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Masand's Verdict: Hulla is a 'Mumbai film' 
Published on Sat, Sep 20, 2008 at 01:55, Updated on Sat, Sep 20, 2008 at 09:40 in Entertainment section
Tags: Masand's Verdict, Hulla
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Hulla, written and directed by Jaideep Varma is a 'Mumbai film' in every sense of the word. It takes a theme that's intrinsic and specific to Mumbai and constructs an interesting plot around it.
The film's also shot across Mumbai, and in a realistic, on-location style that captures the sights and sounds of the city in its everyday routine.
Sushant Singh plays Raj Puri, a middle-class share broker who's having problems settling into the new building he's recently moved into with his wife. Raj isn't getting much sleep these days because of the night-watchman's whistling vigil. When he takes this up with the building secretary Janardhan (played by Rajat Kapoor), his complaint falls on deaf ears. Janardhan, you see, takes his responsibility very seriously, the only thing that gives him meaning in his life is his role as building secretary. So when Raj approaches him with his complaint, Janardhan asserts his position and clashes with him.
Unfortunately, Raj's problems don't end here - he's got his hands full contending with a bunch of eccentric neighbors - like the Catholic couple below who insists on blaring their speakers so loud that the furniture in Raj's house starts shaking; or the Shenoys next door who move in their furniture in the middle of the night making enough noise to wake up the dead; or the seniors in the building who force him to play hockey on the terrace after a hard day's work.
Getting his own privacy, and a little peace and quiet seems to be all that Raj craves, but it's hard to come by here, he discovers.
Hulla isn't difficult to relate to; after all, the protagonist and his problems are real and we've all been through them at some point or the other. But alas the film's premise is too weak to hold through the entire duration of the film - even if the film is only an hour and fifty minutes in running time. Problem with Hulla is, once the characters are introduced and the conflict is established, the film has pretty much nothing else to do or say. The screenplay either drags its feet making the same point again and again, or digresses in directions too exaggerated. The two subplots -- the one about Raj and the unethical loan he takes from a client; and the one with Janardhan and his botched business deal are both unnecessary distractions. The film's strength is its mostly understated humour that is derived from situations that are easily identifiable; and also its oddball characters - like the over-aggressive Punjabi senior who threatens to tear his shirt open and get into a fight at the drop of a hat; even the seemingly normal Mrs Shenoy who goes hysterical each time her little daughter breaks something.
Yet Hulla doesn't quite work in the end because it overstays its welcome. After an inspired first half, the film fails to pick up steam post intermission. The ensemble cast performs competently, but it's Rajat Kapoor who stands out with a razor-sharp performance as the over-zealous building secretary. The film has some smart scenes that will no doubt bring a smile to your face - like the one in which all building residents gather for a society meeting; or even some of the moments between Raj and the whistling watchman.
It's an average film, perhaps a smart choice on a day you have nothing better to do. I'll go with two out of five for director Jaideep Varma's Hulla, an interesting idea that makes for a half-decent film at best.
Rating: 2 / 5 (Average)
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