Mehndi (1998 film)

Pooja is a newly wed bride to Niranjan. She comes from a middle-class family. But the innocent girl is unaware of the nasty events that would torment her later. For her, the in laws are like her own parents and her sisters in law are her friends.

As Pooja is welcomed with great pomp and splendour she spends a beautiful night with her husband, Niranjan Chowdhary.The next morning, the family sits together for discussing. But the vicious circle of greed for dowry is revealed when Niranjan's parents and elder sisters grumble about getting very few jewels and money. His mom even taunts him saying that her bahu got a lot of things and they should hire the neighbor's house to store all the wealth. They regret selecting pooja as his bride. They even say that all they have is a dead mouse, whereas they expected a prize catch. Niranjan keeps quiet due to his fresh marriage.

A few days pass happily. Niranjan decides to launch a factory and approves a loan of twenty lakh from the bank. But he needs to invest ten lakh from his own pocket. Pooja's father is an erstwhile royal diwaan. So chowdhry ji asks Niranjan to seek the help of his father in law. Then the husband and wife go back to pooja's father and younger sister to stay there for a 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 . He asks Pooja's Dad to give him 10 lakh (one million) 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. Niranjan is in the habit of visiting brothels. Pooja's family is also unaware about that.

Pooja decides to return to her in-laws now that her husband has left. Diwan saheb and Neha see her off the next day. When Pooja reaches her in-laws place, they taunt her about nobody escorting her. 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. She requests her husband to wait for their good times to arrive. But Niranjan goes away angrily.

Downstairs, the whole family sees niranjan going away in anger. Chaudhrain, her mother-in-law says that if their bahu had brought 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 leave their house forever. She goes to her and says Pooja will have to make the lunch arrangements. Pooja readily agrees. Chaudhrain and Kalpita spoil the food by adding too much salt. Kalpita is the first to comment about the taste. Then Chaudhriji and Niranjan too scold Pooja.

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 brothel with the bank manager, joking around with the beautiful dancer girl. But when the brothel'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 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. But after coming back home, he questions her chastity and her mother-in-law 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. 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 . Niranjan 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-defence, thus avenging her father's death.

Later, when the Chaudhri family is performing Ramleela, Vandana who is out for a swim in the lake, is assaulted by Billu. The Chaudhri family goes to hunt him down and he is arrested by the police, but escapes. 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 rape her and Pooja frees her bonds of the ropes. Billu at the same time stops Niranjan by keeping pistol on Niranjan's head which he took from the police officer who was assigned to kill him by Chaudari family whom he kills for self defense. He hands over the pistol to Pooja who point the gun at Niranjan and later at Billu stating that assaulting a woman is a big crime and later point it to Niranjan stating that so is destroying an innocent girl's life. chaudrain falls at her leg begging her to forgive her son and her family. She pushes her with her leg and says did they show mercy when they tied her with ropes to burn her alive, did they show mercy when her sister was about to get raped by her son. Chaudari family realises their fault when they had to go through what Pooja went through. Pooja throws the pistol towards Chaudrain and ask her to shoot her. She refuses. Seeing Pooja isn't gonna kill Niranjan, Billy tries to walk away. Seeing this Niranjan goes behind him and stabs him with sword for assaulting his sister. Billy as reflex tried to Choke Niranjan in pain. Seeing this to save her son Chaudrain picks up the pistol and shoots at Billu, who falls down dead just before Chaudrain shoots. Accidentally Chaudrain had shot her own son now. Niranjan falls down , he folds his hands looking at Pooja as in asking apology for being a bad husband and dies. After few days Chaudari family waits outside a temple. Pooja steps out after her prayers. They apologize to her and Chaudrain says to her from now on you are not our daughter in law , you are our daughter and takes her home with them.

• Rani Mukerji as Advocate Pooja
• Faraaz Khan as Niranjan Chaudhary
• Shakti Kapoor as Banne Miyaan
• Pramod Moutho as Mr. Chaudhary
• Himani Shivpuri as Mrs. Chaudhary
• Mahavir Shah as Ankush Choudhary
• Arjun as Biloo
• Shagufta Ali
• Shahbaz Khan as Rajeshwar
• Asrani as Tolanii
• Yunus Parvez as Judge
• Gulshan Grover as Sikh Truck Driver (uncredited Role)
• Raza Murad as Sethji ( Special Appearance)

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

Mehndi at IMDb