Synopsis of PHIR BHI DIL HAI HINDUSTANI on ANTV: Two Journalists Help a Man Take Revenge on Politicians
Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani is a 2000 Indian Hindi-language satirical film released by Dreamz Unlimited (now Red Chillies Entertainment).
The producers took the title from the song line “Mera Joota Hai Japani” from Shree 420 (1955).
Aziz Mirza directed Shah Rukh Khan and Juhi Chawla, focusing on the TV media wars.
Ajay Bakshi and Ria Banerjee are two television reporters for a rival news channel who try to save the life of a man who has been set up by politicians for the death of his brother, from the death penalty.
The film was the first experimental venture by Khan, Chawla, and Mirza under their new production company Dreamz Unlimited, now Red Chillies Entertainment.
This film tells the story of two journalists who work together to help a man who is seeking justice for his daughter who was raped by a politician.
Reporting from Bollywood Hungama, Saturday (29/10/2022), this film stars Shah Rukh Khan, Juhi Chawla, Paresh Rawal, Johnny Lever, Atul Parchure, Sanjay Mishra, and Sharat Saxena.
In the course of this film, Ajay Bakshi and Ria Banerji must work together to help a man who is seeking justice for his daughter who has been raped by a politician. Initially, the princess only wanted to conduct an interview with her sister-in-law, but instead she was raped and beaten until she was traumatized and died.
The case came under scrutiny because no lawyer was willing to defend him. The reason is, the actor who has power in politics.
Then, because no one wanted to help her, the daughter’s father, Mohan, killed the rapist with his own hands. This made Mohan accused of being a terrorist.
PHIR BHI DIL HAI HINDUSTANI STORYLINE
Ajay Bakshi (Shah Rukh Khan) is a successful reporter, working for a well-known news channel. His news channel ties up Ria Banerjee (Juhi Chawla) to bring him down.
Ria is the polar opposite of Ajay and uses her wit, charm and wit to get the job done.
Pappu Junior aka Choti (Johnny Lever) is a don who is about to be kicked out of his own gang, because of his inability to become the world’s biggest criminal.
Ajay approaches Choti with an offer: to organize a fake attack on the minister’s brother-in-law Ramakant Dua (Shakti Kapoor) Madanlal Gupta (Mahavir Shah), on national TV.
Choti will get respect & Ajay’s channel will get ratings. Little does Ajay know that his plans are about to get all too real.
Ramakant Dua’s brother-in-law is gunned down by an assailant named Mohan Joshi (Paresh Rawal).
Minister Ramakant uses the death of his brother-in-law to gain votes and sympathy, he also instigates a pogrom to secure his position in the government.
Ajay and Ria start to get along as they work together to cover the city.
Mohan is arrested and to avoid public unrest, the Police Commissioner declares that Mohan is a foreign terrorist. Mohan escapes from jail and takes refuge in Ajay and Ria’s car.
When Mohan greets them, Ajay accuses him of being a terrorist. Mohan shouts that he is not and tells his two stories: Mohan has a happy family with a wife (Neena Kulkarni) and daughter.
One day, the princess goes for an interview and Ramakant’s brother-in-law rapes and beats her.
He died from trauma and as no lawyer was willing to fight for the case due to the power of political actors, Mohan was left helpless, running door to door for justice.
Therefore desperate, he takes the law into his own hands and kills the rapist.
Ajay and Ria decide to help Mohan, who sees them as his own children and helps them realize their love for each other.
Ajay records a videotape of Mohan’s confession to his boss and uncle Kaka (Satish Shah).
Unfortunately, the minister has joined hands with a rival minister, Mushran (Govind Namdeo) as he fears that their secret will be revealed if Mohan’s truth is revealed.
Ajay’s boss forms an alliance with Ria’s boss, Chinoy (Dalip Tahil). The ministers and channel heads get together and trick Ajay and Ria into giving them the tape.
When Mohan is caught and sentenced to public hanging, Ajay and Ria realize they have been conned.
They team up with Choti to get the tape back.
Ajay manages to broadcast Mohan’s confession just one hour before Mohan’s execution and cries asking the nation to stop this injustice.
The ministers and police try to prevent the protesters from entering the prison grounds but ACP joins Ajay and Ria, thereby neutralizing the police barricade.
In blatant ridicule and criticism of the media’s egotistical obsession with ratings and views, Mohan is made to wear the logos sporting shirts of sponsors and companies.
Seconds before the execution, Ajay saves Mohan and the protesters beat up the politicians and throw them out, ensuring their careers are over.
Mohan’s execution is called off and the film has a happy ending when Ria proposes to Ajay, who accepts.
Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani focuses on the media wars that are being fought in TV newsrooms. Ajay Bakshi (Shahrukh Khan) is a TV reporter and with a somewhat unorthodox style, he enjoys celebrity status to the point of vanity. In response, a rival TV channel, with dropping ratings, hires Ria Banerjee (Juhi Chawla) to counteract Ajay’s popularity.
When a businessman is murdered on election night, assassin Mohan Joshi (Paresh Rawal) is arrested on the spot, but manages to escape later days during the media coverage. He was accused of terrorism and the country was thrown into an uproar. Many die unrelated to the rivalry of Joshi and his victims, in an attempt by the company to scare the victims into believing that Joshi is part of the “foreign hands” in the bullies.
Joshi meets Ajay and Ria then tells them the truth behind the whole incident. It seems that Joshi’s teenage daughter died from a brutal rape committed by the man who later killed her. Revealing while “on camera” that this man and his friends had destroyed everything in achieving their goals, Joshi states that he killed the man in revenge, almost without thinking. “If it is terrorism, I am a terrorist”, he concludes.
Later, it was Joshi who was put in prison and sentenced to death. On the day of his execution, reporters lead a silent march, flying the Indian national flag, to find Joshi and make public the truth. He was acquitted, and justice was guaranteed.
