the film comes off looking way too contrived.

How do you explain that scene in which the protagonist's mentor, Pankaj Kapur, turns up suddenly in a truck, no less, to save the fellow from being crushed by the villain's henchmen under the wheels of another truck?

It's an implausible scene and doesn't fit in this film, in fact it's a scene straight out of the Transformers movie. It's ridiculous how we're expected to believe that a girl who sold a kidney to afford legal fees for fighting the case against her sister's murderers, would suddenly do a volte face in court, even under maximum pressure.

In all fairness, Halla Bol does have its share of dramatic moments that'll instantly remind you of the Santoshi we're all familiar with - that scene in which Vidya Balan, playing Devgan's wife gives the media a fitting reply when her husband's badgered with uncomfortable questions.

Or then that scene in which Ajay Devgan relieves himself on the floor of the corrupt politician's home -- these are clap-traps, and Santoshi knows exactly how and when to use them.

In the end, despite its best intentions, Halla Bol fails to drive its point home, and it's a pity because the film boasts such a brave performance by Ajay Devgan. I say brave because the actor sticks his neck out and takes on a character that few leading stars would have the courage to play.

Ten, perhaps twelve years ago Halla Bol may have connected with an audience raised on a staple diet of melodramatic films, but today, it's just a blast from the past. So I'm going with two out of five and an average rating for all this hullaballo over Halla Bol.

Rating: 2 / 5 (Average)

Quelle: http://www.ibnlive.com/news/movie-review...ic/56280-8.html

The first Friday of the year is considered jinxed by Bollywood. So this year's major releases only begin this weekend with Halla Bol and My Name is Anthony Gonsalves.

Federico Fellini once said that "Sometimes I feel that I am, all the time, making the same film". Raj Kumar Santoshi must share that sentiment. Since Ghayal in 1990, Santoshi's most persuasive films have been about the lone individual battling a corrupt and venal system. With bloated bombs like China Gate and Family: The ties of blood, he seemed to have lost the plot but with Halla Bol, happily, Santoshi gets his groove back.

Halla Bol, loosely inspired by the Jessica Lal case, is a throwback to films made before 1994 when large smiling families and designer-clad yuppies officially took over Hindi cinema.

So, in Halla Bol, the establishment – politicians, policeman – are unforgivably corrupt. The punchy dialogue plays straight to the gallery. The confrontation and eventual resolution have comic book simplicity but the drama carries the picture.

Ajay Devgan plays Sameer Khan, a small town theatre actor turned superstar, who finds his lost conscience after witnessing a random murder at a party.

Until then, Sameer, intoxicated on fame and power, spends his time editing out talented co-stars and bedding starlets. Santoshi's portrayal of Bollywood is painfully archaic—I don't think today's superstars, especially those named Khan, lead such lazy, indulgent lives—but there is a superbly funny montage tracking Sameer's rise to the top with endorsements for banians and dant manjans.

Thankfully, the drama begins early and though Santoshi's screenplay becomes audibly clunky in the second half, Halla Bol manages to keep the tension.

The leads, Devgan, Pankaj Kapur playing a fiery theatre activist and Vidya Balan as Sameer's wife are pitched just right. Halla Bol doesn't have technique, texture or sophistication but it is engaging, which is more than you can say for many films.

I recommend that you see it but forego the comforts of the multiplex for this one. To fully savor the massey flavour, go to a thousand-seat, single screen theatre. In some scenes, I guarantee, you will be clapping.

Average viewer rating: 3/5 (35 User-Votes)

Quelle: http://www.ndtvmovies.com/reviews.asp?la...ename=Halla+Bol

Posted by Hanumant Bhansali

Time for a change, time to bring a difference, time to voice your opinion, time to shout for pride, glory and self-respect. All this and more is the theme of Raj Kumar Santoshi’s latest flick Halla Bol, starring top notch actors like Ajay Devgan, Vidya Balan and Pankaj Kapoor.

Halla Bol displays the identity of a human which is masked by the glossy image of fame and comes to its real avtar when its conscience calls.

The storyline of Halla Bol revolves around Sameer Khan (Ajay Devgan). Quick success in the stardom spoils Sameer as he forgets his modesty and humbleness. Sameer’s character is presented in a very realistic manner, personifying the stereotypical image of a film star in Bollwood.

During a celebrity party, the insecurity in Sameer props out when he witnesses his female fan, being shot by two young guns. He backs out of the crunch situation, by not helping the dying lady. Moreover, he even backs out to become a prime witness of the high profile murder.

