# 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$4.7 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.

## Plot

Surajdev 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, which Ganga opposes. Starting off on the wrong foot, the two eventually become good friends. 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, including lying about Rajiv's vices. 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. She blames Arjun for lying to her about Rajiv and Kishorilal requests her to try to understand Rajiv better and fix the household as she will be married to him. On a trip to Las Vegas, Rajiv insists Ganga sleep with him before marriage. Ganga states her wish to abstain until they marry, after which Rajiv insults Indian traditions. Offended, Ganga slaps Rajiv and then cancels the relationship by discarding her ring. As a result, a drunk Rajiv slaps and forces himself on 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, slaps Rajiv, and orders him to go back to the US. He calls off Ganga's wedding with Rajiv and declares she will marry Arjun instead. The two return to the US, where they live out a happy married life.

## Cast

* Shah Rukh Khan as Arjun Saagar, Kishorilal's foster son
* Mahima Chaudhry as Kusum Ganga
* Apurva Agnihotri as Rajiv, Kishorilal's biological son
* Amrish Puri as Kishorilal, Arjun's foster and Rajiv's biological father
* Alok Nath as Suraj Dev, Ganga's father.
* Padmavati Rao as Narmada
* Dina Pathak as Dadi Maa
* Himani Shivpuri as Kulwanti
* Madhuri Bhatia as Neeta Sandiplal, Arjun's foster aunt.
* Smita Jaykar as Padma
* Pawan Malhotra as Sharafat Ali
* Prachi Save as Daksha
* Aditya Narayan as Potla
* Ajay Nagrath as Dabboo
* Samta Sagar as Sonali Shahi
* Subhash Ghai as singer in a boat
* Remo D'Souza as Dancer
* Rakesh Thareja as Shekhar Paul, Rajiv's friend.
* Ruhshad Nariman Daruwalla as Vikrant Pathak, Potla's friend.
* Akash as Karnataki
* Richa Anderson as Kelly, Rajiv's ex-girlfriend.
* Sukhwinder Singh Chahal as Ramu
* Deepak Qazir as Amirchand
* Vinod Raut as Garibchand
* Anand Balraj as Manuchand

## Soundtrack

Ghai wanted A. R. Rahman to compose the music of this film, but he was too expensive and didn't fit the budget of the film. However, they collaborated on Ghai's next, Taal (1999). The soundtrack of Pardes was then 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.
Track list
| # | Title | Singer(s) |
| 1 | "Do Dil Mil Rahe Hain" | Kumar Sanu |
| 2 | "Meri Mehbooba" | Kumar Sanu, Alka Yagnik |
| 3 | "Yeh Dil Deewana" | Sonu Nigam, Hema Sardesai & Shankar Mahadevan |
| 4 | "I Love My India" | Kavita Krishnamurthy, Hariharan, Aditya Narayan & Shankar Mahadevan |
| 5 | "Jahan Piya Wahan Main" | K. S. Chithra, Shankar Mahadevan |
| 6 | "Nahin Hona Tha" | Alka Yagnik, Udit Narayan, Hema Sardesai & Sabri Brothers |
| 7 | "My First Day In U.S.A" | Hema Sardesai |
| 8 | "I Love My India" (Female) | Kavita Krishnamurthy |
| 9 | "Title Music" | Sapna Awasthi |

## Reception

Planet Bollywood started their review by saying, "The music of Pardes is one of Nadeem-Shravan's best ever."

## Box office

Pardes 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. It is the 4th-highest-grossing film of 1997 in India.

### India

It 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. It is the 4th highest-grossing film of 1997 in India.

### Overseas

It earned $1.7 million (₹6.12 crore in 1997) outside India. 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).
Pardes worldwide collections breakdown :
| Territory | Territory wise Collections break-up |
| India | Nett income: ₹31.83 crore |
| India | Entertainment tax: ₹12 crore |
| India | Total gross: ₹43.83 crore |
| International (outside India) | $1.7 million (₹6.12 crore in 1997) |
| Worldwide | ₹49.95 crore ($11.4 million) |

## Critical reception

Pardes 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.
India Today cites it as one of the first major Bollywood pictures to succeed in the United States.
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.

