Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani

Plot synopsis:
Ajay Bakshi (Shahrukh Khan) is a successful loudmouthed reporter, working for a reputed news channel. His father was a freedom fighter living on a measly pension. Ajay thinks that his fathers ideal & sacrifices have given him nothing. He has no respect for his father's ideals, which his father still sticks to. The rival news channel ropes in Ria Banerjee (Juhi Chawla) as his answer. Ria is the antithesis of Ajay & uses her charm to get her work done.
Pappu Junior alias Choti (Johnny Lever) is a don who is soon to be ousted from his own gang, owing to his inability to make it big in the crime world. Ajay approaches Choti with an offer: arrange a fake attack on a minister Ramakant's (Shakti Kapoor) brother-in-law(Mahavir Shah) on national TV. Choti will earn respect & Ajay's channel will gain TRP. Little does Ajay know that the plan is going to turn too real.
The minister's brother-in-law is gunned down by an assailant named Mohan Joshi (Paresh Rawal). When Ajay learns that he was not Choti's man, he panics. Ria learns about Ajay & Choti's deal, but they decide to help each other nevertheless. Minister Ramakant, takes advantage for his brother's death to gain votes and sympathy he organises a pogrom. In the turn of events, Mohan is arrested, but does not open his mouth even once during police torture. To avoid any public unrest, the ACP (Anjan Srivastav) declares that Mohan is a terrorist working for unknown terror organisations. Meanwhile, Mohan somehow escapes out of jail.
Ajay & Ria are fighting over the matter in their car, unaware that Mohan is hiding in the same car. Mohan accosts them, where Ajay accuses him of being a terrorist. Mohan has an angry outburst & tells him that he is not a terrorist. Mohan goes on to narrate his story. Mohan has an ailing wife (Neena Kulkarni) & a now-dead daughter. Mohan says that his daughter went to an interview for a secretarial job at the victim's office, where the latter raped and beaten her badly and she dies by the trauma & Mohan was left helpless & running from door to door for justice. Hence hopeless, he took the law into his own hands.
Ajay & Ria are shaken by his confession & decide to help Mohan. Ajay hands over the video tape of this confession to his boss and Ajay's uncle Kaka (Satish Shah). Unfortunately, the minister has joined hands with his opposition rival minister Mushran (Govind Namdeo) as he fears that their secrets might come out if Mohan surrenders. Similarly, Ajay's boss forms an alliance with Ria's boss (Dalip Tahil) after knowing about the tape. The ministers & channel heads come together and trick Ajay & Ria to give the tape to them.
Only after they give the tape do they realise what the truth is. Ajay is angry at first, but comes up with a plan to retrieve the tape back from the politicians and their respective bosses. With the help of Ria & Choti, he succeeds in obtaining the tape. Here Mohan has been arrested by police & is sent to be publicly hanged. Ajay succeeds in broadcasting Mohan's confession just an hour before the execution & tearfully requests the nation to stop this injustice.
The ministers and policemen try to prevent the protesters from coming to the execution ground by making the police barricade the entrance and policemen and head inspector (Vishwajeet Pradhan) beats up Ajay. The ACP decides to join Ajay & Ria, thus neutralising the police barricades. In a blatant mockery of media's TRP hogger attitude, Mohan is made to wear a T-shirt containing logos of various companies & is prepared for execution. Just seconds before the execution, Ajay & the protesters succeed in saving Mohan and beat up the politicians.
Mohan's execution is called off. Ajay's father tells him that his ideals may not have given him materialistic gains, but they gave him something far more important – Ajay. Ajay proposes to Ria in front of all the protesters; Ria accepts after playful funny banter with him.

Tags: revenge, satire

Review:
Grossly under-rated.
A black comedy about the media.
Not many movies have been set against the media industry as the backdrop.
The other ones that come to mind are "New Delhi Times" and "Main Azaad Hoon" and both of them though critically acclaimed didn't set the cash registers ringing.
Hey, I am lost for words...
jinxed perhaps?Year: 2000.
Situation: TV channels was still an sunrise industry.
There wasn't a glut in the market vying for the audience or a murky fight for the TRP's.
Perhaps owing to which, the audience couldn't understand the meaning of media manipulation.
The movie starts off on a light note with the boy and the girl working for competitor's TV channels on loggerheads with each other, no rocket science here...
love-story ensues and finally getting down to serious business to fight for justice for unjust done to common man.
The audience expectations were probably not correctly calibrated and the "fighting for a cause + patriotism + national movement" came as a bolt from blue to the audience resulting in an indigestible fare. SRK:: Gives his 100% to the role making it a very convincing portrayal.
