Pardes

The movie is well made. The characters are believable and justified. One of the few movies that attempts to mix west and east, which is not done bad. Aa ab laut chalen is one of those. Patriotism is shown from cultural perspective, but alright. Songs are reminding of 90s trend, melodies of both western beats and soulful Indian tunes. It could have been highly intense in its contents by adding a few subplots regarding cultural shock issues. Its because a lot of Indians face that in reality. The film is made in themes like, friendship, love, sacrifice, misunderstanding, families with high reputation involved etc. It is a tale of love in personal level of the protagonist and in it the nationalism comes into play. It doesnot seem so irrational because the lady is affected by it more than the protagony. And love emotions plays it's natural part succeedingly.

The film is technically impressive, retains the serene presentation of standard 90s. SRK and other casts have done well, but not without the lining of dramatizations. No significant flaws present, except that of contents. Not really a perfected depictions of traditionalism and ultra modernism fused into one. But still an impressive try in that line. A 67/100.

Pardes is very long and a touch predictable. Still, it's not a bad watch and could have been a good film with better editing. Shahrukh gives an uncharacteristically restrained performance, although he does go over the top towards the end. Mahima is charming but overdoes the cuteness. Amrish Puri is solid as usual. Apoorva Agnihotri is weak. The songs are great. I specially liked the gentle "Do Dil Mil Rahen Hain". The film goes overboard in its depiction of NRIs and I can understand why some reviewers hate it. The patriotism on display could have been toned down. Still watchable on TV/DVD.

Overall 6/10

Whatever anyone may say about Subhash Ghai's 'Pardes', I personally found it very entertaining, engaging and charming. The film may be quite stereotypical, and yes, 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. Besides that, the story is quite lovely and the film is according to me believable and moving due to the performances, the music and its overall feel. It essentially works as charming romance and nothing else.

The film is about a young Indian girl named Ganga who lives in a rural village in India with her extended family. Her father's best friend, Kisohrilal, who's been living in the US for over 20 years, comes to visit them. Kishorilal is immediately charmed by Ganga and wants her to marry his young son Rajiv. 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. 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. 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. There also starts the realisation that Ganga and Arjun are actually in love.

The film is according to me beautifully narrated and Subhash Ghai's direction is very good. Technically the film might have been better as the cinematography was not that good. 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 absolutely enjoyable. 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 the USA. 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. The romance between Shahrukh Khan and Mahima was very well portrayed and the two had a wonderful chemistry.

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. As Arjun, he is kindhearted, and atypically subdued, sensitive and extremely vulnerable. Khan plays his role with restraint, depth and sincerity he rarely employs. The film's brightest spot for me is the gorgeous Mahima Chaudhary, whose stunning, almost angelic beauty is a true heavenly creation. 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. 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. 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.

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. Amrish Puri is outstanding as Kishorilal, and the rest of the cast provide good support. Nadeem-Shravan's soundtrack includes some very melodious tracks. I liked Kavita Krishnamurthy's rendition of "I Love My India". This film also marks the breakthrough of Sonu Nigam, who became a star with the song "Dil Deewana". A soulful, melancholic and very romantic song called "Zara Tasveer Se Tu (Meri Mehbooba)" was beautifully sung by Alka Yagnik and Kumar Sanu. To sum it up, Pardes is a wonderful romantic drama and that is the reason it was appreciated upon release. I recommend Pardes, for its story, music and superb star cast, particularly Khan and Mahima.

Pardes, directed by Subhash Ghai, is a heartfelt film that beautifully captures the cultural clash between traditional Indian values and the Western way of life. The story revolves around Kishorilal (Amrish Puri), an NRI in America who wants an Indian bride for his westernized son. He finds Ganga (Mahima Chaudhry), a pure-hearted girl from his hometown in India. Shah Rukh Khan delivers a compelling performance as Arjun, Kishorilal's foster son, who becomes entangled in the ensuing drama. The film's strength lies in its music and emotional storytelling, though it sometimes veers into melodrama. Overall, Pardes offers a poignant look at the idea of home and identity, making it a classic in the genre of Indian cinema.

The character of Shah Rukh Khan in this movie, is the perfect son-in-law. I think every girl who sees him in this movie would fall in love with his character Arjun. This unselfish boy, who is brought up in a home where some of them treated him like dirt.

The persons I truly disliked were the 2aunts. Looking like witches and being really arrogant about the money they owned and their dislikes of any one with less money (I call it the American syndrome). Mahima Choudrey was and is gorgeous, the role of Ganga was really a bit too much, but I could understand her point of view.

The scene with the snake was quit weird, the director could have solved that in another way. Don't know what the point was of this particular scene. Also the last song of the movie was totally uncalled for. I won't spoil it by saying why, but that song could have been edited somewhere else in the movie.