DVD Review: Halla Bol 
By Joginder Tuteja, February 18, 2008 - 15:26 IST
THE FILM
There was a time when Rajkumar Santoshi films were supposed to be special. But somehow the audience's perception for his films changed over the period of time even though he came up with an excellent Khakee in the interim. Perhaps the aftermath of Family - Ties Of Blood was so extreme that audiences forgot all the good work the filmmaker had done in the past. Santoshi too went on to make announcements by dozens without anything actually going on floors due to which Halla Bol wasn't taken seriously either.
Halla Bol does boast of number of powerful scenes though which were simply designed for single screen audience, especially at B and C centers. There are quite a few notable clap worthy scenes that had the potential to send audiences in frenzy, especially the ones featuring Pankaj Kapoor. The actor is quite good in a brilliant characterization that makes one stick to the screen every time he appears.
However, if one talks about pure commercial viability of the film, there is no shred of doubt that Sunny Deol in place of Pankaj Kapoor would have certainly made Halla Bol a rip roaring success. Watch out for the scenes where Pankaj Kapoor roars in front of media or ridicules Ajay Devgan for his lack of conscience or takes on multiple baddies with a sword in hand - just tailor-made for Deol. But the cake is taken by the sequence at pool side where instead of being scared by a scheming bureaucrat, he treats him like a baby, cajoles him and leaves feeling highly amused. The best of the lot!
Ajay Devgan is good, especially in the part where he is required to demonstrate histrionics. As a common man trying to get his stardom working to his favor in his endeavor to revolutionize the system, he is controlled. Still, one feels that his character could have boasted of more consistent punch. However, he is quite awkward as a struggler in the flash back sequences and reminds one of many of his gawky performances from his earlier years in the industry.
PACKAGING
The film comes in a standard local plastic case with an ordinary cover layout. Since the DVD comes on Moser Baer, don't expect any fancy packaging.
DURATION
The film comes in a single DVD pack with the film's duration being 140 minutes.
SPECIAL FEATURES
The DVD doesn't come with any special features.
TECHNICAL DETAILS
- 16:9 Anamorphic Widescreen format
- Subtitles In English
- Dolby Digital 5.1 and Stereo
CONCLUSION
Lack of seriousness around the actual content of the film was precisely the reason why Halla Bol was given a cold shoulder when released at theaters early this year. Somehow no one was willing to believe that Santoshi may have come up with his trademark stamp at numerous junctures in the narrative. The film lost out as it didn't even get a chance to prove its worth. Result is that it is one of the quickest DVDs of an A class project to hit the stands within a month's time. However, this has only worked for cine buffs as they can give the film a deserving dekko at a throwaway price.
Rating: ***
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