All the witnesses of the high profile murder turn hostile and defer from their statements. Ultimately, Sameer rises against the blues and decides to divulge with the truth in the court. All the odds are against him, he has developed new enemies.

Undeniably, the incident derives its inspiration from the Jessica Lal murder case.

Vidya Balan plays Sameer’s love interest and life partner in the film. While Pankaj Kapur, plays a fired-up Sidhu, who stands out as a person with high integrity. Not to miss, the impactful one-liners delivered by the immensely talented actor.

Direction wise, Raj Kumar Santoshi holds his own formula of film making in most of the places. He has made his path, for sure. Though, the look of the film is tough, scriptwise it fails to rise above the average level.

Musically, the film can be given a miss. None of the songs touch your consciences.

Actingwise, none of the actors deliver elite level of performances within the framework of acting. Ajay Devgan gives an okay shot, not hinting at the best we have seen in his past performances. Vidya Balan is refreshing. Pankaj Kapur is solid. He brings out power and natural flavor in his dialogues and expressions.

The other actors are badly presented, to say the least. Not convincing at all.

All in all, enjoy the performances which overcome the predictability of the storyline and call out for the Halla Bol for the first big release of 2008.

Radiosargam Movie Rating: 7/10

Quelle: http://www.radiosargam.com/films/archive...a-bol-2008.html

http://www.indiafm.com/broadband/video/F...-Halla-Bol.html

11th Jan 2008 23.35 IST
By Naresh K. D.

No matter how well intentioned Halla Bol is, the film, at the end of the day, fails to stir you up.

Rajkumar Santoshi is back with another film that raises pertinent questions and tries to prick your conscience through a story that has a Santoshi stamp all over it. At the centre of the story is a protagonist who dares to raise his voice against injustice and, in doing so, makes himself the target of powerful people (a corrupt politician and a liquor baron) whose sons are the perpetrators of the crime.

What mars ‘Halla Bol’ is Santoshi’s unsubtle and stale treatment of the subject. Even though the director raises a new issue in this film, he gives it the same garb as we have seen in his films like ‘Damini’ and ‘Ghayal’.

Among the villains we have a corrupt politician who twists the system to his convenience in full connivance with the police force. And then there are those seen-a-hundred-times sequences of the protagonist’s family being threatened, his car being run-over by a truck at night, his house being attacked by hooligans and many such obvious clichés of Santoshi’s past films.

In a nutshell, ‘Halla Bol’ offers nothing fresh, even though it deals with an entirely new and much relevant subject. You will see what I mean when you get an overview of the story.

Sameer Khan ( Ajay Devgan ) is a film star corrupted by stardom. He feels no pangs of conscience in sleeping with girls willing to be couched for a Bollywood break. A disloyal husband and a selfish actor, Sameer gets his rude awakening when he witnesses the murder of a girl at a party.

Even as the killers walk out of the party with their heads held high, Sameer, like other celebrities, prefers to turn a blind eye to the murder. But there is something good in Sameer that provokes him to do soul searching. That good comes from his past.

Superstar Sameer Khan once used to be a small town theatre artist called Ashfaque. Along with his guruji Siddhu ( Pankaj Kapur ) he used to perform street plays dealing with social issues. Ashfaque was a simple but ambitious man whose passion for acting just about surpassed his love for Sneha ( Vidya Balan ), whom he eventually marries. However, with his first big Bollywood break, Ashfaque becomes Sameer Khan. Fame changes not just his name, his character too. Stardom goes to his head. And his selfish ambition alienates him from his wife, his guru and his parents.

Sameer lives his lonely, depraved and debauched life until his conscience wakens after witnessing the murder at party. He decides not to be a mute spectator to injustice. He decides to testify as a witness and bring the culprits, however powerful they be, to justice.

What follows reminds you Santoshi’s past films. A sweet-talking corrupt politician (whose son is one of the accused) threatens Sameer with dire consequences if he does not retract from his statement. When cajoling and coercion fail, the politician has his goons terrorize Sameer’s family. Sameer is ditched by his peers in the film industry. His effigies are burnt by public. And just when it seems to be becoming one man’s fight against the whole system, enters Siddhu, Sameer’s guru and a reformed dacoit.

Gradually, Sameer’s fight becomes the fight of avam. The public’s conscience is awakened and the good emerges triumphant over the evil in the end.

