
I recommend Pardes, for its story, music and superb star cast, particularly Khan and Mahima.īack when it released in 1997, Pardes was a box-office blockbuster because of the presence of Shahrukh Khan, the best-selling music by Nadeem-Shravan, and the excellence director Subhash Ghai. To sum it up, Pardes is a wonderful romantic drama and that is the reason it was appreciated upon release. A soulful, melancholic and very romantic song called "Zara Tasveer Se Tu (Meri Mehbooba)" was beautifully sung by Alka Yagnik and Kumar Sanu. This film also marks the breakthrough of Sonu Nigam, who became a star with the song "Dil Deewana". I liked Kavita Krishnamurthy's rendition of "I Love My India". Nadeem-Shravan's soundtrack includes some very melodious tracks. Amrish Puri is outstanding as Kishorilal, and the rest of the cast provide good support. Among other members of the cast, another newcomer, Aproova Agnihotri, who plays Rajiv, fails to impress here and it was not a good idea to start a career playing an unsympathetic character. This is a marvelous performance and easily one of the most promising debuts by an actress in Hindi cinema why she did not go on to reach any particular heights in her career is still mystifying. Her smile lightens up the screen, and she is so compelling, moving and charming as the smart, sensible and no-nonsense Ganga that there seems nothing easier than to fall in love with her. She is not only one of the most beautiful actresses to have graced the Indian screen (or any screen as far as I'm concerned), she is also a talented actress. The film's brightest spot for me is the gorgeous Mahima Chaudhary, whose stunning, almost angelic beauty is a true heavenly creation. Khan plays his role with restraint, depth and sincerity he rarely employs. As Arjun, he is kindhearted, and atypically subdued, sensitive and extremely vulnerable. Those discussing Shahrukh Khan's best performances often seem to overlook his work in Pardes, but this is according to me one of the finest performances of his career. The romance between Shahrukh Khan and Mahima was very well portrayed and the two had a wonderful chemistry. There were many great and touching moments in the film, my favourite being when Ganga talks to her father in India on the phone and feels very lonely and sad. I don't think Ghai tried to show NRIs in a bad light, because such differences and difficulties are to be expected in any kind of transition from one country to another, particularly when moving from a conservative and traditionalistic society like that of India to a liberal country like USA. I did not see 'Pardes' as a social film or anything of that sort, but more as a romantic drama, and in that genre it was very well-made. Technically the film might have been better as the cinematography was not that good.

The film is according to me beautifully narrated and Subhash Ghai's direction is very good. There also starts the realisation that Ganga and Arjun are actually in love. The social, cultural and economical gaps rise, and Ganga finds herself lonely in a world which is very distinct from hers, where no one except for Arjun seems to understand her. Arjun and Ganga befriend each other, but the real trouble starts when Ganga is taken to LA to live with Kishorilal's huge NRI family before marriage. Ganga's father agrees to the proposal and soon comes Arjun, Kishorilal's faithful nephew, who is also a good friend of Rajiv, to organise the engagement before Rajiv, who's never been to India, comes to see his bride. Kishorilal is immediately charmed by Ganga and wants her to marry his young son Rajiv. Her father's best friend, Kisohrilal, who's been living in the US for over 20 years, comes to visit them.

The film is about a young Indian girl named Ganga who lives in a rural village in India with her extended family. It essentially works as charming romance and nothing else. Besides that, the story is very lovely and the film is according to me believable and moving due to the performances, the music and the overall writing. The film may be quite stereotypical, it may be a bit incorrect, but should it really matter to me as long as I enjoy it? The portrayal of the US may have been amusingly flawed, but the film's issue is in my opinion dealt with quite well within the context of a Hindi film of its sort.

Whatever anyone may say about Subhash Ghai's 'Pardes', I personally found it very entertaining, engaging and charming.
