Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani

Way ahead of its time in the Indian context. Audiences in late 90s-early 2000s just wanted to see a romcom, especially if it featured SRK. The movie starts off that way but takes a political turn which exposes the nexus between people in power. It kind of displays the current situation in India in the year 2019. A lot of scenes would remind viewers of real-life situations that have occurred in the country over the past few years.

Maybe it was too much to take in for the viewers of the early 2000s, but this film would be a sure shot hit if it were to be released today or it may get banned in the country. Although, it does get too melodramatic in the final sequence.

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.

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!

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.

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.