More than the impact of the story, you carry home with you superb performances by Pankaj Kapur, Darshan Jariwala and Ajay Devgan. Kapur’s portrayal of Sidhu is so powerful that you cringe in your seat when he stares fixatedly at the camera. Darshan Jariwala plays the sweet-talking corrupt politician with such conviction that you love to hate his character. Ajay Devgan brings a natural seriousness to his role. It is one of those roles that suit Devgan’s natural flair. Vidya Balan is mostly reduced to the margins, but she does get a few meaty scenes.

Rajkumar Santoshi’s intentions are noble indeed. But he keeps falling back on his old style of filmmaking in which a corrupt system goes to dangerous extents to muffle a rare call for truth and justice. ‘Halla Bol’ also exposes the hypocrisy of the elite and takes indirect potshots at Bollywood stars who know little else than to dance at marriages and endorse brands.

The film required a hard-hitting end, but the writers contrived the screenplay to suit their convenience. As a result, what should have been a riveting, evocative and enlightening end turns out to be a hurried and unconvincing conclusion to the story.

Rating: **

Quelle: http://www.apunkachoice.com/scoop/bollywood/20080111-5.html

Sonia Chopra

If peeing on their Persian carpets could awaken a corrupt politician’s conscience, the world would be a different place. Yet that is exactly what our hero does, in the name of halla bol. Also spurts off strange dialogue peppered with the choicest English abuses. What’s happening here? No one knows. Least of all the filmmakers. Apart from the inspiring rabblerousing title, there’s nothing in the film that gives you food for thought.

A small-town theatre actor Ashfaque (Ajay Devgan) comes to Mumbai to make it as a hero, and does so in a flash. Thereafter the simpleton becomes the superstar Sameer Khan; a fact reiterated till it’s coming out of your ears: he wins an award, then another, endorses Bhaluchap kala dant manjan, wins another award, releases his biography, signs autographs, wins another award and it goes on and on, as you yawn and yawn. Khan is no more the small town lad; he’s a perpetual liar who backstabs upcoming competition, and enjoys his success to sleep with wannabe heroines. But deep, deep beneath he’s a nice guy, you see. So when he sees a girl being shot at in a nightclub by two young men whose advances she had resisted, he feels truly blue. But like the others, refuses to do anything about it and lies to the police about being absent from the scene of crime. Eventually, his conscience gets the better of him and he decides to follow the path of truth.

As usual, screaming reporters are all over the place in order to establish the media’s role-play as catalyst towards justice (whatever he does makes it to the front page of national newspapers, really now!). There’s also a reformed dacoit Sidhu (Pankaj Kapur), who voices his protest against the ills of society through street theatre. Khan’s guru and well-wisher, firebrand Sidhu supports him fully. What next? The bad guys are after Khan and the film trails how he overcomes them. One of the ways is mentioned right at the beginning of this piece. The struggle for justice that could have actually made the film riveting is pushed to the last hour of the film, and is wrapped up so hurriedly, you might find yourself in a daze.

The film’s subject is an important one. Obviously inspired by the unfortunate murder of model Jessica Lal by two influential people, Halla Bol tries to get the message across, that we must all speak up. But because the film cannot make you feel for the characters, you don’t care what happens to them, and forget being inspired, it’s a struggle to be involved in the story even on a superficial level. For example, take a look at the film’s characters comprising all possible stereotypes – the upright leading man, his super-supportive wife who shrieks at the media saying “my husband has balls”, the scheming politician and the wailing parents.

What also pulls the film down a few notches is the archaic filmmaking style; not acceptable in today’s era of slick flicks. It’s no longer forgivable to make a technically weak film just because it touches upon an issue; I think films like Rang De Basanti, Munnabhai MBBS and Swades changed all that. Here, the film is dubbed, a real bummer, and dubbed in the old school style. Cinematography is unimaginative, editing lax, and background score bizarre. The music (Vanraj Bhatia) is subtle, with the qawwali More Haj Piya appearing and disappearing like an oasis.

Ajay Devgan gives an earnest, heartfelt performance – truly the highlight of the film. Vidya Balan as Sameer Khan’s wife is able and Pankaj Kapur steals the thunder ever so often. Darshan Jariwala, as the politician trying to get his murderous son off the hook, gives a good performance, even if slightly over-the-top. His cronies and coterie, all caricatures, are made up of complete non-actors. The remaining cast: a smattering of superb talent from the television world does very well.

