Pukar finally arrived years late but with considerable fanfare based upon the considerable talent roster associated with the project. Boney Kapoor, one of Bollywoods heavyweights is the producer with director Rajkumar Santoshi of Ghayal and Damini calling the shots. The Cast is anchored by stalwarts Anil Kapoor and recently absconded Bollywood Queen, Madhuri.

The tunes are provided by the hottest Bollywood music maestro, A.R.Rahman, a man who commands and receives a meatier paycheck than most leading actors. The films theme is reminiscent of the ugliest kind of Cold War vitriolic being spewed against each other by both India and Pakistan. In this instance, the poison is even more contemptuous then normal.

The Pakistani's are painted as rabid dogs with an insatiable appetite for Indian blood. While the Indians are naturally shown to be gods very gift to humanity - they literally glow with wholesome goodness while the dastardly Paki Abroosh has a fixed scowl on his contorted and distinctly oriental face. The politics of the region are conveniently overlooked and life is presented in pretty basic terms: Indian, hindu, fascist = good, all others = evil, especially those insidious Pakistanis.

Anil plays Jaidev, an all conquering, morally superior, fiercely proud and patriotic (and naturally Brahmin) servent of the Indian soil with a mission to crush those naughty Pakistani's playing their games. Jai is about to thwart arch-Paki Abroosh when due to a mole's information, the Paki escapes to fight another day.

There is a considerable romantic subplot that doesn't know whether it's a subplot or in fact the main focus of events. Anjali (madhuri) loved Jai who in turn prefers the singing ability and sprightly dancing steps of young Pooja (Namrata Shirodkar) to Anjali's - this despite the latter's very valiant attempts including an amazing dance number that resembled a rather severe and prolonged epileptic seizure. Jai however remains enamoured by Pooja. So a rejected Anjali plots and schemes revenge and the poor girl, blinded by her jealousy, ends up being used as a pawn in the hands of some evil anti national elements.

Luckless Jai is thereafter humiliated and stripped of his beloved army stripes. Meanwhile, now that Pooja has gone off to Australia, Anj quickly realizes that her main objective has been achieved and that she ought now to play the "distressed, deceived damsel in distress" which she does so with aplomb. Abroosh, meanwhile raises the stakes by uttering some truly gutter level dialogues and mowing down some hapless Indians somewhere or the other.

Proceedings reach their inevitable fangled conclusion but not before the audience has been aroused to an unprecedented level of hatred for Pakistan. This film disgusts as it is a shameless attempt at making a fast buck by riding the wave of hatred and not only that, actually fanning the flames of hatred and intolerance. Some of the dialogues are truly sickening and way beyond acceptable. Political objections aside, the movie fails as a thriller, romance or tale of terrorism. It tries to be all genres rolled into one but doesn't satisfy as either. The music is probably the least offensive aspect of an otherwise pretty lamentable waste of time. Even insidious, vicious propaganda movies are expected to be up to the mark, and this one fails on most accounts. The film will remain memorable for the low level that it stoops in order to cater to its audience. A most resoundingly offensive and contemptuous piece of crap, even the 3% rating is far too generous! The film ought to be re-christened Puke-Ar.