“This Indian film noir bears superficial comparison to Dirty Harry with its theme of corruption in the rank and file of law and order; however Ardh Satya examines the underpinnings and structure that support such corruption. Idealistic police officer Anant Welankar (Om Puri) is delighted when his arch-enemy, Shetty (Sadashiv Amrapurkar) is named by a dying murder victim. But Welankar's humiliation comes quickly and abjectly when Shetty breezily eludes justice with a single, well-placed call to a senior police officer. Honest Welankar's fortunes plummet as he turns to drink and violence, alienating his girlfriend, Jyotsna (Smita Patil), in the process. Shetty, meanwhile, prospers and gains political clout. Fate leads Welankar to seek Shetty's favor, but his principles will sink no further and he takes fate and justice into his own hands. Ardh Satya ends on a dark, yet triumphant note. Director-cinematographer Govind Nihalani (Aakrosh/Cry of the Wounded, PFA 10/81; Satyajit Ray, see November 10) dares to suggest that the roots of corruption lie in the social structure: in the socio-cultural backgrounds of the police themselves, and the sexual ambivalence of Indian men towards women. Winner of the 1983 award for Best Hindi feature, this angry, powerful film broke down barriers, not only in its treatment of volatile material but in being the first serious social drama of the New Indian Cinema to become a spectacular box-office success.” Sally Syberg