Cast: Anil Kapoor,
Namrata Shirodkar, Madhuri Dixit, Om Puri, Girish Karnad, Shivaji Satam Farida Jalal,
Anjan Srivastav, Danny Denzongpa, Lata Mangeshkar in a very friendly appearance.
Producer: Surinder Kapoor
Director: Rajkumar Santoshi
Music: A.R. Rahman
Lyrics: Majrooh, Javed Akhtar
Pukar has been in the making for many years now, but finally it is complete. The film's director is famous as we all know, and seems to have a winner on his hands. Madhuri has a superb role in this film. You will see Madhuri in a completely different light in this film, with her playing a negative character. Exactly what she does is unclear, but from what people are saying it is a mindblowing performance. The story is captured in an army-backdrop. Apparently there is a love triangle between Anil, Madhuri, and Namrata Shirodkar, where I believe Namrata is married to Anil. The story involves Indian-Pakistani Relations, where Anil Kapoor plays an Army Major. Also Anil Kapoor has stated that the credit for this film belongs to Madhuri Dixit, who will have a very good role in this film. This film should be Madhuri's BEST FILM in '99!
Major Jaidev Rajwansh (Anil Kapoor) is a highly decorated officer from a Para Commando
unit lead by colonel Javed Hussain (Om Puri). Anjali (Madhuri Dixit) who is the daughter
of Gen. Rajwansh's (Jai's father Girish Karnad) erstwhile Subedar has been in love with
Javed since their childhood, which they've spent largely together. However, Jai himself
seems innocent of her feelings in this regard, and treats her merely as a very close
friend & confidant.
Jai meets and
falls in love instantly with the stunningly beautiful Pooja Mallapa (Namrata Shirodkar)
who reciprocates to his feelings, Anjali on knowing this is deeply humiliated & feels
hurt.
A dreaded international mercenary Abrush (Danny Denzongpa) who entered this country with a
disastrous mission, is captured by Jai after a bloody encounter. Abrush's conspirators are
frustrated & desperate to engineer his escape, But that is impossible as Jai incharge
of Abrush's case & his security.
In the process to get Jai's love Anjali commits a mistake, which puts Jai's life and
reputation on stake.
Will Anjali
ever be able to rectify her mistake and get Jai's Love?
Will Jai forgive Anjali ?
Will Pooja's parents accept Jai?
Will Abrush be able to accomplish his disastrous mission ?
Will Jai able to salvage his reputation and retain Pooja's love for him?
Major Anil Kapoor and a couple of other para-commandos prepare for action. As cameras roll, our hero makes his move, slips and goes plonk into the snow. ``Cut. Cut. Cut,'' the director hollers. And then chides the actor, ``Anil, control yourself, beta.''
Finally, the troops posted at Gulmarg were getting to see some reel action. Boney Kapoor's unit was shooting Pukaar, an Anil Kapoor-Madhuri Dixit starrer, at the tourist resort. Kapoor had told the press that the film had nothing to do with militancy. But to the motley group of army jawans, tourists, reporters and local porters watching the shoot, there did seem to be a militancy angle somewhere.
The para-commandos had their task cut out. They had to look sharp as they surveyed the snow (``A bullet can get you anytime, from anywhere,'' the action director reminded them). Anil Kapoor would pull out a map and take a quick look at it. The commandos would then consult their watches. And charge ahead. Simple. On film, the scene would barely stretch a minute.
But the actors took about an hour to get it right. First, Anil slipped. In another take, the commandos forgot about the watches. One of them was reprimanded for doing a ``disco'' on the snow, ``like Shatrughan Sinha.'' Then Anil had problems grappling with the map and the gun at the same time. His idea of doing away with the gun was rejected, though (``No, no, you are on an operation''). Instead, the director agreed to trash the map.
The jawans who just might have taken part in similar action in real life were clearly getting bored by the tedious mechanics of film-making. They would have preferred a song-and-dance routine, instead of a fake operation. ``Gana-wana hota to achcha hota,'' one of them lamented. Unfortunately, Madhuri Dixit was nowhere around location that day.
The day before, Farooq Abdullah too had missed Madhuri. She wasn't there when CM saheb skipped the Assembly in Jammu and flew down to watch the unit can its inaugural shot in Srinagar. When reporters reminded him about the motorcycle ride he gave Shabana Azmi many years ago, he said he wouldn't mind giving Madhuri one either. But he was getting old now.