 Juhi:: Very good and as usual compliments well with SRK. Satish Shah & Dilip Tahil as gullible media magnets were justified. Paresh Rawal as the "eye-of-the-storm" has his moments and delivers to the utmost perfection. Govind Namdeo and Shakti Kapoor as vile politicians justify their parts well. Johnny Lever is usual self. It was nostalgic to see a few characters from "Nukkad".Jatin-Lalit provide good music.
There is no doubt about Javed Akhtar's capabilities on lyrics.
Sharmista Roy and Farah Khan deserve a special mention for contribution to art direction & choreography respectively.Director ensured that all the ingredients were in adequate proportions and doesn't go overboard on any of them.
There is a soul in the movie and the goods have been delivered with conviction.
Had the movie been made today, the audience would have related to it spot-on.
The movie has a good social message and deserves to be posthumously declared as an satire on the media.
PS: Evidently, outright rejection from the audience has put off SRK to make meaningful cinemas..
A Turning Point for the Future of Hollywood?.
A very bold offering by Dreamz Unlimited, "Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani", takes the audience into an area of Hollywood that has been explored many times before: corrupt politicians.
Although this time the crusaders against these power hungry fanatics are the two TV journalists Shahrukh Khan and the glamorous Juhi Chawla.The film is fast and the storyline moves just at the right pace, the only problem is some of the songs are not the musical extravaganzas one would expect from such a huge film.
A point to be noted is that a few of the songs are there to add layers to the story and thus you would find yourself enthralled by the onscreen action.Shahrukh does a fantastic job of playing the role of a TV News Spin Doctor, realising the values of truth and honesty.
The character he portrays is believable; his transformation is his conscience, not his personality.Juhi Chawla, a veritable goddess of the silver screen, gives her character the right amount of charisma, charm and sophistication.
Another bonus is that Juhi looks stunning in every scene.The film also makes use of great camera angles and uses a wide variety of special effects that will leave you clinging to your seat.
A great sequence in the first half of the film will make you wonder if you are actually watching a movie from Hollywood.Indian patriotism takes a backseat until towards the end, so the film does not suffer the stereotype that I expected from the adverts.Overall the film has a watertight storyline, great humour, packed to the brim with action, and who can actually say no to a film with the gorgeous Juhi Chawla!.
Prelude to Rang de basanti?.
Yes it is a bit overdone, not as slick, but it is 6-7 years older.
The same story line, young folks starting out looking out for number one (themselves), then circumstances around them and the corrupt political scene changes them and patriotism takes over.
The difference is that there is no violent ending and violence is not espoused in this film - but that was my least favorite part of RDB.
Shahrukh Khan is of course the king himself and delivers the goods.
This what he does best, the goofy adorable, the not very brave but eventually coming through boy next door type.
Juhi is very beautiful and talented and does not disappoint.
The music does a bit, but eventually you get to like it.
The movie is very funny - a great way to be entertained..
unity is strength.
This film carries a very socially relevant message: Unity is strength.
We, the society can achieve anything if we stand united, have a strong common voice.
This film shows how the two journalists (played by Shah Rukh and Juhi) successfully save the life of an innocent (played by Paresh Rawal) who has been fixed by evil and selfish politicians as a terrorist and awarded a death sentence and of course he is a killer like a common killer and he is not motivated to destroy Indian union by this act.The film is a complete comedy till the seriousness creeps in.
The film, released in 2000, already was ahead of its time by portraying how the TV channels use everything for commercial purposes; in this film they actually show live of the hanging ceremony with interviews of the hangman.
We saw it recently on TV of interviews with a hangman from Kolkata and his family history too.This was the first film attempted by Shah rukh, Juhi and Aziz mirza under their new production company.
The film didn't go well with audience but they will be remembered, say 50 years from now for making such a film.Coming to acting and that too with comic touch, SRK and Juhi is a great combination.
They did very well their roles.
Music is good; the song "Aur Kya" was fantastic, written by Javed akhtar..
Cool Super Mega Hit of the Millennium.
I have watched this movie so far 5 times in the theatres and I intend to go to the cinema again.I liked the story line and the way the movie begins.
Though I am not an Indian citizen, the movie was really touching and I could feel the patriotism in the cast and I enjoyed the music very much.
Lyrics were very well written.
I can go on and on.Million thanks to Shahrukh Khan, Juhi Chawla and Aziz Mirza for giving us such an excellent movie to begin a great Millennium ahead.
>. One of SRK-Juhi's best!!!.
Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani is a great movie!
So far I've watched it six times, and each time it seems to be getting better and better!Basically, Shahrukh and Juhi are journalists working for two different news channels who happen to be rivals.
Each one tries to outsmart the other in order to promote their channel.
Both Shahrukh and Juhi play pranks and mean tricks on one another throughout the beginning of the film which I found to be quite hilarious!