We all know Rajkumar Santoshi as the incredibly bright and talented director of films like Damini, Ghayal, Pukar, Andaz Apna Apna and Lajja; so a product like this is obviously perplexing coming from him. Whether it is his attempt to dumb down and make the story more commercial or not, we’ll never know. But we can only hope for the original Santoshi to make a comeback with his forthcoming ambitious projects.

Though the topic of Halla Bol is pertinent and should be told, it just wouldn’t be right to recommend the film on that sole basis.

Verdict: One and a half stars

Quelle: http://sify.com/movies/bollywood/review....ctid=5&cid=2425

Santoshi bane jwala
Mumbai, January 11, 2008

Cast: Ajay Devgan, Pankaj Kapur, Vi Ba (hardly there)
Direction: Rajkumar Santoshi
Rating: **

Just look at those Belgian chandeliers, Venetian gondoliers, Persian rugs, Beijing mugs, paintings from Idaali (where’s that?), and whisky from Scoutland (must look up map). A manic minister has them all. But then his opponent unzips, urinates on the rug and seethes, “This is the dhaar of Hindustan!”

Now, that’s Rajkumar Santoshi’s downright awful Halla Bol, packed with mind-benders galore. Like the unzipper’s wife who enlightens a TV crew, “My husband has balls!” Oho. Then a Wigipidea godman is informed that there’s nothing between his mouth and posterior. “You arsehole,” it’s hissed.

Evidently, Mr Santoshi has lost the plot. Or else, he has gone rabidly retro, the anti-Establishment un-zipper reminding you of dear old Jeetendra going ballistic in Jyoti Bane Jwala. Truly, it rains bombastic rhetoric, plain demagoguery, absurdities (the minister demolishes his stained Persian rug house quirkily) and pseudo-socialist quack quacks.

And there are more cliches here than new cars in the market nowadays. The minister’s opponent -- movie superstar Sameer Khan (Ajay Devgan), born Ashfaque -- is a tabloid’s dream come very true. Zip-unzip Ashfy becomes a mega-star after doing Ravi Kissen-type of movies, invites shady ladies to the vanity van, edits his co-actor’s role (poor Tusshar Kapoor’s.. wasn’t Ekta around?) and guzzles Scoutland beverages. Hic hic.

Plus, he neglects his wife (Vidya Balan), adores his child (Whining Machine), and is so ungrateful that he tells his guru to take a long walk. Tsk, so tsk. Guru (Pankaj Kapur) is a combo of Safdar Hashmi-Phoolan Devi-Shaolin-swordfighter. He’s our superstar’s conscience, popping up whenever the plot sags which is very often.

Indeed, Guruji storms through a minefield of cliches: Muslim homes with green-blue walls (barkhurdhar, where where?), truck collisions on a deserted Ballard Pier lane straight of Ghayal, and ministerial chambers which are forever receiving High Command calls from New Delhi. Obviously, Santoshi saab has just been watching too many Jwalamukhi Jeetendra and ex-inquilabi-Bachchan movies lately.

And there are the kookiest coincidences galore: a forensic lab acquaintance digs out incriminating evidence from a pyramid. Funnier still, is the leery cop who eats up a tell-tale piece of paper as if it were a masala dosa. Inference: the police is clueless about xerox copies.

About the only redeeming feature is the interaction between the superstar and the guru, harking back to the days when they protested against social injustice through street plays. The sequence showing the actor back out of a public performance requested by his mentor is sharply written and directed.

Snag: Santoshi picks up elements from real life and then he’s either shallow or hysterical about them. The allusion to the Jessica Lal murder case is underdeveloped and gratuitous. The re-opening of the case under the pressure of public opinion is handled through the stock montage of TV bytes.

More gratings are those expressionless rich sons of that minister (Darshan Jariwala, howlarious) and a liquor baron (pure oakwood) wear shirts that couldn’t have cost more than Rs 100. Chalo make that Rs 200.

Incidentally, Santoshi keeps sniping away at the intrusive ways of the media (like he did in Damini) and then backtracks to show journos crusading for the re-investigation of the murder. Spare us the contradictions, please.

Technically as dated as the script, the result has an efficient performance by Ajav Devgan as the conscience-bitten superstar. The excellent Pankaj Kapur, with all the scenes written in his favour, steals the show effortlessly. Vidya Balan is supremely wasted.

This one should have been titled Halla Bhool.

Such bard luck.

Quelle: Hindustantimes

Aprajita Anil
Posted online: Friday, January 11, 2008 at 0000 hours IST

Tight script, fine performances, efficient direction – these are the factors which a ‘perfect’ movie would be made up of.

