'Halahal' review: Cliched plot line dotted with brilliant performance

Halahal is the latest web release which is a cop drama. The movie is much awaited and stars Barun Sobti in the lead role. It released on Eros Now on September 21. Here's a review of the movie. 

• Director: Randeep Jha
• Cast: Barun Sobti, Sachin Khedekar, Manu Rishi Chadha, Purnendu Bhattacharya, Archita Sharma, Sanya Bansal, Anuradha Mukherjee
• Producer: Zeishan Quadri
• Where to watch: Eros Now

Halahal Plot

Halahal is based on the story of a murder dressed as a suicide. A medical college student named Archana has an enemy who managed to get rid of her in the most gruesome way possible but also opened an intricate and dangerous cop-criminal game. The father of the deceased girl, Shiv refuses to believe the verdict and thinks the post mortem reports have been tampered with. Adding to his list of suspicions is Archana's college mates who behave funny and an indirect threat by the college principal. 

However, the dangerous investigation reveals how the whole system of admission in the college is corrupted. It seems to start from a tuition institute and works all the way up to the topmost level of the administrative hierarchy. The only ally that Shiv has is the rough-edged police officer named Yusuf.

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Halahal review

Image credit: Halahal_fanclub

The movie runs for one hour 37 minutes with thrilling scenes and hold-your-breath moments. However, it is not something one has not seen. Barun Sobti stars as the disgruntled police officer who decides to help the father of the deceased girl, played by Sachin Khedekar. Here's what can be expected from the movie. 

What works?

Barun Sobti can add Halahal to his list of brilliant performances. He seems to have come a long way from his Arnab Singh Raizada days and he had already proved it with performances like Asur, Tu Hai Mera Sunday and 22 Yards. His moustached police officer with a rough Haryanvi accent works wonders for the plot. Not to mention, Sachin Khedekar's performance as the grieving and frustrated father who is unable to unearth what really happened to his daughter. The two actors have successfully gotten into the skin of their characters. 

Despite the cliched plotline, there is still a something new to the story of and the credit goes to writers Gibran Noorani and Zeishan Quadri. The scenes also seem to move smoothly from one to the next. The objective narration without the usual dose of sentiment also adds to a positive Halahal review. The movie is more about dialogues than action and that works for it. 

What doesn't? 

The story is cliched, which does not work for the film making it a somewhat tedious watch. For those looking for something fresh and new, there is nothing here except the actors' performance. Many films have already tried out this 'righteous two against the big bad world' storyline before. Halahal begins well but tends to drag it out in the end. There are also a few plot-holes which one might find it hard to ignore. 

Reviewer Rating: 3.5/5

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