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Pardes (1997 film)
Pardes (transl. Foreign land) is a 1997 Indian Hindi-language romantic musical film directed, produced, and co-written by Subhash Ghai. Distributed by Mukta Arts, it stars Shah Rukh Khan, and newcomers Mahima Chaudhry and Apurva Agnihotri in lead roles, with Alok Nath, Amrish Puri and Himani Shivpuri in supporting roles. The film was shot at various locations in the United States (Los Angeles, Las Vegas), Canada (British Columbia, including Vancouver) and India (Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh, including Agra). Pardes theatrically released in India on 8 August 1997. It received mixed-to-positive reviews from critics, with praise for its soundtrack and Khan, Chaudhry, and Agnihotri's performances; however its story and screenplay received criticism. It grossed over ₹409 million (US$4.9 million) worldwide, emerging as a commercial success at the box-office, ranking as the fourth highest-grossing film of the year, behind Dil To Pagal Hai (also starring Khan), Border, and Ishq. At the 43rd Filmfare Awards, Pardes received 12 nominations, including Best Film, Best Director (Ghai) and Best Actress (Chaudhry), and won 3 awards – Best Female Debut (Chaudhry), Best Female Playback Singer (Alka Yagnik for "Meri Mehbooba") and Best Screenplay (Ghai). The film was remade in Telugu as Pelli Kanuka (1998) starring Jagapati Babu, Lakshmi & Banumathi Ramakrishna. It was released on the eve of celebration of 50th anniversary of the Indian independence. PlotSurajdev greets his childhood friend, Kishorilal, who is an NRI visiting India after many years. Kishorilal spends time at Suraj's house in his village, and is impressed by the values of his daughter, Ganga. Seeking to marry her to his son Rajiv, he returns to the US and sends his adopted son, Arjun, to India. Arjun sets about "westernizing" Ganga's household, and Rajiv arrives to India a few days later. Rajiv is initially shocked by Indian customs and traditions, though he approves of Ganga. Ganga turns to Arjun to understand Rajiv better, but he paints a perfect picture of Rajiv to her. Ganga agrees to the match as well, and departs for the US with Rajiv's family, after being engaged. In the US, Rajiv's extended family are cold towards Ganga, whom they consider an implant into their Americanised household. Ganga starts relying on Arjun for emotional support, and the two become close. Rajiv's vices come to light, as Ganga realises he is an alcoholic and a womanizer. Things reach a head when Rajiv insists Ganga sleep with him before marriage, while on a trip to Las Vegas. Ganga states her wish to abstain until they marry, but Rajiv forces himself upon her in a drunken state, and he even says insulting things about India. Offended, Ganga slaps Rajiv and then cancels the relationship by discarding her ring. As a result, Rajiv slaps and rapes Ganga, who fights back and injures Rajiv and then runs away. Arjun finds her crying at a train station, and he safely flies her back to India. Upon returning to the village in India, Ganga's father, thinking Arjun and Ganga have eloped, attempts to kill Arjun and Ganga for betraying them. Later, Rajiv and Kishorilal also reach the village in India, where Ganga has been reunited with her family. Arjun and Rajiv end up fighting, where Arjun is bleeding badly, but Kishorilal intervenes. He demands an explanation from Arjun, whom he raised as his own son but thinks he has seemingly betrayed him by 'eloping' with Ganga. Arjun clarifies he was only protecting Ganga from Rajiv and wasn't trying to elope with her though he does confess his love for her. After Arjun leaves, Ganga then corroborates his story by showing them the marks on her body from Rajiv's assault. Kishorilal is embarrassed and orders Rajiv back to the US. He calls off Ganga's wedding with Rajiv, and she ends up marrying Arjun instead. The two return to the US, where they live out a happy married life. Cast
Soundtrack
The soundtrack was composed by Nadeem–Shravan and the lyrics were penned by Anand Bakshi. For their work, Nadeem–Shravan received a Filmfare Award for Best Music Director nomination and won a Screen Award for Best Music Director. This was the only album where K.S. Chithra sung a Hindi song for Nadeem–Shravan. According to the Indian trade website Box Office India, with around 6 million units sold, this film's soundtrack album was the year's second highest-selling. Pardes soundtrack was released, the tracks had different varieties of songs; songs ("I Love My India" and "Meri Mehbooba"), Love songs ("Do Dil Mil Rahe Hain") and Qawwali ("Nahin Hona Tha)" Pop ("My first Day In America"), Pain ("Ye Dil Deewana"). Planet Bollywood started the review by saying, "The music for Pardes is Nadeem-Shravan's best ever. Track list
ReceptionPlanet Bollywood started their review by saying, "The music of Pardes is one of Nadeem-Shravan's best ever."[citation needed] Box officePardes grossed ₹34.83 crore in India and $1.7 million (₹6.12 crore) overseas, for a worldwide total of ₹40.95 crore ($11.4 million), against its ₹10 crore budget. It had a worldwide opening weekend of ₹3.4 crore, and grossed ₹6.19 crore in its first week.[2] It is the 4th-highest-grossing film of 1997 in India.[3] IndiaIt opened on Friday, August 8, 1997, across 210 screens, and earned ₹61 lakh nett on its opening day. It grossed ₹2 crore nett in its opening weekend, and had a first week of ₹3.64 crore nett. The film earned a total of ₹22.83 crore nett, and was declared a "super-hit" by Box Office India.[2] It is the 4th highest-grossing film of 1997 in India.[4] OverseasIt earned $1.7 million (₹6.12 crore in 1997) outside India.[2] Overseas, it is the 2nd highest-grossing film of 1997 after Dil To Pagal Hai, which grossed $3.3 million (₹12.04 crore in 1997).[5]
Critical receptionPardes received mixed-to-positive reviews from critics. Praise was given to the music and the cast's performances; however the story and screenplay of the film received criticism.[6][7][8] India Today cites it as one of the first major Bollywood pictures to succeed in the United States.[9] In their book, New Cosmopolitanisms: South Asians in the US, Gita Rajan and Shailja Sharma view the film as a dichotomous depiction of the good NRI versus bad NRI, with Khan depicting the good immigrant, who assists the rowdy Indian American playboy Rajiv (Apurva Agnihotri), the bad. Khan's character of Arjun is perceived as a metaphor for cosmopolitanism or Indian cultural nationalism in the wider sense, in direct contrast to Rajiv who represents wealthy Westernization and all its negative vices and connotations.[10] AccoladesNotesReferences
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