Search - Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani (With English Subtitles) Bollywood DVD on DVD

"But the heart is still Indian"

Magalini Sabina | Rome Italy | 07/29/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

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This movie from 2000, was actually the first common venture of Aziz Mirza, Juhi Chawla and Shahrukh Khan that had recently founded the Dreamz Unlimited, a new production company. Unfortunately the movie did not have a great boxoffice success probably due to its message way ahead of its times for India. (The recent Rang de Basanti, on a similar issue had a great success).

The movie is inspired (not the usual Bollywood remake) from the 1940 His Girl Friday and addresses the media war between TV news channels. Shahrukh Khan plays Ajay Bakshi a TV reporter, with a very personal style (over the top as usual) and some character flaws that is suddenly faced by a rival female reporter the intelligent, humoristic and stunningly beautiful Ria Banerjee (Juhi Chawla).

A businessman, related to an important politician is assassinated by Mohan Joshi (a excellent Paresh Rawal), that is accused of terrorism and put in jail. Mohan Joshi manages to escape and meets our reporters and explains that he is not a terrorist but only an anguished father that sake revenge for his adolescent daughter raped and killed by the businessman. Smartly the document Joshi's confession of tape.The reporters decide to help him and hide him from the law. In the mean time the rival TV channels, manipulated by rival politicians build up incredible false theories and manage to arrest again and convict Joshi to death.
Among doubts, death threats, fear and the budding of a romance Ajay and Ria lead a peaceful opinion march to the jail where Joshi is about to be killed.

PBDHH as it is commonly known in India is truly a beautiful and entertaining movie. Up to the middle it's a comedy, a satire and a spoof, but later it becomes an intelligent and entertaining analysis of the Indian TV war, political corruption, programmed political incitation to violence in contraposition to the democratic, peaceful and determinate means trough which many Indians from Ghandi on have obtained recognition and justice.

The music by Jatin-Lalit is very nice and also the lyrics by Javed Akhtar are great. Music is an integral part of Bollywood movies as are the dance sequences and the song "I am the Best" (hindi pop at its best) is really catchy.

What to say of SRK and JC? As usual they are great. Their interplay, their expressions and their chemistry are the best that Bollywood can offer. Some have defined PBDHH Paresh Rawal's best performance. The story line is water tight and some of the episodes and gags are hard to forget: the jump from the skyscraper with the cat, SRK and Juhi's constant banter, the slow coming together of the crowd that marches to the jail, the way our heroes steal the video and especially SRK's last talk to the crowd.

I enjoyed PBDHH, and from a foreigner's point of view it seems to give a good idea of modern India and some of its ongoing problems. Anyway it is a great, colourful, funny and satisfying way to spend a few hours.

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Stirring political satire served with a sweetener of comedy

Lyn | Melbourne Australia | 05/06/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This movie is about 2 rival TV reporters (Shahrukh Khan and Juhi Chalwa). The SRK character is a characature of a superficial egotistical TV personality. Juhi's is the smart girl who keeps checkmating him and showing herself to be his equal - with some developing romantic interest simmering between them. At one point the subject matter becomes more serious - about the way media and police can be political lackeys; that 'truth' is manipulated for ambition, political aspirations and greed, and that the common man can be caught up as a a disposable pawn in these games.
This starts as a comedy and has periods where it reverts to that throughout. It is also a bit of a romance though the emphasis isnt really on that either.
At base it is a movie that is delivering a strong and important message to corruption ridden India -do you stand up for truth or allow yourself to be manipulated? It maintains a weaving in and out of seriousness and lightheartedness to make the material more palatable to a larger audience. However it is very clear on its agenda.
This isn't just one of those trivial comedies. It has a lot more substance. If you like Bollywood you'll be happy to have this delivered with a mix of melodrama at times and even hamminess in the 'comedy' bits. But it also has its serious stuff and is about truth and idealism. It isn't one for arthouse devotees and it can be just watched for its comedy and good story.
Shahrukh and Juhi are ideally cast and very watchable. While SRK does some of his 'clown prince' hamminess early on as the egotist, he also does his idealistic, 'pull-at-the heartstring monologues'. Juhi is a good foil for both. But the movie also belongs to Paresh Rawal who is superb as the common man who gets caught as a pawn in political games.
Johnny Lever is good too and won an award for his comic performance here.
I was impressed by this one as it is very incisive and yet tries to be lightly satiric about it. It reminded me of the old Ealing comedies.
The music is all good and there's some good dance too.
If you don't like violent Hindi movies, be aware there are some riot scenes and a few shootings etc in this but I didn't find them troubling nor graphic as depicted. They were very important to context. It isn't a violent movie though.
Elsewhere on the Net it tends to rate average to above average. It does get a varying response though with many rating it just average and almost as many giving it either full marks or close to that.
Definitely a keeper for me."