Pukar

Pukar is one of the better Hindi films of 2000, which is not saying much since there wasn't much interesting work that year. Just as you can expect with Santoshi though, who's known for his gripping, intense films, this one blends action with high drama and towards the end makes it into a thriller of sorts. The story isn't much of a treasure, but the script makes it into an enjoyable movie experience. The romantic portions are played against a greater backdrop of the army. The leading stars, Anil Kapoor and Madhuri Dixit have great chemistry and their interactions are the film's best moments. Actually, it's really interesting that he does not show any romantic interest in her while she does all she can to get him, including sabotage his career in the army in revenge for his rejection. We've seen different portrayals of unrequited love in Hindi films, but this part is really quite refreshing, and it works well for the film. Having said that, something is still missing in the film throughout, and it feels not fully realised and at times even a bit bland despite being watchable all the same. Maybe the entire army track just didn't ring true and took away from the more interesting part which is the story of the two leads.

The acting elevates the film in ways the script does not. As Jaidev, Anil Kapoor delivers a skillful performance full of grit and authenticity. His dedication to this character shows in every frame, with impressive results. This is similarly one of the best performances of Madhuri Dixit. She is always a delight to watch, but in Pukar, she gets a real, complex and grayish character, which gives her enough scope to explore. Her Anjali is a flawed, imperfect woman driven by ego, desire and jealousy, and Dixit shows great strength as a performer. We see her tormented side, her ugly side, her lack of vanity, her regret and feelings of guilt, her growth. A marvelous performance, indeed. Namrata Shirodkar at playing pretty much herself, though she is treated by the film as a mere ornament. A. R. Rahman composes a wonderful soundtrack. The film's story picks up towards the end, and its music and script meet at what for me is the film's highpoint, namely the song "Ek Tu Hi Bharosa", a true gem of a song, with a live appearance by none other than the legendary Lata Mangeshkar, who sings it on stage. Indeed, a great moment before the story is concluded.

I have always loved watching Anil Kapoor and Madhuri Dixit act together and this film did not disappoint me. It is timeless in that the heroism of the Indian Army is showcased and the ultimately sacrificial love story of the two main characters is portrayed in a manner that grips your attention from beginning to end. Om Puri and the rest of the supporting cast made this a film to be watched time and again. The action, plot, music, scenery and direction helped to make this a great film. Pukar /Call is a worthwhile watch. Enjoy!

Pukar is a well acted film in terms of storyline, plot and performances.

Director Rajkumar Santoshi direction is good yes there are some let downs in the storyline but still film can easily manage the loophole and can give you definitely a one time watch.

First 20 mins of the film is superb starts of with a journey of a major who works in a government military and suddenly got a vacation to meet his family & friends till here the story is superb but after that a love story revenge begins and the military angle totally got lost in somewhere and turn into a love revenge film.

Performances of the lead cast is the highlight for me specially ANIL KAPOOR stellar performance from start to end is remarkable.

MADHURI DIXIT screen presence outstanding with her dance performance is just a worth watch.

Supporting cast did also a great job and well suited throughout the film.

Music, Cinematography, screenplay are top notch no complaints over there.

All n all definitely a one time watch for screenplay, acting performances & music..

Here's a movie that was directed not quite in the typical Bollywood fashion. Rajkumar Santhoshi quite blatantly tried to give it more of a Hollywood feel (perhaps with the exception of the few random song sequences).

Like a previous user commented, the storyline isn't totally airtight but that's just a minor flaw.

Pukar presented quite well a story of how a naive woman went too far with getting the man she loves. She lived in her happy little world were she thought she'd be marrying him someday but she gets crushed when she realised he's in love with another woman, albeit a top-line model. Politics sets in when some high profile criminals bank in on her love for him. She unrealisingly sets him up...

Madhuri sinks her teeth into her role! She was nominated for Best Actress at the Filmfare awards 01 for her role here and you'll see why after you watch it. The movie is a little long and gets a bit draggy in the second half but Madhuri truly captives here, in a character that is naively possessive but whole-heartedly loving. She shinned throughout this movie.

To sum it up, Pukar could have been a mind-blowing romantic thriller, but it falls a little short. Still, its definitely worth watching. Rent it at least

It is an excellent movie which can be characterised as a mini classic . It has first rate performances from Anil Kapoor and Madhuri Dixit .The action sequences are a major highlight of the film as are the photography and locales . Good work from Rajkumar Santoshi.