Rajkumar Santoshi’s Halla Bol could have been a blast but instead its just a missed opportunity and an ode to mediocrity.Halla Bol certainly has lofty ambitions and a fairly taut premise to boast of but its vision is stymied by some amateurish writing and effete technical work.Dont know about the others but it inspires me to Halla Bol in a bunch of mails..
Dear Director Santoshiji, You have an interesting idea.You want to awaken a generation and you have openly been critical of Rang de Basanti’s idiosyncrasy in trying to do the same but sirjee where Rang de Basanti was succesful you are not.Rang de Basanti appealed because it had a chutzpah and newness which looked so very real, but Halla Bol lacks the sine qua non , authenticity and emotional heft of a character driven drama.Your characters even though representing all stereotypes in Ashfaque aka Sameer a Muslim, Sneha a Hindu and Siddhu a Sikh, lack the depth in them to make for an intriguing watch.
The way you have conceived the relations between say Ajay and Vidya leaves a lot to be desired.Vidya’s character feels very very incomplete.And you certainly do not seem to be intent on making her role expansive enough to show how Ajay’s trials and tribulations affect her and how she serves as a pillar of strength for our hero but at the same time you want us to buy she is headstrong woman by screaming (and she does that very well) "My husband has balls" at the media.Ergo, most characters in your film end up looking like mere plot devices instead of people who have lived a complete life.Also, sir next time you make a film do not masquerade percussion as background score because it makes the viewer’s ears bleed and aim low.Thanks.
Dear Ajay Devgan, we know you cant slash your wrists in arty flicks like Raincoat and Omkara all the time and you need to sleepwalk through such big budget films in order to get food for your directorial debut with wifey Kajol.But, you could have done more than just carrying a Tbrooding look to show your existential anguish.It would have helped had your body language backed up your powerful dialogue delivery and it would have helped had the film been titled blank bol considering the gamut of emotions that flash across your eyes when you deliver such dialogues.But as long as you do the Khan thingy you are fine.Hoping for better work in your next film.Thanks.
Dear Vidya Balan, It’s great that you’re seeking variety so early in your career, that you’re portraying the mother of a little boy here. But you know what?You are certainly not doing yourself any favours with your choice of roles, and it seems to me that you are recycling the same set of expressions I saw two movies ago from you.Is it just ineptitude to reprise roles differently?Or is it just a mere coincidence?
Dear Pankaj Kapoorji, You are great sirjee.We know a viewer would cringe when a guy beats up a hoodlum ensemble all by himself, but a sword in the hands of the finest actor in the country makes for great viewing.The way you handle silent moments and the way you appear convincing even when you have to mouth inane dialogues leaves us awestruck.Take a bow sir.
Dear reader, if you actually want to sit through this one then you will get to see a wildly gesticualting and cacophonic Darshan Jariwala, a hamming Kareena Kapoor(even though she has no dialogues) and a host of other non-actors who have an important part to play in the film.I know I make the film sound worse than it is but for an issue as pertinent as it raises the execution is to put it midly mediocre.There are a few scenes that will make your money worth though, but in the final analysis I think Santoshi has lost the plot.