Pardes [DVD]

Plot in essence is wealthy NRI (Non Resident Indian) and head of his own clan in America has an old friend leading a simple rural life back in India. He decides that he needs to keep Indian connections and values strong in the States and to marry his westernized son to the daughter of the rural lot.
It is decided she will be engaged to the son and then see America for a month or so to see how she feels about the move before the wedding. She finds the son has a poor character in a range of ways and there is a ruckus when she may wish to change that decision. In the middle of all this is the son's friend played by Shahrukh Khan who she falls in love with as her trust in the son crumbles.

This is fairly unashamedly a propaganda movie about the solid values of India and how the American experience corrupts. To me they actually didn't succeed in this aim. They showed a beautiful India but one with narrow-mindedness when challenged with sorting out the change in heart. The rural group also had an early incident when another family in the village challenges the son to a sporting match with the winner claiming the girls marriage...and that is meant to be respectful of women and good values????
Then there are the 'corrupted' NRIs who seemed to have transferred the worst of their caste ideas to the USA. Among them are nice (uncorrupted??) working class folk and bitchy thoughtless other ones. In essence to me it showed there are jerks, narrow-mindedness and shady values in both cultures- as well as fine ones in both. I saw a review elsewhere by an NRI from the US who said he didn't treat people as badly as the son and hadn't been corrupted and that to him this guy was a bad apple in any culture! (well put) In an effort to push the corrupt US angle the girl points to the drug ridden US ...had she seen any of the Bollywood movies about corruption and drug lords in India? I could go on and on (as many have)....

However decide for yourself as it is a typical Bollywood melodrama and entertainer. I had seen reviews that pointed to it being unusual and superior but I found it just good standard fare. It did win some awards and is regarded as a classic. The cinematography is beautiful. There are a few decent songs and some good dances with SRK in them. Shahrukh alone is worth watching the movie for (and he plays a restrained performance) and he has a strong leading lady here in Mahima Chaudhry who is very good. The supports are good too with even the difficult son subtly treading the jerk for the most part so that she takes a while to spot what he's about. It is a long movie but my emotions were engaged so that was fine.

It is both a drama and a romance. There are some fight scenes (for those that prefer to avoid those) and a social comment movie.

Elsewhere on the Net it usually is scored above average. That's where I'd put it at too. Recommended.

i really like this film and has a good storyline, it was mahima's first movie, she has won her award for her first movie,