Mehndi (film)

Mehndi
DVD cover
Directed by	Hamid Ali
Produced by	Salim Merchant, Shama Akhtar
Written by	Iqbal Durrani (Dialogue)
Screenplay by	Iqbal Durrani
Story by	Iqbal Durrani
Starring	Faraaz Khan Rani Mukherji
Music by	Babul Bose Rani Malik (Lyrics)
Cinematography	Akram Khan
Edited by	Waman Bhosle
Distributed by	Aftab Pictures Pvt. Ltd.
Release dates	13 November 1998 (1998-11-13)
Country	India
Language	Hindi

Mehndi is a 1998 Bollywood drama film, written and directed by Hamid Ali Khan. It stars Faraaz Khan and Rani Mukerji in the lead roles. The movie is a typical melodrama teaching moral values. Arbaaz Khan is also in the cast. Dialogues were written by Iqbal Durrani and it became quite successful at that time.

Synopsis

Pooja (Rani Mukerji) is a newly wed bride to Niranjan (Faraaz Khan). She comes from a middle-class family. She loves him with all her heart and is happy to be wed into a home where her in-laws are like her parents and her sisters-in-law are her friends. But the innocent girl is unaware of the nasty events that would torment her later. Post wedding she arrives to her new home. Unfortunately, the family make her life a living hell when the dowry is not received.

The vicious dowry circle is first revealed when Niranjan's parents and elder sisters grumble about getting very few jewels and less money value items. They even taunt Niranjan saying that his wife has got too much stuff, the house does not have more space. So they would need to borrow their neighbor's house on rent to store the gifts. Niranjan keeps quiet due to his fresh marriage. One day Pooja goes to the temple in the evening with her younger sis-in-law Vandana. She is a modern girl and loves swimming at any time of the day. Vandana tells her Pooja bhabhi about some girls who liked Niranjan very much and says that it is good Niranjan married a girl like her. Pooja asks her the reason and she tells her about a girl, Radhika who committed suicide because she loved Niranjan. Vandana even jokes about Pooja and Niranjan's marriage saving many girls' lives.

Few days pass happily and pooja gets the luxury of the rich lifestyle. Then she goes back to her dad and younger sister along with her husband to stay for few days. Her sister Neha is a college student and playful, kiddish girl. She plays innocent pranks on Niranjan but he looks at her with twisted intentions. Pooja and Diwan saheb, her father remain unaware about this.

One day, Niranjan relates his wish to his father-in-law for owning a factory for construction sites. He is a qualified construction engineer and wants to start his own business. All the loans are approved and he asks Pooja's Dad to give him 10 lakh rupees. But Diwan saheb sadly refuses as he is already indebted over the years. His mansion is also mortgaged with the moneylenders. Niranjan suggests that he borrows from his relatives but seeing his father-in-law helpless, he leaves to return home agitated. He sends Pooja a message about going back through a dancer's musician. Niranjan is in the habit of visiting town side 'Kothas'. Pooja's family is also unaware about that.

Pooja decides to return to her in-laws now that her husband has left. Her father refuses saying that someone may think she was quickly sent back because her father didn't want to bear her burden. But the girl says that it is their responsibility to maintain the relations in life. Her father is very proud to have such a dutiful and sensible daughter. Diwan saheb and Neha see her off the next day. When Pooja reaches her in-laws place, they taunt her about nobody escorting her and that reputed people send their young girls alone for reaching the in-laws' houses. Banne mia takes Pooja's luggage and escorts her to their bedroom where Niranjan is waiting. Pooja asks him why he left so soon. Niranjan says that he expected Diwan saheb to help with money and give loads of property without asking for it. But, they were cheated and suffered a big loss. Pooja says that they should have patience. She requests her husband to wait for their good times to arrive. But Niranjan goes away saying that good times are brought and we aren't supposed to wait for them to come. Pooja sits alone sadly, thinking about a way to get her husband's love back.

