Stars: Shah Rukh Khan, Juhi Chawla, Paresh Rawal, Johny Lever, Shakti Kapoor, Satish Shah, Dilip Tahil, Govind Namdeo
Music: Jatin Lalit
Direction: Aziz Mirza
Declared a terrorist, Paresh Rawal is about to be hanged, when he spills the beans on corrupt high society bigwigs. Then the TV channels step in. The idea of live coverage of the noose tightening around the condemned man's neck excites potential sponsors — the manufacturers of various products. The shirt that Paresh Rawal is made to wear sports the logos of various sponsors!
This hilarious takeoff on the crass commercialism of TV channels remains the high point of Aziz Mirza's new offering, Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani. That Mirza has a penchant for satire is well known. His Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman and Yes Boss had their moments of laughter.
But the problem with spoofs is that it is difficult to sustain the comedy for over two hours unless you are really adept at the job. Therein lies the weakness of this Shah Rukh-Juhi starrer. The wafer-thin plot struggles to hold audience interest, despite the excellent camerawork and slick editing.
Much of the promise held out by the promos is belied by the treatment. In the process, the film ends up as neither a good comedy nor a biting exposé of power-hungry politicians. And the absorbing clash of two rival TV channel anchors that one expected is diluted by the romantic angle.
The film starts on a bright, energetic note with Ajay Bakshi (Shah Rukh Khan), a confident and loudmouthed TV reporter, basking in his celebrity status. A rival TV channel, with dropping ratings, hires Ria Banerjee (Juhi Chawla) to counter Ajay's magic.
The director chooses to make Ajay a comic skirt-chaser instead of a tough professional. The potential for a media combat is, therefore, wasted.
The breezy tale takes a twist when Ajay and Ria come face to face with the ugly side of politics. The gunning down of the businessman friend of a politician on the election eve reveals the nexus between big money, cops and crafty politicians. The two TV reporters join hands to secure justice for the condemned 'terrorist' and get his real story on tape.
Despite the title and frequent flaunting of the tricolour, Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani remains a frivolous film. While hitting out at TV commercialism, the film too falls into the same trap of pandering to the commercial film audience. So there are songs, rich sets and fine work by the reputed cinematographer Santosh Sivan.
The film's blurbs touted "Love, Laughter and Freedom". But these are there only in small doses. The movie is weakened by the fact that most of the first half is devoted to Shah Rukh's tomfoolery. His acting style has become so hackneyed that he is unable to give anything new in terms of histrionics. His flair for comedy has lost its fizz just as his mannerisms and facial contortions have become monotonous. On top of it he overacts, a pity since he is one of Bollywood's top-bracket stars.
Juhi Chawla has lost none of her charm and teams up well with the hero. Paresh Rawal once again excels in a small role. Johny Lever raises laughs with his usual antics. The songs by Jatin Lalit are catchy, but only because of the effective picturization. The title song, however, is quite hummable.
Better luck next time, Dreamz Unlimited!
