Mjeteconer Just perfect...

ChanBot i must have seen a different film!!

GazerRise Fantastic!

Curt Watching it is like watching the spectacle of a class clown at their best: you laugh at their jokes, instigate their defiance, and "ooooh" when they get in trouble.

Sherazade 'Halla Bol' Directed by Rajkumar Santoshi (China Gate, Lajja, Pukar, The Legend of Bhagat Singh, and Khakee) is a film about recognizing what is wrong in society and standing up for what is right. Anybody who has a problem with the director's decision to cast his male lead as a sexy superstar should first refer to present day Bollywood and ask why all of India has selected and endured an average looker as their bad-shah for nearly two decades now. Okay, with that kind of an introduction, I am pleased to tell you that the movie stars Ajay Devgan as a larger than life Bollywood superstar with a rags to riches story (Shah Rukh Khan any one?) Aptly named, Sameer Khan (Devgan) has it all, the fame, the fortune, the goods & the glory. But he is also a ruthless businessman without honor, who would choose his career over his wife in a heartbeat. When the film begins we met our protagonist as he arrives at the premiere for his latest film. We are immediately introduced to the notorious two-faced world of behind-the-scenes Bollywood. What with back-stabbers at every corner and gold diggers on every street, it's the true definition of a dog-eat-dog world. However, Khan navigates through all of these would-be obstacles with such finesse and ease that it's practically second nature to him. That is until he witnesses a murder one night while out reveling with his friends and fans at a nightclub. The initial shock of witnessing such a gruesome crime coupled with the fact that he had been acquainted with the deceased young woman earlier, may be the reason why Khan then decides to keep quiet about what he had seen. When a police investigation is launched, with big star Khan implicated in the case, it instantly catches the media's attention and becomes front page news. A chanced encounter with the younger sister of the deceased forces Sameer to battle the demons within himself in order to "Halla Bol" (translated to mean "Speak Up" or "Raise Your Voice") & a media circus erupts when he steps forward to recant his testimony of not seeing anything that fateful night when indeed he had accidentally witnessed the murder.As he ponders the implications of the new turn of events, Khan flashes back to his life before he was a superstar (with half of the movie already done, I'm sure most people –like me- were probably wondering where does Vidya Balan -- his big name co-star-- fit in to all of this?) and it is at this point where we first see Ms. Balan. She initially appears as Khan's love interest then later as his wife as the film progresses. Ms. Balan has given applause worthy performances since her debut in 'Parineeta' but she seems to have faltered with this film. No, I am not talking about the fact that this is her first (second billing) flop, I am strictly commenting on her lack luster performance in this film (she did better in her multi-starer flop 'Salaam-e-Ishq'. Maybe the fact that she was up against the stellar acting prowess of Ajay Devgan (a legendarily talented actor in his own right) had something to do with it; I don't have all the answers. All I know is that I did not like Balan in this film at all. Something just was not right.All of the characters that we are introduced to in Sameer's flashback, now come to life to help defend his character against the forces that have turned against him(don't worry, the reason why they were initially absent from his life to begin with is explained during the flashback). The two men that Khan witnessed murdering the young party-goer turn out to be sons of prominent members of society, including a crooked politician with ties to the underworld and top-notch business mogul. This spells out trouble for superstar Khan who must now not only defend his honor but also his life as well as the lives of everyone he holds dear all in the quest for justice.Look for blink-n-miss-it cameos by Kareena Kapoor (in a weird non- speaking role…even though u can clearly see her speaking dialogue for some strange reason her audio was muted while in conversation with other people whom we could hear…I guess they did not want to pay her LOL!), Jackie Schroff, Sridevi, Tusshar Kapoor (his was the longest cameo, he could even be considered a character in the film.) Just to mention a few. Devgan's playing a Bollywood superstar after all; he has to have star friends. Oh! And just in case you missed the fact that Santoshi directed The Legend of Bhagat Singh & Khakee (also starring Devgan in pivotal roles), he never misses an opportunity flaunt this as part of his character's Bollywood achievements. Touché!The movies excels in its plight to establish and send a positive message (Santoshi is a pro when it come to that) but fails in its attempt to be modern and stylish. All in all, the film had its moments. Great performance by Devgan (he is such a seasoned actor that even when he plays the younger version of himself in flashback it is so believable), Darshan Jariwala also co-stars. A-

