Review: ‘Halahal’ a Gripping Mystery/Thriller on Eye-Opening Reality


There are lots of stories around us, and often we just have to find them. We often see a film based on a story that has come from within us; sometimes it’s inspiring, and sometimes tragic. The world of cinema has shown both sides of this story to the viewers in the foremost way. One such movie recently released is “Halahal,” which is inspired by an actual tragic event.

“Halahal” opens to a girl name Archana chasing a guy name Ashish; as she is running after him, we see goons who also seem to search for them. While running after Ashish, a speeding truck passes over Archana, and a goon burns her body and vanishes. Later we meet Dr. Shiv (Sachin Khedekar), arriving at his clinic and fighting with a constructor. Soon after a phone call, he rushes to the Ghaziabad police station. He fears that his daughter Archana, a medical student, has committed suicide. He notices that the police have not been fair on investigation and have declared it suicide already.

As a man with morals and emotions as a father, Dr. Shiv decides to seek the truth. He comes to know that the police and his daughter’s medical college are trying to cover up something by portraying this act as suicide. He takes the help of a corrupt money-minded policeman Yusuf (Barun Sobti) to uncover the truth. In a journey of finding the truth, they unveil dark secrets that bring danger to their own lives.

“Halahal,” which seems like the story of a griping father searching for the truth, is inspired by the tragic 2013 real-life Vyapam scam: a medical entrance examination, admission, and recruitment racket in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. “Halahal” credits the newspaper clippings in the movie.

The film has been written by Zeshan Quadri, who has picked up real events in the past and delivered amazing stories out of them. With this film, Quadri and writer Gibran Noorani have done something similar. The writing is fresh and realistic, just like the characters, which engages viewers until the end. The screenplay is gripping, complete with twists and turns, and asks the right questions and does not shy away from the corrupted system’s reality. The dialogues presented are witty and authentic.

Director Randeep Jha shows commitment with this debut film. He leads an excellent skill, along with realistic scenes that brings situational humor. His fluid portrayal steadily moves from one scene to the next with ease, which shows his command over the film. A few of the film’s loopholes and plot missteps during a few points get covered up with brilliant casting, powerful performances, and an unsentimental approach and firm, virtuous objective.

What makes “Halahal” interesting is that it moves well between when to be hard or soft to crack. It keeps all facts, no matter how dark, and makes us question our perspective about the society we breathe in. Sudden death often demands an investigation, but what intentions come after are often unknown.

One of the film’s biggest strengths is the acting of the star cast. As the lead, Barun Sobti, who plays a corrupt, policeman, is wonderful. Barun’s Yusuf is perfect when he gets into the character—from the posture, to his dialect, to witty dialogue delivery. He gives one of his most earnest performances with this, where he balances between morality and actuality. His chemistry with Sachin Khedekar, playing Dr. Shiv, is pitch-perfect, which works brilliantly for the story. Khedekar is a brilliant actor, as evidenced here in Dr. Shiv’s role—a father in search of the truth. He brings the emotions perfectly, which forms the movie’s emotional core; and there are plenty of moments where they both make even weak scenes look great to watch.

“Halahal” is a fantastic gripping thriller with twists and turns; it’s more than a thriller that carries an eye-opening, strong message to the world’s dark reality. The film has been written and directed well, backed by the incredible acting of the cast. A movie can serve itself as a thriller and a lesson in an extraordinary way with a touch of lifelike humor. “Halahal” is a must-watch for thriller lovers and all others due to the message it carries.

“Halahal” is available to watch on ‘Eros Now,’ Bollywood’s biggest movie collection (must subscribe to monthly plan, $4.99 USD per month or $49.99 per year).