Movie: Halla Bol

Rating: **

Cast: Ajay Devgan ( Ashfaque/Sameer Khan), Vidya Balan (Sneha), Pankaj Kapoor (Sidhu), Darshan Jariwala

Director: Raj Kumar Santoshi

Tight script, fine performances, efficient direction, moving music, classic camera work and of course a perfect pace – these are the factors which a ‘perfect’ movie would be made up of.

Yes, it is not an easy job. But getting somewhere close also amounts to perfection. Or maybe tapping on a couple of these factors too, at times proves lucky.

People have done it before. For that matter, our man – Raj Kumar Santoshi – too has done it. Remember Damini or even Ghayal!

They did have their share of loopholes and hitches. But let’s not forget the cinematic phase they was made in. And let’s not also forget that despite it all, people saw them, identified with them, aspired for such justice and of course, enjoyed them too!

This time too, after a long gap, Santoshi has returned with a no-nonsense, message-filled film. And like other times Halla Bol too, has been done up with resentment and emotion.

BUT… or better said… YET, the film lacks the punch. Lacks the ‘Santoshi’ trademark. Forget cashing upon a couple of the above mentioned factors, the director fails to get anything right.

Let’s begin with the script.

A small town boy Ashfaque, dreams of becoming a part of the glamour world. He joins a street theatre group run by a converted dacoit Sidhu, who uses the medium to bring about deliver strong messages to the society.

However, for Ashfaque, it becomes a vehicle that allows him to vent his creativity and carve out a place in for himself as a superstar. He hits the jackpot, gets rechristened onscreen as Sameer Khan, shoots high on the success graph and conveniently forgets his old values and integrity and to a great extent his wife Sneha.

Not for long though. One episode changes it all. A cold blooded murder of a girl at a nightclub shakes Sameer. And soon, the man is ready to give up all for the sake for justice. He runs from pillars to post and flips through every page of the law to get the ‘right’ way. And when nothing helps, he turns to the masses – ‘Halla Bol’.

There have been speculations that it all comes from the ‘Jessica Lall episode’. Well, whether it does or doesn’t, the things is there is nothing fresh about it. But even that’s okay. The problem is the script is too fluid-like. By the time the audience begins to absorb one side of the tale, a sudden flip changes the picture completely. The flow is broken… totally.

The accomplished storyteller seems slightly lost.

The courtroom scenes are the biggest let down. They seem more like passing phases than an integral part of the story.

The emotional outrage at times seem overboard. You just keep waiting for that one big punch that would let you carry the memories of Halla Bol. But sadly, it never comes.

Performance-wise, Pankaj Kapoor – like every other time – deserves a standing applaud. The actor is simply brilliant. And falling in the same league is Darshan Jariwala.

Ajay Devgan, unfortunately, is not at his best. Something is missing. And it’s missing big time. The glitzy side of Sameer lacks the touch of arrogance.

Vidya Balan is goes unnoticed.

Lots of other actors make appearances – from Sridevi, Boney Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor, Tusshar Kapoor, Jackie Shroff and Aarti Chhabria.

The music isn’t something that would etch in your mind.

Cinematography is not strong either. At places it falters terribly and all the zoom and zap gets straining.

Although Santoshi dares to chalk out a message-based film, he has failed to put the right things at the right place.

His urge to the masses – to raise their voices against injustice – might stir your heart when you sit on the cushiony theatre seats but would easily slip out once you’re back to work.

Sadly, Santoshi fails.

Quelle: http://www.screenindia.com/fullstory.php?content_id=18615

Posted by: Indicine Team | January 11th, 2008 |

Introduction:
If you are familiar with movies like Ghayal, Damini, Ghatak, Lajja, The Legend of Bhagat Singh and Khakee, then Rajkumar Santoshi is no stranger to you. He is known for directing films having a social undercurrent. Halla Bol starring Ajay Devgan, Vidya Balan, Pankaj Kapur and Darshan Jariwala is one such film that raises voice against rape, exploitation and illegal use of power and money. The movie is also believed to have certain uncanny resemblance to the Jessica Lal murder case. So does Halla Bol succeed in conveying its hard-hitting message? Are the voices heard? Read further to find out …

Halla Bol Review:
‘Raise your voice against all social evils and evil doers’ is the message that Rajkumar Santoshi conveys through the movie Halla Bol. The first 15 to 20 min in the movie is about the film industry, the self-obsessed star and a flashback of his good-old fameless days made me feel that Halla Bol is just another take on the film industry like the recently released Sudhir Mishra’s Khoya Khoya Chand. But the reels that followed proved me wrong. After the cruel episode at the party, the movie takes on a different track and puts you into a great deal of thinking. The second half of the movie gets into a serious tone as the hard-hitting message of the movie slowly emerges with each reel.

