Raj Kumar Santoshi reflects on 16 years since the release of the Ajay Devgn film Halla Bol in this special chat with Subhash K Jha.
In Halla Bol you portrayed Ajay Devgan as a Bollywood superstar insulated from social reality. Do you think the film industry needs to be more aware of social issues?
Why only the film industry? I feel people in every walk of life have stopped reacting to atrocities. We seem to forget if we don’t stand up for others, no one will be there for us. When Gujarat and Bihar burn why are Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu silent spectators? All of India should stand up and protest in one voice against atrocities. I feel injustice doesn’t stop and the status quo remains because of a lack of unity in our country. This is the thought behind my film Halla Bol where I’ve traced the journey of a film hero from insulation to awareness. For dramatic intensity I’ve focused on an actor. My leading man could be a doctor or a lawyer.
It’s a strange title?
I’ve called the film Halla Bol because you need to raise your voice against injustice. If you don’t you are as good as dead. The only difference between a human being and an inert object is the ability to react. Being non-committal makes you a part of injustice.
Your cinema has always been socially relevant. Halla Bol was set in the film industry, is it therefore more relevant to you?
Nothing like that. I’ve used some real-life incidents and people from the industry. But my story is a work of fiction. It’s just a coincidence that my film came at a time when there have been other films like Farah Khan’s Om Shanti Om and Sudhir Mishra’s Khoya Khoya Chand set on the industry. My film is a purely contemporary film about happenings around us. Though it has a film star as a hero it’s relevant to every strata of society.
Your association with Ajay Devgan who stars in Halla Bol is now quite old.
That’s because I consider him a fine and versatile actor who can play anything. In Halla Bol I wanted him to look like a common man who struggles and becomes a star. And he fits the bill because he looks like one of the masses. After Halla Bol I wanted to make a film on the life of Emperor Ashoka with Ajay. That project never took off.
