Sangharsh (1999)

SANGHARSH is a story about the conflict that takes place in the human heart. It is about the heart becoming a battlefield when a criminal and a cop fall in love with each other. It is about the fires that rage when the call is of one's duty to the human race.

Reet Oberoi (Priety Zinta) is a research trainee in the C.B.I., Delhi whose life takes a sudden turn when she's offered an important but dangerous assignment. She has to hunt Lajjashankar Pandey (Ashutosh Rana) an escaped convict and crazy killer who murders little children for reasons best known to him. She is to go to Bombay and seek the help of another criminal, Aman Verma (Akshay Kumar) a gangster now locked up in Jail, to assist her in this hunt. Although warned by the department about his unusual personality and undeniable charm he possesses, Reet is clear about one thing; she hates crime and she hates criminals. This certainly, however is thrown to the winds after she meets the gangster. The Professor as he is commonly known, has a computer mind, an acid tongue and a fiercely angry heart. He is revolted by all authoritative institutions of the nation - whether it's the govt., the bureaucrats, the police or the justice system. She is almost invaded by his person and he sees in her eyes an honesty that he once possessed. He falls hopelessly in love with her and decides to help her find Lajjashankar to save the life of the minister's child whom he has kidnapped. Reet finds out that Lajjashankar is a psychopath who believes that sacrificing children at the alter god will take him out of the circles of birth and rebirth and he will live forever. Reet's search becomes more difficult when a local ACP (Madan Jain) who is also on the Lajjashankar case tries to get her out of it with the professor on her side, however, no one can beat Reet. The professor escapes from jail to help her. Together they search out Lajjashankar and save the life of the child. Reet finds true love and honesty in the heart of the criminal who redeems himself when he is given a chance to do so. Reet gets state awards for bravery but she knows she could never have done it without the help of a gangster called Aman Verma who found a new lease of life through her.

(From the official press booklets)