As Bollywood refuses to churn out just potboilers, the cinema content is certainly improving. Rajkumar Santoshi’s ’Halla Bol’ carries on the mood and feel of ’cinema activism’, which of late began with ’Rang De Basanti’ and has in some ways continued till ’Taare Zameen Par’ recently. ’Halla Bol’ not just entertains you but also makes you think. It asks for a social uprising against ’the wrong’ that we see around us. The film is about reel verses real heroism. Sameer Khan (Ajay Devgan) is a superstar. He has everything at his feet and his popularity is at its peak. But one day, at a high profile Page 3 party, a girl is killed in front of him by two people, the two killers one being the son of a politician and the other of a liquor baron. But none, including him, present at the party, come forward to help the police nab the culprits. And this insensitivity towards fellow human beings is what Santoshi questions through this film as he shows Sameer go through a change of heart.
The story is well told. Right from the start till the end, it manages to keep you glued to the screen, basically for two reasons. First: The film’s story is, in some ways though bleak, is fresh and parallels can easily be drawn to a few films including Raj Kapoor’s Shri 420. Second: Santoshi has weaved many real life incidents in the film which the audience could relate to, may it be the inspiration from Jessica Lall murder case or the protests against Aamir Khan after he spoke in favour of Narmada Bachao Andolan. Many of them are enjoyed while some force us to think. In the film, Santoshi ridicules filmstars who sell off their conscience for big-price endorsement ranging from toothpaste to undergarments to hail oil etc. He also takes pot shots at a superstar who doesn’t mind dancing at high-profile wedding for the sake of money.
Moreover, Santoshi exposes the film industry’s star ’dirt’ rather well and honestly than any other film recently. The film has some quite powerful dialogues and scenes - a trademark of Santoshi films - where one claps and whistles, and wishes there were more of them. Known for his sensible and hard hitting films like ’Ghayal’, ’Damini’, ’Lajja’, ’Pukar’, ’The Legend of Bhagat Singh’ etc., Santoshi’s latest offering is a cinema with a difference. It urges people to be compassionate human beings than just materialistic and insensitive creatures. The film, besides an interesting story, has a tight script and fast-paced narration. Moreover, you have some really good performances by Pankaj Kapur, Ajay Devgan, Darrshan Jariwalla and Vidya Balan. Halla Bol is definitely worth a ’good’ watch. Watch it for some real good performances.