I thought it was also really clever how Juhi had a video-camera planted inside her purse and was secretly taping "extra footage."Eventually, after all that hate and rivalry, the two of them are faced in a situation in which they must help save a convict who has escaped from jail.
I thought it was really sweet how Shahrukh and Juhi worked together as a team to help the run away prisoner.
Not only that, but they fell in love with one another just as I'd hoped they would....As for the acting...
both Shahrukh and Juhi did a great job playing their roles.
In addition to that, Juhi looked so glamorous and stunning in each and every scene!One word for PBDHH's music....
amazing!
Each song was special and unique in its own way, ranging from the comical dance number "Banke Tera Jogi" to the magical and romantic "Aur Kya."Anyone who hasn't seen Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani should do so right away!
It is a very cool and entertaining film and I would recommend it to anyone.
Definitely one of SRK-Juhi's best!
Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani will surely leave you with a smile on your face!
Overall, Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani deserves a 10/10!.
Nice Movie.
I saw this movie and I thought I wouldn't like it because it's kinda an old one yet I was really surprised in a good way because the actors play, the story, the script and everything was well done and credible.I liked the songs..especially the "I'm the best" one song by the 2 actors at different times and moments.
Yet both were so great and lovely.So I advice you to watch it for the actors, the music and the deepness of this movie with a tender and "politicaly" correct way of playing of the 2 actors.Enjoy it!
My result: 6/10.
Watch it at least once..
watchable.
Its a movie which tries to encompass love, comedy, and dark comedy.
But it seldom happens that all three can be added effectively into one flick.The movie starts from the light- hearted professional rivalry of Shah Rukh Khan and Juhi Chawla, turns into a love story somewhere in the middle, and then turns into a a vitriolic satire on the society, system and law.
The strongest part of this movie is the direction (a director ought to be a good story teller and Aziz Mirza excels in it.) and of course, the music by Jatin- Lalit ranges from an average to the Excellent, especially in songs like "aur kya...".Shah Rukh Khan, in some scenes overacts, while Juhi constantly maintains her performance level, Paresh Rawal is extremely wonderful as the convict, he represents the common man, and steals the scenes from SRK and Juhi.
Dilip Tahil and Satish Shah are too good as epicentres of laughter while Johnny Lever is just OK.
Bottom Line: A feel good movie..
Underrated Classic.
This movie was way ahead of it's time ...and
is highly underrated.
Indian Switching Channels.
The movie is an Indian xerox of Switching Channels (1988), and strictly a decent one..
Love Movie.
If you've seen Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani and Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, I'd dare say you would say Kuch Kuch Hota Hai is da' bomb.
Well, I totally agree.
Actually, it's not that I don't like this movie, it's just that this movie is more into politics, hates and revenge than love and comedy.But Shahrukh Khan is the best actor (well, besides Salman Khan and Aamir Khan), but I'd rather say this movie is quite boring from the middle until the ends.
Hope that Shah Rukh Khan will  produce more love movies in the future..
Why wasn't this movie considered a hit?
No idea....
The film starts very nice and easy , allows the viewer to get used to the main characters and get to know them well enough.
The story goes on to get more serious and in the same time not being overly dramatic or too much in your face.
There is a lot of comedy brilliantly positioned on the right places.
The cast is one of the best things about PBDHH.
Shahrukh Khan plays his part excellently and you fall in love with his character pretty soon.
Juhi Chawla is brilliant and brings the movie to a new level.
She is one of the few Indian actresses who refuse to give the spotlight only to the hero of the movie.Her comedy timing and amazing facial expressions deserve to be applauded.
Shahrukh and Juhi together are pure magic on screen.
They compliment each other very well and are doing justice to their roles.
Someone who really deserves mentioning is Johny Lever who delivers the best comic scenes in the movie.
The rest of the cast is also doing a great job and no character is left behind.
The movie has a frame and a story-line which keep you watching till the end.
The overall message is strong and leaves the viewer satisfied.
Overall an excellent Indian movie which gives you comedy , romance , drama and a good story.
If you are a fan of Indian cinema and want to see some quality I recommend you to watch it..
Overall not bad.
I expected a lot more from this joint venture of Shah Rukh and Juhi.
It started off quite interesting and with a very unique story, but once the Hindustani angle got introduced it declined FAST.
Shah Rukh does his usual bang up job as a juvenilesque leading man, with nothing really new to offer.
His character is almost like his Yes Boss and Badshah characters with more class.
Juhi, what can I say about her.
She looks quite beautiful and dazzling in all the songs (Yes she still has that little pooch on her belly) but her face can still knock em dead.
For their first film it was good, but you can bet all shah rukh fans are expecting a lot more from #2.
I dunno about others, but the version I saw cut the "Pir bi dil hai hindustani" with people doing the "indian macarena" out of the movie though the song still appears in sadder versions.
Still much better than Mela.