Nayak: The Real Hero

Nayak: The Real Hero is a 2001 Indian movie starring Anil Kapoor and Rani Mukerji. It was directed by S. Shankar. The film is a remake of S. Shankar's earlier released Tamil film Mudhalvan (1999). The film's score and soundtrack, composed by A. R. Rahman, were dubbed from Mudhalvan into Hindi for the film.

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The film begins with Shivaji Rao (Anil Kapoor), interviewing the chief minister Balraj Chauhan (Amrish Puri), in a live broadcast. In the process of the interview Shivaji makes minister squirm under a barrage of tough questions. In a fit of fury, the CM challenges the reporter to step in his shoes for a day on national television. Shivaji accepts the challenge of being the chief minister for twenty-four hours.

At midnight, he accepts the seat of the Chief Minister in the place of Balraj Chauhan. Educated and vigilant, Shivaji Rao moves fast. He takes care of almost every aspect in a day's time, giving the slum their rightful apartments and getting jobs for the unemployed, suspending inefficient and corrupt government officers. All the way he is assisted by the talkative but good secretary Bansal (Paresh Rawal). As the last act of the day he gets Chauhan arrested as he is the root of all the corruption. But Chauhan bails out, passes an ordinance to nullify all orders passed by Rao when he was the CM. Taking Rao's success as an insult, Chauhan sends goons to get him killed and destroys his house.

Meanwhile Rao falls in love with an innocent village girl called Manjiri (Rani Mukerji). But her father wants his daughter's suitor to be a government civil worker (Rao works for a private news agency.). So after his tenure as a one-day CM he starts preparing for the Indian Civil Service Examination when Bansal comes in and tells him that Rao's popularity has rocketed sky--high and people wnt him to become the next CM of the state. He refuses. But Chauhan's henchman Panduranga attacks the news agency. Bansal then tells Rao that he has become a part of politics and Chauhan will never leave him at peace and Rao's lawsuit against Chauhan is bound to fail. But Manjiri's father dissuades Rao from joining politics. However, on seeing the people’s plight he agrees to stand in the elections.

In the ensuing state elections, he wins by full majority. But Manjiri’s father angered by Rao’s decision refuses to let his daughter marry him. Here, Chauhan’s political allies desert him causing his defeat. On becoming the chief minister, Shivaji Rao brings about lots of improvements and quickly becomes an idol in the people’s eyes. However his growing popularity is threatened continuously by Chauhan who uses his henchmen to kill him or at least tarnish is image as a public hero. But Rao promptly answers by digging out all accusations against Chauhan and his allies. This, however, causes a reunion of Chauhan and his allies. After a failed attempt on Rao’s life by hiring an assassin, a bomb is detonated at his home killing his parents.

In the final attempt Chauhan orders Pandu to destroy law and order and cause bomb explosions in various parts of the city. But a priest is able to overhear a few men planning to detonate bombs. He immediately notifies Rao’s office via the "Complaint Box" department. Pandu is arrested and under tactical inquiry by Rao and Bansal, he discloses the location of the bombs. A Bomb Squad successfully defuses all the bombs. Chauhan, however, uses this success against Rao by blaming the young CM for the bomb. Seeing no way out, Rao summons Chauhan to the secretariat and creates a situation such that it would seem as if Chauhan was there to shoot Rao but failed. The security guards shoot down Chauhan killing him. Rao, secretly tells Bansal the truth but Bansal believes that Chauhan deserved it. Manjiri’s father also comes to realize that Rao is in fact a great man who sees duty before everything else and allows Manjiri to him.

The final scene shows Mumbai developing over the years under Shivaji Rao's Government.

• Anil Kapoor ... Shivaji Rao
• Rani Mukerji ... Manjari
• Amrish Puri ... Balraj Chauhan (Chief Minister)
• Pooja Batra ... Laila
• Paresh Rawal ... Bansal
• Johnny Lever ... Topi
• Sushmita Sen ... (Special Appearance)

• Aamir Khan was initially offered Anil Kapoor's role.
• Sushmita Sen performs a popular song.
• The movie contains seven songs.
• This film is a Hindi remake of the Tamil film, Mudhalvan, from the same director.

• Nayak: The Real Hero at IMDb
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