Bilgi :Similar to the dual nation setting of Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995), Pardes (1997) 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". Kishori Lal (Amrish Puri) 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 (newcomer Apoorva Agnihotri) 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 (Alok Nath). Mahima Chaudhary makes her debut as Ganga. To finalise the marriage he sends his son along with his foster son Arjun (Shahrukh Khan) 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.Owner of a 550 million dollar industry in the U.S., Kishorilal (Amrish Puri) travels to his homeland, India, to meet with his childhood friend, Suraj Dev (Alok Nath). Once there, he meets with Suraj's daughter Ganga Kusum (Mahima Chaudhary), and asks for her hand in marriage with his only son, Rajivlal (Apoorva Agnihotri), which they accept. Kishorilal returns to the U.S. and instructs his ward, Arjun (Shahrukh Khan) 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.
