Veer-Zaara

Story:

Veer-Zaara is a 2004 Indian Hindi-language epic romantic drama film directed and produced by Yash Chopra, from a screenplay written by his son Aditya Chopra. It stars Shah Rukh Khan and Preity Zinta as the eponymous star-crossed lovers: Veer Pratap Singh (Khan) is an Indian Air Force officer, and Zaara Hayaat Khan (Zinta) is the daughter of a Pakistani politician. Veer is imprisoned on false charges, and 22 years later, a young Pakistani lawyer, named Saamiya Siddiqui (Rani Mukerji), fights his case. Amitabh Bachchan, Hema Malini, Divya Dutta, Manoj Bajpayee, Boman Irani, Anupam Kher and Kirron Kher play supporting roles.

PLOT

The government of Pakistan decides to review unsolved cases pertaining to their Indian prisoners as a gesture of goodwill. Saamiya Siddiqui, a budding Pakistani lawyer, is given the defense of prisoner 786 as her first case. The prisoner, documented under the name Rajesh Rathore, has not spoken for twenty-two years. However, when Saamiya addresses him by his real name, Veer Pratap Singh, he breaks his silence and opens up to her about his story.

Twenty-two years earlier, Zaara Hayaat Khan is a lively young Pakistani woman whose family is of political background and high standing in Lahore. Her engagement is arranged to Raza Shirazi, a wealthy, influential lawyer. Zaara travels to India to fulfill the last wish of her Sikh nanny: to have her ashes scattered in the Sutlej River. Her bus meets with an accident. Veer, then an Indian Air Force pilot and a Punjabi Sikh, rescues Zaara and helps her complete her nanny’s final wish. She accompanies him to his village to celebrate the festival of Lohri, where she meets his loving aunt and uncle, who raised him.

The next day, Veer takes Zaara to the train station for her return to Pakistan and is shocked to see her fiancé Raza there to accompany her. Veer confesses that he has fallen in love with her, accepting that they cannot be together. Both depart, believing they will never meet again. Amidst her wedding preparations back home, Zaara realises that she too is in love with Veer. Her mother, however, is against this, as marrying Raza will further her father’s political career. Zaara’s friend Shabbo secretly calls Veer, begging him to take Zaara away. He promptly quits the Indian Air Force and arrives in Pakistan. Zaara tearfully runs into his arms, causing her father to fall ill of shock and anger.

Zaara’s mother begs Veer to leave Zaara, fearing for her father’s reputation and health. Veer respects this and attempts to return home but Raza, outraged and jealous, has him arrested by Pakistani police. He blackmails Veer with two choices: be imprisoned for life on charges of being an Indian spy, or walk free knowing that Raza will make Zaara’s life a living hell. Veer sacrifices his freedom out of his deep love for Zaara and is imprisoned in Pakistan. Meanwhile, his return bus falls off a cliff, killing all the passengers, so he is presumed dead to the world.

Veer requests Saamiya not to mention Zaara whilst fighting the case, believing that she must be married by now; he does not want to ruin her reputation or make her settled life difficult. Saamiya travels to his village to find someone who can prove his true identity. She is shocked to find Zaara and Shabbo at his home.

Shabbo explains that after Zaara thought Veer died, she broke off the marriage with Raza with her father’s support. Her parents and Veer’s aunt and uncle all eventually passed away within a few years. With the Hayat Khan family basically perished, Zaara and Shabbo left Pakistan and settled in Veer’s village in India to fulfill Veer’s dream of developing their village further.

Zaara is shocked to learn that Veer is alive. She accompanies Saamiya back to Pakistan, where the old lovers share an emotional reunion. Her statement and evidence in court prove Veer’s innocence and true identity. The judge frees him, apologizing on behalf of Pakistan. Veer and Zaara marry, bid goodbye to Saamiya at the Wagah border crossing, and return home, finally able to live their life together.