jaspreet-kaur The story has been treated very well, the issue has been brought up very nicely and the way a person standing against norm has to suffer has been very well portrayed. At the same time options for a person to fight against such evils are also presented. The story also presents that we Indians are so engrossed in our daily lives and also doesn't want to be a part of any controversy even when it concerns other people life. The characters are realistic ans presented extremely. A lot of study has been done in understanding the whole case and then the characters have been developed bringing the miserable plight of all the people who were involved in the case. The director and all the actors has done a gr8 job and played their parts really well. Congrats to the whole team!!!

True_sherwindsa A complete waste of timeHalla Bol is a complete waste of time. The script and dialogues are poorly written, the direction is lacklustre and the acting borders on hammy.This movie was clearly aiming for the Rang De Basanti crowd but it falls far short of the mark because it does not have even one of the elements that made RDB connect with its audience_great script, terrific acting, good direction and a powerful social message that was never preached but shown.Compared to that near-masterpiece, Halla Bol takes a step backwards by resorting to scenes such as the hero taking a leak on the villain's Persian rug and the hero's mentor staring down bullets in a truck no less! All of this might have been acceptable in the 80s when there was a downturn in movie quality and bad movies like DivyaShakti and Phool Aur Kaante became big hits, but movie-making has become_should have become_more subtle and thoughtful of late.Rajkumar Santoshi is a capable director and I appreciate that he wants to give a social message in every movie he makes but maybe he simply does not know how to do it! He resorts to sermonizing without a care as to the audience's intelligence in understanding what he is trying to say. Maybe he should just concentrate on entertainment and leave the social messages to the Rakeysh Mehras and Aamir Khans.Even if you don't agree with everything I say, you will agree that throughout the screening you will be thinking that Rang De Basanti was much much better and Mr.Santoshi should have left the industry-bashing to Om Shanti Om. Industry-bashing? That's right!!Santoshi has depicted the industry as a place of back-biting, bitching and the casting couch which the hero happily indulges in with a starlet curiously named Sania. There are some people who will think that these portions show the real face of the industry. Don't believe everything you see!All in all, raise your voice against movies like this and don't spend your hard-earned money on this bomb.* out of ****.

danzs Raj Kumar Santoshi as director is at his element while handling a script that demands its pound of action and strong dialogues. With Halla Bol he gets those occasional moments and on their basis the movie is worth a watch. Movie star Ajay Devgan (Sameer Khan) knows the ropes of how the industry works and does his bit as a member of the film fraternity who bitches behind the back of colleagues, acts in umpteen commercials or turns sycophant, dramatic, romantic as the situation in reel or real life may demand. But when he becomes an eye witness to murder at a party (Jessica Lal episode revisited) his conscience is at a crossword.With the aid of his theatre guru Pankaj Kapur (Sidhu) he declares Halla Bol on the nexus of politicians and important businessman who believe they can protect their guilty sons since they control the reins of 'Power' 'Paisa' and 'Public' in the country.The plot dips and loses audience interest at times since its a script that has been done in different variants before but then you can trust the director to deliver a few moments that draw a clap from the audience.The dialogues between Ajay Devgan and the Politician along with those few minutes when Pankaj Kapur reacts to a bribe are strong points and raise the movie above the ordinary.Ajay Devgan puts in a spirited performance but the movie belongs to Pankaj Kapur who lights up the screen every time (reminiscent of Sunny Deol doing his bit with Damini).For his portrayal as Sidhu - a reformed dacoit - and a bit of Ajay Devgan each time he hits out at the political big wig makes Halla Bol a movie to watch and get, shall we say… a bit inspired.