Plot summary for
Pardes (1997) More at IMDbPro »

Pardes, is about Kishorilal who lives in America but has not forgotten his motherland India. His attachment with the country is deep and he hopes to find a daughter-in-law for his westernized, American son, Rajiv. He is especially taken by Ganga, the daughter of his friend Suraj Dev. He offers a marriage proposal between Ganga and Rajiv and they accept. He sends his foster son, Arjun to ensure Ganga approves of Rajiv. Soon Rajiv joins them and eventually both approve of each other. The engagement is set in India with the wedding in America. Ganga leaves for America with her new family and begins to adjust to her new surroundings. Her only friend is Arjun who she begins to form a special bond with. At first everything seems OK but as time goes on she realizes that Rajiv really isn't the person Arjun described to her while she was in India. She is right when she sees Rajiv smoking, drinking and to her shock finds out that he is still seeing his former girlfriend. She confronts Arjun and he realizes that he has fallen in love with her. Unfortunately her to be father-in-law sees this and he tells Arjun to leave the city. Ganga, now alone goes to Las Vegas with Rajiv. In a drunken state Rajiv tries to rape Ganga, she manages to knock him unconscious and runs away. Arjun, finds out Ganga is missing and looks for her. He finds her at a train station crying her eyes out and her clothes torn, she explains that Rajiv tried to rape her. He agrees to send her to India back to her family. Suraj Dev is misinformed with the circumstances in which Arjun brought Ganga to India. Believing Arjun ran away with Ganga, he tries to kill him. He fails and tells Arjun to leave the house. Suraj Dev does not listen to Ganga and she is locked up in a shed. She realizes that she is in love with Arjun. By this time Kishorilal has come to India. Rajiv comes as well and is ready to kill Arjun and take Ganga back to America. With the help of her brothers and sisters she manages to escape and stop Arjun from leaving. Rajiv and his friends finds them and beats Arjun up. He manages to break free and he beats Rajiv up, just when he is about to kill him, Kishorilal stops him. The truth comes out and he confesses in front of everyone is love for Ganga, yet he walks away and leaves her. Ganga tells everyone that Rajiv tried to rape her. Kishorilal realizes that his son is not good enough for Ganga and he breaks the engagement and tells Ganga to marry Arjun. Ganga and Arjun reunite and both get married. Written by gavin@sunny_deol2009@yahoo.com

This film takes a serious look at the lives of Westernized Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) in North America. Whereas Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge was about NRIs with Indian hearts, Pardes is about Westernized NRIs.) and hence the meaning of the title - "foreign land". Kishorilal is a successful businessman settled in America but still emotionally attached to his motherland - India. So the pardesi comes to India with his "American" son Rajiv to find a suitable '"Indian" girl for him. Kishorilal hopes his soon-to-be bahu will instill some Indian values in his extremely westernized beta. He finds his bahu in Kusum Ganga (a pet Subhash Ghai name just as Chandni was Yash Chopra's favorite for a long time) in the house of his childhood friend Suraj Dev. Mahima Chaudhary makes her debut as Ganga. To finalize the marriage he sends his son along with his foster son Arjun to India. Arjun plays Cupid and returns to America with Kusum and Rajiv. Arjun comes into the movie to get the American-boy to accept Indian values, and support the Indian-girl to accept American vices. The reverse does not fit into this movie. Arjun is portrayed as an Indian at heart and the hero of the film! All is hunky-dory till the true Bharatiya Nari finds out that her future husband is not a teetotaler. So, the heartbroken Kusum returns to India. Don't conclude that it is the end of the Bollywood fairy tale. It is just the beginning as Arjun falls in love with his would-have-been bhabi while playing Cupid and leads to a love triangle. Written by Sujit R. Varma

Owner of a 550 million dollar industry in the U.S., Kishorilal travels to his homeland, India, to meet with his childhood friend, Suraj Dev. Once there, he meets with Suraj's daughter Ganga Kusum, and asks for her hand in marriage with his only son, Rajiv, which they accept. Kishorilal returns to the U.S. and instructs his ward, Arjun to go to India with Rajiv and ensure that Ganga approves of Rajiv, and he does so. The families have an engagement ceremony, and Kishorilal, Rajiv, and Ganga go to the U.S. Once in the U.S., Ganga finds out that Kishorilal and his family are very wealthy, but nose-in-the-air snobs, and treat Arjun like a servant. She finds out that Rajiv has a number of vices: smoking, alcohol, drugs, and a Caucasian girlfriend, Kelly, whom he continues to maintain a relationship with. Rajiv attempts to have sexual intercourse with Ganga, she refuses, and runs away from him, straight to Arjun, who takes her to India to her parents' home. Once there, a mis-informed and enraged Suraj attempts to kill Arjun, and failing to do so, asks him to leave his house, which he does so; Ganga is locked in a room, awaiting the arrival of Kishorilal, and Rajiv, who will take her back with them to the U.S. and go ahead with the marriage ceremony. Written by rAjOo (gunwanti@hotmail.com)

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