ZEE5 Original film ‘200 Halla Ho’ explores the tale of mob vengeance when the law fails to protect the vulnerable, forcing people to serve a cold-blooded justice.
The movie is based on a real-life, infamous incident of 2004 – the Akku Yadav case that brought the dire condition of the caste situation to light.
Directed by Sarthak Dasgupta, the movie opens up with the cold-blooded murder of Balli Chaudhary (Sahil Khattar) in the courtroom when he was bought in for trial. As per onlookers, 200 women stormed in and stabbed the victim mercilessly.
A high-profile case opens up, and the police make a hasty arrest of five women to make it an open-shut case.
Meanwhile, a Fact Verification Committee is set up, headed by a retired celebrated Dalit Judge, Vithhal Daangle (Amol Palekar), to uncover the truth. But, the people in the chawl refuse to cooperate.
On the other hand, Asha (Rinku Rajguru), based on real-life Usha Narayane, tries to bring justice to her people and attempts to release the five women from custody.
Will she be successful? Why was Balli Chaudhary killed? Will justice be served?
200 Halla Ho ending explained in detail:
Cold-blooded execution
The premise of the revenge plot opens up with 200 women, their faces covered, running out of the courtroom one morning.
It was later discovered that they had served a public execution to an accused-on-trial, Balli Yadav. He has been brutally stabbed over 70 times. His ears, fingers, and genital were cut off from his body, his bones broken.
The entire courtroom is drowned in red chilli powder – the aftermath of the murder. The police inspector-in-charge also suffers an injury in the hands of the women.
With the election right around the corner and the murder occurring under police eyes, the case is fast-tracked. The inspector-in-charge reaches the chawl of Rahinagar, the centre of the case.
He makes a hasty arrest of five women and takes them in custody to unravel the name of the mastermind of the whole affair. The five women were then subjected to inhumane torture, but they remain mute.
Meanwhile, the Fact Verification Committee reaches the chawl for in-ground reporting of the case to uncover the truth behind the executive.
Initially, they received resistance from the people of Rahinagar as they refuse to speak to them about the case.
The five women remain under arrest for the murder of Balli Chaudhary.
Revenge unfolds
As the courtroom drama intensifies and the women are sentenced to life imprisonment following the statement of eye-witnesses, the women in the chawl decide to open up about the truth.
Therein follows the brutal tale of inhumane torture on the women of Rahinagar, inflicted by Balli and his goons.
The women narrate how years ago, a young woman, the daughter of one of the accused, registered a police complaint against Balli for his actions.
In response, Balli chased the woman to the chawl and raped her in front of everyone and stabbed her to death. The Dalit dominated Rahinagar was shaken by the incident.
Since then, Balli’s torture intensified. For over ten years, he continued raping and torturing the women of Rahinagar. The ordeal continued where if he set his eyes on a girl of any family, one female member had to approach him in exchange or send the girl over.
The person would then be gang-raped, and no one said anything in fear of repercussions. Asha, who had recently returned home, was shocked at the happenings.
She registered a police complaint and was then chased by Balli and his goons. She, being different from the rest of the chawl, decided to fight.
When Balli came to teach her a lesson, she attacked him, which empowered the people of the chawl to take action, and they beat the perpetrators out. Later, 40 FIRs were registered against Balli, and he was arrested.
However, as was later revealed, his arrest was made to protect him from the wrath of the awakened and angry residents of Rahinagar.
Courtroom drama
In the first part of the courtroom drama, all the proofs were against the five women.
Owing to the statement by the inspector-in-charge and another criminal-on-trial who stated that they saw the faces of the five women, they were sentenced to life imprisonment.
However, Asha wouldn’t give up. With the help of her budding love, the lawyer in charge of the case, Umesh (Barun Sobti), they appeal to the High Court with new proof.
In a new twist, to stop the progress of the case, Umesh is killed, and his death is ruled as suicide. The newly acquired proof is taken away by influential people.
Daangle, who had remained unbiased throughout the case, decides to fight for them after listening to their plight. He takes up the case as their lawyer.
In the courtroom, he unravels the false statements given during earlier proceedings that resulted in the life imprisonment of the four women. He uncovers Balli’s torture on the Dalit women of Rahinagar.
However, the central point of the case – the killers of Balli – remains the main issue. When the opposition lawyer is pressurised on the topic at hand, one of the accused – the old woman whose daughter was Balli’s first victim – accepts her involvement.
It is then that 200 women and men in the courtroom stand up and take responsibility for Balli’s death.
The case is ruled inconclusive due to lack of evidence, and everyone, including the five women, are acquitted. Balli probably received what he deserved, even though it wasn’t at the hands of the law.
The people of Rahinagar bear the hope of a fearless future.
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