I suspect Farooq couldn't care less if it was Madhuri or Kajol or Karisma or Mahima or Rani -- as long as Bollywood came to Kashmir, just like in the good old days of his relative youth. Pukaar is only the second Bollywood film being shot in Kashmir since militancy took hold. Besides bringing in some money, Bollywood shoots make great PR. The cash-strapped state desperately wants the tourists back, and Bollywood helps.
In fact, the state would go to any lengths to tell tourists that things are getting back to normal. Take the recent disappearance of 10 foreigners, which triggered a scare that they might have been abducted. But the foreigners, who were on a heli-skiing holiday, were stranded for the night on a mountain peak after their government-owned helicopter developed a snag. Naturally, the authorities were thrilled when they were traced.
But the official press release carried things a bit too far. It gushed about how the visitors ``expressed satisfaction with the trip''. The episode was ``an adventure which heli-skiers are always ready to face''. Going by the release, the skiers felt their ``stop-over'' -- the politically correct term for getting stranded in the snow with a broken-down helicopter -- on the summit was a ``unique experience with a content of thrill and adventure which they enjoyed in the beautiful environment of this paradise.''
Perhaps there is a lesson in there for the state government. Apart from encouraging film crews, it should make sure that no tourist returns home without a ``unique experience'' in this paradise on earth. After all, it shouldn't be too difficult to ensure that helicopters and buses break down at the right time.
It's been over four decades since she last did this. So director Raj Kumar Santoshi's pretty excited that Lata Mangeshkar is acting in his next film Pukar. She plays herself, and she sings a song with some schoolchildren, is all he lets on, even refusing to name the number. "At first she seemed camera shy, though she has played a role as a child artiste," adds Santoshi, "but she was like a newcomer willing to listen and learn." It always works.
Produced by Boney Kapoor and directed by Rajkumar Santoshi, Pukar stars Anil Kapoor, Madhuri Dixit, Namrata Shirodkar and Danny Denzongpa.
The film begins with a dreaded international mercenary Abrush (Danny) being trapped by the army in a valley. He retaliates by kidnapping a minister called Mishra. Even as Abrush starts negotiations with Colonel Hussain for a safe passage, the officer sends in his crack team of para commandos led by Major Jaidev Rajwansh (Anil Kapoor) to storm the terrorist's hideout and rescue the minister.
Though the operation is cloaked in utmost secrecy, a mole from Colonel Hussain's unit informs Abrush. Carnage follows. Most of the commandos are ambushed and killed. But Major Jaidev, accompanied by two soldiers, pushes ahead. He rescues Minister Mishra and captures Abrush as well.
Abrush refuses to divulge his mission in India. Major Jai is put in charge of his security and given the task of ensuring that all attempts to rescue Abrush are foiled.
His courage makes Jai a hero. When he goes home he is showered with flowers by crowds chanting his name. Among them is Anjali (Madhuri Dixit), who has been in love with Jai ever since their childhood. Jai, however, is oblivious of her feelings and regards her as his best friend and confidante. Jai's parents, Lt General (retd) Rajwansh and Gayatri Rajwansh though, are aware that Anjali is in love with their son.
Jai attends a party held in his honour and meets the stunning Pooja Mallapa (Namrata Shirodkar), daughter of General (retd) Mallappa. It is love at first sight love at first sight for Jai, and to his delight, he realises that Pooja too, reciprocates his feelings. Anjali observes the increasing closeness between Jai and Pooja and confronts him. He blissfully tells her that he loves Pooja and wants to marry her.
A stunned Anjali desperately tries to convince him of her own love. But Jai is unmoved and rejects her. Hurt and humiliated by Jai, Anjali is like a wounded tigress.
This is the opportunity that Abrush's men have been waiting for. They can now kill two birds with one stone -- free Abrush from the army's custody and discredit Jai. The key to both these objectives -- Anjali. Will she fall in with their evil designs? How far will she go to get back at Jai?
Pukar is a film that blends action, romance and espionage. An extravagant movie mounted on a huge scale, Pukar explores the awesome expanse of Alaska, for the first time in Indian cinema.