Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani () is a 2000 Indian Hindi-language satirical film directed by Aziz Mirza and produced by Dreamz Unlimited. The film stars Shah Rukh Khan and Juhi Chawla in the lead roles, with Paresh Rawal, Johnny Lever, Govind Namdev, Satish Shah, Dalip Tahil, Mahavir Shah, Shakti Kapoor, and Neena Kulkarni in supporting roles. The title of the film is derived from the song "Mera Joota Hai Japani" from the 1955 film Shree 420. The film marked the debut production venture of Khan, Chawla, and Mirza under their production company, Dreamz Unlimited.
Ajay Bakshi, an ambitious and outspoken reporter for KTV, thrives on sensationalism to boost ratings. His rival, Ria Banerjee of Galaxy TV, is assigned to undermine him. Meanwhile, a small-time gangster, Pappu Junior alias Choti, struggles for recognition within his gang. Ajay recruits Choti to stage a fake on-air attack on politician Ramakant DuaâÂÂs brother-in-law, Madanlal Gupta, to generate publicity. However, the plan spirals out of control when Madanlal is genuinely murdered by Mohan Joshi, who is immediately branded a terrorist by authorities.As the murder case of Madanlal proceeds, Ajay and Ria begins to befriend each other, Ajay particularly having a soft spot for her despite the bickering and always looking out for her protection in danger.
As riots erupt across the city, they cover the unrest and gradually set aside their rivalry. When Mohan escapes custody and confronts them, he reveals that he killed Madanlal to avenge his daughter, who was raped and killed by him, and that he had been denied justice due to MadanlalâÂÂs political influence. Moved by his story, Ajay and Ria decide to expose the truth. They record MohanâÂÂs confession and tries to broadcast it to tell the truth. Mohan, in return return their favour by helping them realising their love for each other.But at a certain stage they are deceived by their media superiors and corrupt politicians, who confiscate the tape to protect their interests.
Mohan is recaptured and sentenced to death. Realizing they have been manipulated, Ajay and Ria make a plan to retrieve the confession tape. They go to the farmhouse where the tape is kept and successful manage to steal it with the help of Choti and run away in a car. The following scenes comply of their car chase and successful escape from the ministers. In the meantime the police raid both of their houses. On the other hand, Ajay and Ria exhausted return to Ajay's house to transfer the tape only to find police outside and quickly his behind a wall. As the police leaves, Ria still in his arms, is visibly shaken and exhausted to which Ajay responds by taking her into her embrace telling her not to worry. He also kisses her forehead and brings her very close in his embrace,and the night passes. Successfully they are able to broadcast the confession shortly before the execution, appealing to the public. Their report sparks üðss protests, forcing authorities to halt the execution. The ensuing public outcry leads to the downfall of the corrupt politicians and media figures. Mohan is saved, and Ria proposes to Ajay, which he accepts and they share a hug as the film ends.
The music was composed by JatinâÂÂLalit who also composed the background score assisted by their brother-in-law Aadesh Shrivastava. All of the lyrics were written by Javed Akhtar. The music of the film was highly appreciated by critics and the audience alike. Manish Dhamija of Planet Bollywood gave 8.5 stars stating, "Overall, the album is a pleasant surprise from Jatin-Lalit". The soundtrack and the song "Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani" in particular, with its concept of "Love our country", was well-received and praised for its patriotism. Author M. J. Akbar highlighted the "very heavy winking" by Khan during his performance of the song, accompanying the evocative lyrics.
Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani grossed in India and $1.67 million (7.26 crore) in other countries, for a worldwide total of , against its budget. It had a worldwide opening weekend of , and grossed in its first week. It is the 13th-highest-grossing Bollywood film of 2000 worldwide.
On Up Close & Personal with PZ, Shah Rukh Khan said that the film "was the biggest failure for Juhi [Chawla], Aziz [Mirza], and him".
It opened on Friday, 21 January 2000, across 240 screens, and earned nett on its opening day. It grossed nett in its opening weekend, and had a first week of nett. The film earned a total of nett, and was declared a flop by Box Office India.
It had an opening weekend of $650,000 (2.82 crore) and went on to gross $900,000 (3.91 crore) in its first week. The film earned a total of $1.67 million (7.26 crore) at the end of its theatrical run.