Rajkumar Santoshi excels with Halla Bol. The story has been deftly handled and a lot of scenes are executed with confidence that they leave a strong impact on our minds. The street play about a politician in the first half of the movie, the scene where Pankaj kapur comes across as a solid man when bullets are fired at him, Pankaj’s reaction when he is offered bribe by Abhay Bhargava near the pool side and Ajay Devgan urinating on the carpet at the minister house leaves you awestruck. The dialogues are well written. Ajay’s dialogue at the politician’s house, Vidya’s reply to the media when the media bombards her husband with questions regarding their marital life and Pankaj’s eruption towards the end when Ajay was hospitalized makes your hair stand still.

Halla Bol has its share of negatives too. A few sequences from the first half could be easily chopped off and added to the second half to make climax more effective. The climax was not ground-breaking and abrupt for a subject of this sort. Music by Sukhwinder is good. Cinematography is wonderful.

Halla Bol Performances:
Ajay Devgan, Pankaj Kapur and Darshan Jariwala are the pillars of the movie.

Ajay Devgan is excellent in his act. He is very good in his expressions and most of his scenes are laudable. Vidya Balan is equally competent in her limited role. Pankaj Kapur is mind blowing and delivers a power packed performance. Darshan Jariwala is first-rate.

Indicine Verdict:
On the whole Halla Bol holds a mirror into the society. It is an influential film. It has all chances to set the cash register ringing with strong word of mouth

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Quelle: http://www.indicine.com/movies/bollywood...l-movie-review/

Film: Halla Bol
Banner: Sunrise Pictures Pvt Ltd & Indian Films
Rating: 3.5/5
Cast: Ajay Devgan, Vidya Balan, Pankaj Kapoor, Darshan Jariwala, Sayali Bhagat, Kareena Kapoor, Tusshar Kapoor, Sridevi, Boney Kapoor, Jackie Shroff, Ruby Bhatia, Pahlaj Nihalani, Neeraj Vora, Lekh Tandon, Mukesh Tiwari, etc...
Music: Sukhwinder Singh
Choreography: Ganesh Acharya
Cinematography: Nataraja Subramaniam
Editor: Steven Bernard
Production: Abdol Samee Siddiqui, Suresh Sharma
Directior: Rajkumar Santoshi
Released By: Pyramid Saimira
Release Date: January 12, 2008

Presentation
Raj Kumar Santoshi needs no other words except fantastic. Yet again, he has succeeded in what he does best- to bring out a deeper message to the audience. His impeccable thoughts come clearly on screen and his talent is shown when he shows the real side of film industry when stars keep backbiting each other behind while acting friends on the front. He also portrays the womanizing that happens in the industry and the tricks of endorsement. Though all this is shown in a very witty manner, if someone can read between the lines, the truth is evident. The other departments such as the camera, editing, costumes and other technical departments have done an above average job which has given a lot of life to the movie. The music is acceptable and barring two songs one each from Sukhvinder and the one on Haji Ali Dargah are quite catchable. Ajay Devgan is a revolution when it comes to his performance, his portrayal from an ordinary street side artist to a superstar and the eventual internal struggle is a treat. Even his comedy timing is good. Though Vidya Balan has not much to do in the film, her presence is critical enough and she managed to do her role with ease. The real show stealer was Pankaj Kapur who took the breath out of the audience with his punching acting and the scene where the handcuffed Kapur talks to the media is truly revolutionary. Darshan Jariwala as the politician brings life to the negative character.

Conclusion
A thought provoking subject which is presented in a very natural manner and though added with a bit of humor in it, the reality comes out clearly making the audience to think. The brilliance of the director is a major credit to the film aided with some stellar performance from the cast. While the first half goes more on a lighter note added with a touch of glamour, the second half gets more intense and serious and talks about how the path of righteousness and justice prevails.

Bharatstudent verdict : Strongly recommended. Truly a conscientious 'Halla' in your thoughts after you watch it!!

Quelle: http://bharatstudent.com/cafebharat/news.php?id=16718&cat=1