RE: Halla Bol - 2008 (11. Januar) - 6

Hard-hitting movie probes dark side of Bollywood stardom
Published:Jan 19, 2008

Halla Bol (7/10): Raj Kumar Santoshi’s liking for subjects that pit the individual against the establishment focuses on Bollywood in this movie, and although it contains much to admire — especially its strong social statement — it isn’t without snags.

In true Santoshi tradition, he extracts powerful performances from his main protagonists, Ajay Devgan and Pankaj Kapur, but the other roles aren’t as well defin- ed, leaving some top acting talent wanting.

Vidya Balan demonstrates in two memorable scenes how much more she had to offer, while Darshan Jhariwalla’s corrupt politician is reduced to a cari- cature.

And while Santoshi superbly handles the themes of being true to your conscience and having the courage of your convictions, there are times when the storytelling goes in circles, making what is a rela- tively short film seem long.

Still, its overall merit is not in question, and it sits well alongside other hard-hitting Santoshi films like Ghayal, Ghatak and Damini.

Although he doesn’t set out to expose the industry, Santos- hi encourages self-awareness by targeting some of the des- picable behaviour associated with stardom.

He also questions whether the stars realise how much in- fluence they wield and how easily they can affect change. The suggestion is that if stars can convince millions of people to buy certain products, they also have the power to make those people react to make society a better place.

Sameer Khan (Devgan) is a small-town actor who has ra- pidly climbed Bollywood’s ladder. We meet him at the height of a flourishing career: the hits are coming thick and fast, the awards are flowing and he has the luxury of being able to cherry-pick his roles.

With stardom comes wealth. Advertisers have so much confidence in him that he is asked to endorse everything from jewellery to underwear.

His social life is a whirl of partying, wannabe starlets sleep with him to further their careers and producers vie for his services. The more power- ful he becomes, the more he is allowed to toy with them.

Khan becomes steeped in the industry’s superficial culture and is able to manipulate situations for his own gain. Very quickly, he develops into an egomaniac who enjoys playing games and toying with others’ lives.

In a world of illusion, he has learnt that acting need not be limited to the silver screen. Mastering the art will get you everywhere.

Then something drastic happens that forces him to question his phony existence. A despicable crime is committed in his presence, and although he feigns ignorance when he is questioned about it, his conscience won’t allow him to forget that he once stood for honesty and integrity.

This forces him to come forward with information that can help identify the perpetrators but can immeasurably harm his career.

Materially, Khan has everything he desires, but his life has sunk into an abyss from which he may never escape unless he can return to his roots.

He finds the answers to his problems in a play that he performed as a struggling street artist during his youth under the guidance of his guru, an ex-con named Siddhu (Pankaj Kapur). With his guidance, Khan takes up the cudgels against injustice.

Although drawn out, the narra- tive makes for a thought-provo- king film. The switch from dealing with professional decadence to acquiring a personal conscience is brilliantly pieced together, and the sparring between Khan and his de- tractors is unpredictable.

Devgan is tailor made for the role. He has the persona, arrogance and fighting attitude required to pull it off. Even more im- pressive is Kapur (Shahid’s father), who brings a sturdy presence to the proceedings by offer- ing the support that enables Dev- gan’s character to remain resi- lient.

Balan has a couple of cracking scenes that show what a fine act- ress she is, the best being one in which she hijacks a TV interview from her husband. How I wish she had a bigger role.

To Indians, the phrase “Halla Bol” is the equivalent of “Amandla” to South Africans. It started as an impassioned war cry used by revolutionaries to stir the masses and strike fear into the British Raj, in much the same way as Amandla was used to batter down apartheid.

Its literal translation is “raise your voice”, but that doesn’t begin to describe the passion, anger and vigour that it instilled. Those qualities are evident in this film, which should appeal to fans of Santoshi’s uncompromising style.

Quelle: http://www.thetimes.co.za/Entertainment/....aspx?id=685098

When Sameer Khan (Devgan) refuses to testify in a murder he has witnessed, his conscience begins to prick him. He tries hard to assuage his guilt by paying off the victim’s sister but realises that he has to come clean and expose the sons of two powerful men.
Sameer who hails from a small town makes it big in Bollywood but at the cost of his integrity and honesty. So much so he even justifies his philandering ways to his wife Sneha (Vidya Balan) and the lack of social commitment to his teacher Sidhu (Pankaj Kapur).

But finally when he has to make a choice between the hollow showbiz life he has built for himself and the values he once abided by, he chooses the former.

Little does he realise however that his decision will cost him not just his reputation but also endanger his life and that of his near and dear ones.

Sure enough what follows is an ugly witch-hunt spearheaded by the politician (Darshan Jariwala) and liquor baron whose sons are responsible for the murder.

Sooner than later however, the estranged Sameer finds that he isn’t alone as his wife and guru rally beside him. But the war is far from over.

Halla Bol has some classic Raj Kumar Santoshi moments, which any hardcore Bollywood film viewer would enjoy. For instance there is a scene where Ajay goes to Darshan’s house and is infuriated by the blatant show of wealth. He is told about the rug from Persia, Ming vase from China, sofa set from Germany. In response he relives himself on the rug and says, “This one’s pure Indian. And you don’t need paisa, power or public for this. You need balls.”

Ajay Devgan, Vidya Balan, Pankaj Kapur do justice to their roles and are quite believable.

Quelle: http://www.b4utv.com/showtime/reviews/20...2hallabol.shtml