Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani
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Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani is a Bollywood movie released by Dreamz Unlimited on January 21, 2000. The film was directed by Aziz Mirza and stars Shah Rukh Khan as Ajay Bakshi, a confident, loudmouth TV reporter, and Juhi Chawla as Ria Banerjee, Ajay's rival reporter.
Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani focuses on the media war being fought in the TV newsrooms.
The film had mixed reviews from critics and audiences and failed at the box office, even though it was a high-profile movie by director Aziz Mirza, it could not emulate the successes his previous movies Yes Boss and Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman had. The film only managed to pick up one award - in 2001, Award for Technical Excellence from Awards of the International Indian Film Academy.
[edit] Plot synopsis
Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani focuses on the media war being fought in the TV newsrooms. Ajay Bakshi (Shah Rukh Khan) is a TV reporter and with his rather unorthodox style, he enjoys celebrity status to the point of arrogance. In response, a rival TV channel, with dropping ratings, hires Ria Banerjee (Juhi Chawla) to counter Ajay's popularity.
When a businessman is assassinated on election eve, the assassin, Mohan Joshi (Paresh Rawal) is arrested on the spot, but manages to escape days later during the media coverage. He is accused of terrorism and the country is thrown into an uproar. Many die who had no connection with the rivalries of Joshi and his victim, in a corporate attempt to scare the survivors into believing that Joshi is part of a "foreign hand" of bullies.
Joshi meets Ajay and Ria then tells them the truth behind the whole incident. It seems that Joshi's daughter died because of an egocentric business interest on the part of the man whom he would later slay. Revealing while "on camera" that this man and his partners have been destroying everything in pursuit of their goals, Joshi declares that he killed the man in revenge, almost without thinking. "If that is terrorism, I'm a terrorist", he concludes.
Later, Joshi is put into prison and sentenced to death. On the day of his execution, the reporters lead a silent march, flying the national flag of India, to find Joshi and make the truth public. He is freed, and justice is secured.