## Accolades

| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
| Filmfare Awards | 31 January 1998 | Best Film | Subhash Ghai | Nominated | [12] [13] |
| Filmfare Awards | 31 January 1998 | Best Director | Subhash Ghai | Nominated | [12] [13] |
| Filmfare Awards | 31 January 1998 | Best Screenplay | Subhash Ghai | Won | [12] [13] |
| Filmfare Awards | 31 January 1998 | Best Actress | Mahima Chaudhry | Nominated | [12] [13] |
| Filmfare Awards | 31 January 1998 | Best Female Debut | Mahima Chaudhry | Won | [12] [13] |
| Filmfare Awards | 31 January 1998 | Best Music Director | Nadeem–Shravan | Nominated | [12] [13] |
| Filmfare Awards | 31 January 1998 | Best Lyricist | Anand Bakshi for "I Love My India" | Nominated | [12] [13] |
| Filmfare Awards | 31 January 1998 | Best Lyricist | Anand Bakshi for "Meri Mehbooba" | Nominated | [12] [13] |
| Filmfare Awards | 31 January 1998 | Best Male Playback Singer | Hariharan for "I Love My India" | Nominated | [12] [13] |
| Filmfare Awards | 31 January 1998 | Best Male Playback Singer | Kumar Sanu for "Do Dil Mil Rahe Hain" | Nominated | [12] [13] |
| Filmfare Awards | 31 January 1998 | Best Female Playback Singer | Alka Yagnik for "Meri Mehbooba" | Won | [12] [13] |
| Filmfare Awards | 31 January 1998 | Best Female Playback Singer | Kavita Krishnamurthy for "I Love My India" | Nominated | [12] [13] |
| Screen Awards | 17 January 1998 | Best Film | Pardes | Nominated | [14] [15] [16] [17] |
| Screen Awards | 17 January 1998 | Best Director | Subhash Ghai | Nominated | [14] [15] [16] [17] |
| Screen Awards | 17 January 1998 | Most Promising Newcomer – Male | Apurva Agnihotri | Nominated | [14] [15] [16] [17] |
| Screen Awards | 17 January 1998 | Most Promising Newcomer – Female | Mahima Chaudhry | Nominated | [14] [15] [16] [17] |
| Screen Awards | 17 January 1998 | Best Music Director | Nadeem–Shravan | Won | [14] [15] [16] [17] |
| Screen Awards | 17 January 1998 | Best Lyricist | Anand Bakshi for "Do Dil Mil Rahe Hain" | Nominated | [14] [15] [16] [17] |
| Screen Awards | 17 January 1998 | Best Lyricist | Anand Bakshi for "I Love My India" | Nominated | [14] [15] [16] [17] |
| Screen Awards | 17 January 1998 | Best Male Playback Singer | Kumar Sanu for "Do Dil Mil Rahe Hain" | Nominated | [14] [15] [16] [17] |
| Screen Awards | 17 January 1998 | Best Cinematography | Kabir Lal | Won | [14] [15] [16] [17] |
| Zee Cine Awards | 14 March 1998 | Best Film | Subhash Ghai | Nominated | [18] [19] [20] [21] |
| Zee Cine Awards | 14 March 1998 | Best Director | Subhash Ghai | Nominated | [18] [19] [20] [21] |
| Zee Cine Awards | 14 March 1998 | Best Story | Subhash Ghai | Nominated | [18] [19] [20] [21] |
| Zee Cine Awards | 14 March 1998 | Best Cinematography | Kabir Lal | Nominated | [18] [19] [20] [21] |
| Zee Cine Awards | 14 March 1998 | Best Actor – Male | Shah Rukh Khan | Nominated | [18] [19] [20] [21] |
| Zee Cine Awards | 14 March 1998 | Best Actor in a Supporting Role – Male | Apurva Agnihotri | Nominated | [18] [19] [20] [21] |
| Zee Cine Awards | 14 March 1998 | Best Male Debut | Apurva Agnihotri | Nominated | [18] [19] [20] [21] |
| Zee Cine Awards | 14 March 1998 | Best Female Debut | Mahima Chaudhry | Won | [18] [19] [20] [21] |
| Zee Cine Awards | 14 March 1998 | Best Music Director | Nadeem–Shravan | Nominated | [18] [19] [20] [21] |
| Zee Cine Awards | 14 March 1998 | Best Background Score | Vanraj Bhatia | Won | [18] [19] [20] [21] |
| Zee Cine Awards | 14 March 1998 | Best Lyricist | Anand Bakshi for "I Love My India" | Nominated | [18] [19] [20] [21] |
| Zee Cine Awards | 14 March 1998 | Best Playback Singer – Male | Kumar Sanu for "Do Dil Mil Rahe Hain" | Nominated | [18] [19] [20] [21] |
| Zee Cine Awards | 14 March 1998 | Best Playback Singer – Female | Kavita Krishnamurthy for "I Love My India" | Nominated | [18] [19] [20] [21] |
| Zee Cine Awards | 14 March 1998 | Best Editing | Renu Saluja | Nominated | [18] [19] [20] [21] |
| Zee Cine Awards | 14 March 1998 | Best Make Up Artist | Kiran R. Naik | Nominated | [18] [19] [20] [21] |
| Zee Cine Awards | 14 March 1998 | Best Sound Recording | Rakesh Ranjan | Won | [18] [19] [20] [21] |
| Zee Cine Awards | 14 March 1998 | Best Re-Recording | Anup Dev | Nominated | [18] [19] [20] [21] |
| Zee Cine Awards | 14 March 1998 | Best Song Recording | Hassan Sheikh | Nominated | [18] [19] [20] [21] |
| Zee Cine Awards | 14 March 1998 | Best Special Effects (Visual) | Ramesh Meer | Nominated | [18] [19] [20] [21] |