Halla Bol - External Reviews

Thumbs up by Subhash K Jha, All Bollywood ...The scenes come alive because of the characters' ability to transcend the occasionally trite material... full review

So-So by Amodini, Amodini's Movie Reviews ...However the film does suffer from some long drawn out sequences (it could have been edited better), and some flaws in the screenplay... full review

Thumbs up B4U TV ...Halla Bol has some classic Raj Kumar Santoshi moments, which any hardcore Bollywood film viewer would enjoy... full review

Thumbs down by Jaspreet Pandohar, BBC ...A no-brainer look at the Indian public's growing outcry at controversial outcomes in murder cases involving public figures... full review

Thumbs down by Baradwaj Rangan, Blogical Conclusion, The New Sunday Express ...Santoshi goes terribly wrong in making his hero shoulder that most dreaded of actorly burdens – that of becoming a mouthpiece for the screenplay’s conceits... full review

So-So by Prathna Tiwari, Bolly Spice ...a ‘no song’ policy would have suited Halla Bol and the movie could also have done without the overdose of melodramatic scenes.... full review

Thumbs up by Rachel Fernandes, Bollywood Mantra ...The film may also seem too idealistic at times but nonetheless it is worthwhile.... full review

Thumbs down by Fatema H Kagalwala, Business of Cinema ...Evidently a bad film, Halla Bol’s problem lies in its vision... full review

Thumbs down by Abhishek Mande, Buzz18 ...Halla Bol has some classic Raj Kumar Santoshi moments, which any hardcore Bollywood film viewer would enjoy... full review

Thumbs down by Manasi Paresh Kumar, Deccan Herald ...Ajay Devgan’s performance is jaded at best while Vidya Balan had precious little to do.... full review

So-So by Shubhra Gupta, Express India ...Santoshi's penchant for picking up socially relevant themes gives Halla Bol resonance... full review

Thumbs down by Aprajita Anil, Express India ...Lacks the ‘Santoshi’ trademark... full review

Thumbs down by Martin D'souza, Glamsham.com ...It’s a pity a talented actor like Devgan is getting saddled in roles like these.... full review

Thumbs down by Khalid Mohamed, Hindustan Times ...he has gone rabidly retro, the anti-Establishment un-zipper reminding you of dear old Jeetendra going ballistic in Jyoti Bane Jwala... full review

Thumbs down by Rajeev Masand, IBN Live ...I say brave because the actor sticks his neck out and takes on a character that few leading stars would have the courage to play... full review

Thumbs up by Taran Adarsh, IndiaFM ... the film can do with some trimming in the second hour... full review

Thumbs down by Gaurav Malani, indiatimes ...A cheaper version of Sunny Deol (Pankaj Kapur) arrives on the scene from nowhere...Can this saviour, save this sinking film? Another stupid question!... full review

Thumbs up Indicine ...Ajay Devgan, Pankaj Kapur and Darshan Jariwala are the pillars of the movie.... full review

Thumbs up by Abhijit Mhamunkar, indya.com ...doubling up as a writer as well, Santoshi packs a solid punch with his effective dialogues and identifiable topical sequences... full review

Thumbs up by Rashmi Bansal, J.A.M ...Halla Bol' is cheesy for sure but phir bhi solid cheez hai. Watch it!... full review

Thumbs down by Evita Saldanha, M TV ...The shoddy production values made it look like Rajkumar Santoshi was shooting on a very tight budget. What else can explain the Maganlal Dresswala costumes and wigs?... full review

Thumbs up by Nav Sharma, merinews ...The story has been deftly handled and a lot of scenes are executed with confidence that they leave a strong impact on our minds... full review

Thumbs up Movie Talkies ...Kapur gets another opportunity to hammer home the point that he is one of the most accomplished actors that we have around... full review

So-So by Abhavya Sharan, MovieWalah ...They say "well begun is half done". True, sometimes its only "half done"!!!... full review

So-So by Anupama Chopra, NDTV ...Federico Fellini once said that "Sometimes I feel that I am, all the time, making the same film". Raj Kumar Santoshi must share that sentiment... full review

Thumbs down by Jahan Bakshi, Now Running.com ...it's the surprisingly tacky execution that hits you harder than the material itself... full review

Thumbs up by Hanumant Bhansali, Radio Sargam ...Though, the look of the film is tough, scriptwise it fails to rise above the average level.... full review

Thumbs up by Raja Sen, Rediff ...The rise of the nation happens in one quick montage, almost dismissively... full review

Thumbs down by Sonia Chopra, Sify Movies ...What also pulls the film down a few notches is the archaic filmmaking style... full review

So-So by Pankaj Shukla, SmasHits.com ...The problem with Santoshi's film is that it starts the Inqlaab way and ends up the Yuva way... full review

So-So by Nikhat Kazmi, Times of India ... Halla Bol is a rambling film that tries to take on too many things... full review

Thumbs down by Saakshi Juneja, To Each Its Own ...we were presented with an immature script, cliched dialogues (at times even ridiculous) and above all an in-competent direction.... full review