Family (2006), an action crime flick, was his next release. Raja Sen called it "utter tripe". It bombed at the box office. Santoshi's next directorial venture was Halla Bol (2008), a social film starring Ajay Devgan, Vidya Balan and Pankaj Kapur. The film was based on the life of Activist Safdar Hashmi, who was killed by political rivals while performing in a street play (by the name of Halla Bol) in 1989. It was shot in 75 days in over 65 locations. Halla Bol was panned by critics, with Khalid Mohamed calling it "downright awful" [..] "packed with mind-benders galore." During this period, his films were poorly received.