American dreams. Indian soul.
As much as it breaks my heart for me to admit, I have just discovered my first - for lack of a better word - disappointing Hindi film in the form of Pardes (1997). If I am to be honest, I don’t really know how I specifically feel about the film. I'm not particularly a fan of it, yet in no way is it a terrible movie either. In fact, I’d say the last half hour of the film was exceptional and spectacularly gratifying. But other than that, the first two and a half hours were just so damn slow. I really try not to hold the length of a film responsible for its downfall, but Pardes is certainly an exception to this rule. While its topic was certainly thought-provoking, it wasn’t executed to the best of its ability. I feel as though it had too broad of a premise, and suffered because of it. The attempts to fill in the typical three hour time slot by putting in innumerable amounts of unnecessary scenes did nothing but slow the pace of the story. Granted, there were a few scenes here and there done very well, as I found myself highly invested in the situation it wove me into. Sadly, that temporary interest seemed to subside only minutes later. |
If nothing else, I at least found the music to be entertaining, but even those sequences lacked that special escapism and flair that makes Bollywood so remarkable. (I don’t know, maybe that’s just my opinion after having overindulged in several Yash Raj Chopra romance films.) Even Shahrukh Khan’s acting (which was still as impressive and charming as always) just seemed to lack its usual vibrance in this film. And I blame nothing more than the writing and direction of this production responsible. In fact, I have no issue with any of the actors at all, but rather how their characters seemed to become more and more inconsistent as the film progressed. When the film finally finished, I was just left dumbfounded, letting out an unsatisfied “huh?” And why is it that this SRK film is seemingly more well known than that of Baazigar ? Or even Karan Arjun for that matter? Those two movies had far more personality, if you ask me. All right, you’re probably sitting here feeling rather lost, as I have yet to fill you in on what exactly this movie deals with. From a broad perspective, the overall story of Pardes is a very heartfelt one, and it leaves quite a profound message - even though that message may not be the very one the filmmakers had originally intended in the first place. It heavily centers around the lives of westernized NRIs (Non-Resident Indians) and how the cultural barrier between two different countries can lead to conflict and corruption. A settled businessman finds himself coming back to his motherland of India in hopes of finding a suitable Indian girl for his American-born son Rajiv. However, this seemingly innocent mix of acculturation causes more issues than previously bargained for. The character of Arjun (Rajiv’s brother) serves as a matchmaker between the two - to get his westernized brother to be accepting of their family’s native Indian values, all the while trying to get the beautiful girl Ganga to be accepting of American vices. Okay, now this is where my dislike for the film comes into play. It explores this topic of cultural differences, yet does so in a way that’s very stereotypical and offensive. Reviewers who loathe this film often complain about how the American characters are inaccurately represented as immoral, perverted human beings, whereas the Indian characters are represented as ethical and compassionate people. I understand that Pardes was going for a sense of pride for its country, but to do so at the extent of degrading another truly defeated the overall purpose of the film in the process. However, this argument alone is NOT the reason why I have a dislike for the movie. Let me get this clear, as this is very important - These biased critics are completely ignorant to the fact that the rude “American” qualities are ALSO possessed in a handful of the Indian characters we see on screen. One may argue that the unscrupulous, foul behavior of Rajiv is a result of him being raised in the United States. And yet you also have to consider the violent temper of Ganga’s father who, by the way, had no affiliation with the American way of life. His threat to kill his own daughter after having heard of her love for Arjun rather than Rajiv near the climax of the film is anything but ethical and compassionate, if you ask me. So, what really was the message Pardes was going for? That acculturation is a bad thing? That if you send your Indian daughter off to America, she’s going to get raped and humiliated? That you mustn’t fall in love with someone that your family disproves of because, inevitably, the happiness of your family is far more important than that of your own happiness? Honestly, I think the inspirational answer should have been something along the lines of “Take pride in your country. Explore new places, yet never forget where it is you come from.” Unfortunately, I do not think Pardes had that impression on its audience. After analyzing this film on a deeper note, the more I’ve come to realize that these characters, no matter what the culture, are simply people who have chosen between right and wrong. Yet, this specific message isn’t as obvious and prominent as it should be, which leads casual viewers into thinking that it’s just a film that enjoys degrading different cultures to make it feel better about its own. |