It's quite saddening that among the overhyped pictures of the 1950s, many of which were, indeed wonderful, this extraordinary and unusual film went totally unnoticed. The film is in many ways ahead of its times in both story and execution. First it, it is based on a true story - adapted from the fifteenth-century travelogues of Russian merchant Afanasy Nikitin, whose character is the protagonist in this film. Secondly, being a co-production between India and USSR, way before the Alibabas and the Ajoobas, this one really showed with pure authenticity how these two cultures meet and how this sociocultural contact shapes up the behaviour of the people involved. Even beyond the idea of a scripted motion picture, just watching how the actors from such wildly distinct cultures work together is fascinating.
The beauty of Pardesi lies in that it brings people together and celebrates humanity, which knows no language or boundaries. This is not to infer criticism on social identities and cultural differences, which are actually embraced here just as much. That's exactly the point of this film, the uniqueness of each cultural group does not come at the cost of the other. There isn't any attempt to suggest that equality means making everyone look or sound the same; on the contrary, true diversity is the desired state, and it is portrayed here with sheer honour. India is presented through an explorer's point of view, and Nikitin's story picks up when he meets and saves the life of a young Indian woman by the name of Champa. He is welcomed by her parents in their home, and a love story ensues, one that sadly and naturally can't be realised.
The film was shot twice in two identical versions with mild alternations, where the Russian one (Journey Beyond the Three Seas; colourised today) digs deeper into his journey even before Nikitin reaches India (making its runtime longer by almost an hour). The last scene for instance in the Russian version is omitted from the Indian one, which is a shame considering how beautiful and meaningful it is. Sadly, the film is much less captivating as his stay in Champa's house is over, although the many familiar faces make for an interesting watch. Among the film's biggest flaws is the perfect communication between Nikitin and the Indian characters in what clearly should be cross-linguistic interaction. The film shows the characters to have no struggle speaking to foreign interlocutors as if they all speak one common language, which strains credulity.
Nikitin, the man who likes travelling the world and meeting new people, is played by the Soviet actor Oleg Strizhenov in an excellent performance. Nargis is equally as good as Champa, infusing her character with vigor and poignancy. Padmini, an actress who is arguably one of the best dancers of Indian cinema, does exactly what one of the characters utters as she is dancing: speak through the gestures of her dance. Smaller appearances are offered by famous character actors including Prithviraj Kapoor, Achala Sachdev, Mamohan Krishan, and Balraj Sahni. Pardesi is an interesting film that deserves better familiarity among at least Indian audiences. It is not a great film, given its limitations and shortcomings, but it is a strong adventure with an unusual subject which I wish was tackled more. Definitely worth a watch.
