28 Years of Pardes
Subhash Ghai's directorial musical romantic film Pardes completed 28 years. Starring Superstar Shah Rukh Khan, Mahima Chaudhry, Apurva Agnihotri, and Amrish Puri in the lead roles, the film was released in theatres on 8th August 1997.
Made on a budget of ₹10 crore, the film grossed ₹40.95 crore, becoming a commercial success and the fourth highest-grossing film of the year 1997 after Dil To Pagal Hai, Border, and Ishq. The film marked the Bollywood debut of Apurva Agnihotri.
Pardes earned 12 nominations at the 43rd Filmfare Awards and bagged 3 trophies—Best Screenplay for Subhash Ghai, Best Female Debut for Mahima Chaudhry, and Best Female Playback Singer for Alka Yagnik ("Meri Mehbooba"). The film marked the Bollywood debut of Mahima Chaudhry in a lead role.
The film was remade in Telugu as Pelli Kanuka (1998), directed by Kodi Ramakrishna and starring Jagapati Babu, Lakshmi, and Banumathi Ramakrishna. Renu Saluja edited this film, marking her maiden collaboration with director Subhash Ghai.
The film marked director Subhash Ghai's maiden collaboration with Shah Rukh Khan, Mahima Chaudhry, and Apurva Agnihotri. The film marked the maiden collaboration between Superstar Shah Rukh Khan and Mahima Chaudhry.
The supporting cast of the film included Alok Nath, Padmavati Rao, Dina Pathak, Himani Shivpuri, Madhuri Bhatia, Smita Jaykar, Pavan Malhotra, Prachi Save Saathi, Aditya Narayan, Ajay Nagrath, and Samta Sagar.
The film is produced by Subhash Ghai under the banner of Mukta Arts. Kabir Lal handled the cinematography of this film, marking his maiden collaboration with director Subhash Ghai. At the 4th Screen Awards, the film earned 9 nominations and won 2 awards—Best Music Director Nadeem-Shravan and Best Cinematography Kabir Lal.
Nadeem-Shravan composed the songs for this film, marking their maiden collaboration with director Subhash Ghai. Vanraj Bhatia composed the background score for this film, marking his maiden collaboration with director Subhash Ghai. The film is written by Subhash Ghai, who handled the story and screenplay, with dialogues penned by Javed Siddiqui.
Why is Pardes considered a good musical romantic drama?
The film’s biggest strength is its soundtrack, which became a cultural phenomenon. Songs like Do Dil Mil Rahe Hain, Yeh Dil Deewana, Meri Mehbooba, and I Love My India are not just melodious but also carry emotional weight that enhances the storytelling. The combination of Kumar Sanu, Alka Yagnik, Sonu Nigam, and Hariharan’s voices with Anand Bakshi’s meaningful lyrics made the album timeless.
The love story between Arjun (Shah Rukh Khan) and Ganga (Mahima Chaudhry) feels both traditional and fresh. Their chemistry is built gradually, with trust and cultural values at the center rather than just attraction. This gives the romance emotional depth, making it resonate with audiences.
The film explores the clash between Indian values and Western lifestyles. Through Ganga’s innocence and Arjun’s loyalty, Pardes contrasts rooted Indian traditions with the temptations of modern materialism. Subhash Ghai crafted Pardes as a large-scale emotional drama with beautiful visuals, grand sets, and an international backdrop, yet never losing sight of Indian cultural values.
Q: Who directed the film Pardes and when was it released?
A: Pardes was directed by Subhash Ghai and released in
theatres on 8th August 1997.
Q: Who were the lead actors in the film?
A: The lead roles were played by Superstar Shah Rukh Khan,
Mahima Chaudhry, Apurva Agnihotri, and Amrish Puri.
Q: What was the budget and box office performance of Pardes?
A: Made on a budget of ₹10 crore, the film grossed ₹40.95
crore, becoming a commercial success and the fourth highest-grossing film of
1997 after Dil To Pagal Hai, Border, and Ishq.
Q: Which actors made their Bollywood debut in Pardes?
A: Mahima Chaudhry made her debut in a lead role, while
Apurva Agnihotri also made his Bollywood debut with this film.
Q: How was Pardes received at the Filmfare Awards?
A: At the 43rd Filmfare Awards, Pardes earned 12 nominations
and won 3 awards—Best Screenplay for Subhash Ghai, Best Female Debut for Mahima
Chaudhry, and Best Female Playback Singer for Alka Yagnik (“Meri Mehbooba”).
Q: Was the film remade in any other language?
A: Yes, Pardes was remade in Telugu as Pelli Kanuka (1998),
directed by Kodi Ramakrishna and starring Jagapati Babu, Lakshmi, and Banumathi
Ramakrishna.
Q: Who handled the editing and cinematography of Pardes?
A: Renu Saluja was the editor, and Kabir Lal handled the
cinematography. This marked Kabir Lal’s maiden collaboration with Subhash Ghai.
Q: Who composed the music and background score of the film?
A: Nadeem–Shravan composed the songs, while Vanraj Bhatia
composed the background score. Both collaborated with Subhash Ghai for the
first time in this film.
Q: Who wrote the story, screenplay, and dialogues?
A: The story and screenplay were written by Subhash Ghai,
while the dialogues were penned by Javed Siddiqui.
Q: Which awards did Pardes win at the Screen Awards?
A: At the 4th Screen Awards, Pardes won 2 awards—Best Music
Director for Nadeem–Shravan and Best Cinematography for Kabir Lal, from 9
nominations.
Q: Who were part of the supporting cast in Pardes?
A: The supporting cast included Alok Nath, Padmavati Rao,
Dina Pathak, Himani Shivpuri, Madhuri Bhatia, Smita Jaykar, Pavan Malhotra,
Prachi Save Saathi, Aditya Narayan, Ajay Nagrath, and Samta Sagar.
Q: Who produced the film and under which banner?
A: The film was produced by Subhash Ghai under the banner of
Mukta Arts.
Q: Why is the music of Pardes considered its biggest
strength?
A: The soundtrack became a cultural phenomenon with songs
like Do Dil Mil Rahe Hain, Yeh Dil Deewana, Meri Mehbooba, and I Love My India.
Sung by Kumar Sanu, Alka Yagnik, Sonu Nigam, and Hariharan, and penned by Anand
Bakshi, the songs carried emotional depth and timeless appeal.
Q: What is the central theme of Pardes?
A: The film explores the clash between Indian values and
Western lifestyles. It contrasts Ganga’s innocence and Arjun’s loyalty with the
materialism of modern life, presenting a story deeply rooted in cultural
traditions.
Q: How was the romance in the film portrayed?
A: The love story between Arjun (Shah Rukh Khan) and Ganga
(Mahima Chaudhry) was shown as gradual and value-based, built on trust rather
than instant attraction, giving it emotional resonance.
Q: How did Subhash Ghai craft the film visually?
A: Subhash Ghai presented Pardes as a large-scale emotional drama with grand sets, beautiful visuals, and an international backdrop, yet he never lost sight of Indian cultural values.
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