Downstairs, the whole family sees their son going away in anger. Pooja's father-in-law Chaudhriji says that if bahu is back, she might have got a good news for them. But Chaudhrain, her mother-in-law says that if their bahu had brought a good news, then Niranjan wouldn't leave the room being upset. She says that they need to do something so that Pooja gets all the money and things quietly without complaining or leaves their house for ever. She smiles in an evilish manne and goes to the room. She finds her bahu sitting alone. She goes to her and says that Kalpita, her badi nanad is not well due to headache and needs to rest. So Pooja will have to make the lunch arrangements. Pooja readily agrees and goes down to prepare things in time. Then after some time, Pooja hurriedly gets the things ready after making the food and asks Billu to lay the table. She goes to freshen up and comes to the table to feed the family. But as her father-in-law, husband and Vandana arrive a bit late, Chaudhrain and Kalpita spoil the food by adding too much salt. It is witnessed by Billu. Then the others arrive and all serve each other. Vandana says that Bhabhi herself made all arrangements. They tuck in and Kalpita is the first to comment about yucky taste. Then Chaudhriji and Niranjan too scold pooja. Chaudhrain says that you would feed us poison if you decided. Then Chuadhrain taunts her husband saying see the result of getting a motherless girl as daughter-in-law. Chaudhriji is annoyed to hear that. He protests but his wife silences him saying that if Pooja's mother was alive, she would have her daughter about the mannerisms of eating and arranging food. Pooja gets worried and says she'll get fresh food quickly. Chaudhrain says while leaving the table that you let it be, we'll make food arrangements. She asks pooja to simply clean the utensils and warns her that she should just CLEAN the utensils and not break them. Pooja agrees and next she is seen sitting alone at the side of the huge well along with a big heap of utensils scattered around her seat. It is night time and she is cleaning them. She looks quite tired. Banne mia and Bano are passing from there and they comment that Pooja's henna isn't dry yet but she's given so much work and mountains of utensils. Banne mia says that Chaudhrain has got the neighbor's crockery too here itself.

Then Chaudhrain comes there and says we have enough crockery in the house. She taunts them saying it is good to work by oneself as health is maintained and work is done on time along with a good night's sleep. She then tells them to get lost from there and goes inside. Vandana says to her mom that poor Pooja is given too much crockery. Chaudhrain says she wanted to keep more so that the girl keeps cleaning them throughout the night. She curses Pooja saying her son is facing hardships and has to pacify the bank manager so he won't return home the whole night. Niranjan is at the Kotha with the bank manager, joking around with the beautiful dancer girl. But when the Kotha's senior lady murders her, he is caught there by all the group members.

Then Niranjan is convicted of murder and the whole family tries everything to secure his release. Unfortunately, it is Pooja who will have to pay the price. A photographer Rajeshwar (Shahbaz Khan) has photos which can prove him innocent, but in return he wants to spend one night with Pooja. Her in-laws are shocked with that, but Pooja vows to save her husband and reluctantly agrees. She goes to meet Rajeshwar and spends the night at his house but he does not even touch her. Then Niranjan is released after the real photos are presented in the court. Pooja is happy that now her husband will love her like before. But after coming back home, he questions her chastity and her mother-in-law (played by Himani Shivpuri) beats her and throws her out of the house. Unfortunately, she loses Niranjan's baby due to the ill-treatment. Pooja even goes to Rajeshwar's house again, asking him why he ruined her life. Then he reveals that he is Radhika's brother, the same girl whom Niranjan led to commit suicide. He says that he did so to exact his revenge from Niranjan. Then Pooja says that she'll murder him like his deeds murdered her unborn baby. Rajeshwar repents and promises to help Pooja in her fight for justice.

Then Pooja's divorce case goes to the court. Her in-laws even insult her father and sister and Niranjan talks dirty things about Neha with vulgar intent. He dishonors Pooja's father by slapping him. Diwan saheb leaves the place frustrated. He requests the judge to dismiss the case after Pooja's divorce but is murdered by Pooja's sister-in-law's husband in the court. Pooja and her sister are distraught. Just like her marriage when she took her wedding vows, she circles her father's funeral pyre and vows to destroy the home which destroyed her life. Then the events begin one by one. Chaudhriji loses his town timber business. Pooja files another murder case in the court and being a qualified lawyer herself, argues on her late father's behalf. She calls Ankush Kalpita's husband for questioning and asks him about his past life. She insults him by recounting her in-laws' comments about him. He gets very angry and takes out his revolver to shoot her but she kills him in self-defense using the aluminium pole kept with the scales of court statue, thus avenging her father's death.

Later, when the Chaudhri family is performing Ramleela at night in the town hall, Vandana who is out for a swim in the lake, is assaulted by Billu. Chaudhri family goes to hunt him down and he is arrested by the police but escapes from the prison. Then Zamindar saheb refuses to wed his daughter with Niranjan and leaves the town.

Towards the end of the movie, Pooja is tied to a pier at the outskirts of the town. Her sister Neha and Billu get the news and reach the place. Then, Niranjan tries to beget Neha forcibly and Pooja frees her bonds of the ropes. Then she beats up all the Chaudhri family members and even punishes Billu for destroying the happiness of an innocent girl. But Billu is killed by Niranjan during their fight. Later, Niranjan and his family fall at Pooja and Neha's feet and ask forgiveness. The movie ends here as everyone learns a hard lesson for their evil deeds.

Cast

• Rani Mukerji as Pooja
• Faraaz Khan as Niranjan
• Shakti Kapoor as Banne Miyaan
• Pramod Moutho as Mr. Chaudhary
• Himani Shivpuri as Mrs. Chaudhary
• Arjun as Biloo
• Shahbaz Khan as Rajeshwar
• Asrani as Tolanii

Soundtrack

All lyrics written by Rani Malik; all music composed by Babul Bose.

External links

Mehndi at the Internet Movie Database