Pardes
Pardes is the story that discusses the cultural values of the East & the West portrayed by Arjun (Shah Rukh Khan) and Ganga (Mahima Chaudhry). Kishorilal (Amrish Puri) is a wealthy businessman living in America visits hd friend Suraj Dev (Alok Nath) in India. During his stay at the conservative traditional Indian household, he gets to know Suraj's eldest daughter Ganga, a beautiful girl who shares his love for Indian culture.
Ganga's younger siblings are enchanted by the uncle from America because they perceive Western culture and values to be more desirable. They come up with a plan to impress him with an English song. Unimpressed, he sings back a hymn-like song in a more traditional Indian style, "I Love My India." Ganga joins in this song, expressing her equal love for India. The song emphasizes the movie's theme in key moments. After this event, Kishorilal asks Suraj to promise Ganga as a bride for his westernized son, Rajiv (Apoorva Agnihotri). He is convinced that Ganga will be not only a perfect bride, but she will also be able to revive treasured Indian values and make sure it is passed on to his Americanized family.
Kishorilal knows he will have a tough time trying to convince his son to meet Ganga let alone marry her. Back in America, he asks his foster son, Arjun (Shahrukh Khan) to help his plan move along. Arjun has values similar to Kishorilal and Ganga. He spends most of his time working full-time in his uncle's garage and in the spare time he composes music and is being interviewed for composing a new hit song. However, when Kishorilal calls to ask for his help, his loyalty to his uncle is so strong that he cuts the interview short.
Arjun flies to India ahead of Rajiv to set the stage for him to meet Ganga, unintentionally offending Ganga's family with a barrage of orders that includes removing farm animals from around the house and gardens into a nearby farm (to be out of sight) and relocating their servants from residing inside the house to living outdoors. As a result of this Ganga dresses up with horn-rimmed eyeglasses and buck teeth, sending Arjun into a panic about the success of Kishorilal's plans. Later he gets a chance to meet the authentic Ganga, he is entranced.
In an effort to make up for his offensive behaviour Arjun promises to be a trustworthy friend and asks her how he should make amends. Immediately, Ganga requests he return the farm animals and the servants back into the house. She explains to Arjun that in her family, they love all who are a part of it, even animals and servants. This is in direct contrast to Arjun's western view that they are not very important.
When Rajiv arrives, he also acts offensively; sometimes intentionally, and sometimes because he has no idea of what Indians consider rude or inappropriate. Arjun, despite his own attraction to Ganga, smooths the way for Rajiv to bond with Ganga, as per Kishorilal's wishes. In his determination to make Rajiv's marriage happen with Ganga Arjun deceives Ganga about Rajiv's character and habits; he assures her that Rajiv is a "nice guy" he also covers up for Rajiv, telling Ganga the cigarettes she found in Rajiv's room are his own.
Rajiv and Ganga both agree to marry each other thanks to Arjun's efforts. The engagement is set in India, but the families agree that Ganga should visit America before her wedding day. Soon after her engagement, Ganga arrives in the USA but her feelings are hurt as her traditional dress is despised by Rajiv's snarky mother. After a few weeks in the US, Ganga is home-sick. Her only true friend is Arjun with whom she begins to form a special bond. One day, she is invited to attend a very large and influential gathering arranged by Kishorilal and is also invited to sing. She sings the same "I Love My India" and receives warm, sincere applause.
Gradually Ganga realizes that Rajiv isn't the person Arjun had portrayed him to be when they were in India. Rajiv not only seems eager to leave her at home whenever possible, with little explanation or apology. When he does bring her out with his friends, he smokes, gets drunk and acts like a bully. At one party, he is drinking and flirting with other women while another man begins dancing too closely with Ganga. Rajiv ignores the situation, Arjun loses his temper and fights the man to the ground. Later, Ganga is shocked to discover pictures of Rajiv with his girlfriend that clearly show he has had a sexual relationship with her. She is also astonished to find that Kishorilal's family treats Arjun, a trusted member as a servant.
When Rajiv abandons Ganga for dinner with his girlfriend, Ganga confronts Arjun and demands an explanation. Arjun justifies Rajiv's behaviour, reminding Ganga that Rajiv lives like an American and that she should not make a fuss about such a petty affair. This exchange leads to a key monologue from Ganga. Infuriated that Arjun sees Rajiv's casual, unapologetic unfaithfulness as a "petty affair", she tells him that she needs "Love" – the kind of love he (Arjun) gives others. She further rejects being made into a "decoration" to fit into Kishorilal's palatial mansion. At this point, Arjun realizes that he has fallen in love with Ganga, but because of his immense loyalty to Kishorilal, he continues to encourage her to continue with the engagement and worry about changing Rajiv later.
The next day, it is Arjun's birthday and he is depressed, a thoughtful Ganga senses his frustration and asks Rajiv to accompany her to wish Arjun a "happy birthday". Rajiv refuses, making it clear that he views Arjun as some kind of servant. Hence, Ganga visits the garage without Rajiv, throwing a surprise party to liven up Arjun's spirits. Rajiv's hostile aunt Neeta notices the growing friendship between Ganga and Arjun and warns Kishorilal. He arranges for Arjun to relocate urgently telling him he has been promoted and must start with attending a board meeting the following morning in another city far away. Kishorilal then plans a short outing vacation for Rajiv to be with Ganga in Las Vegas.
In Las Vegas, Rajiv gets drunk and reveals his contempt for his fellow Indians; he derides Indians as "hypocrites" and "stupid". Ganga heatedly responds that Indians hate America's drug-riddled, amoral alternative and slaps Rajiv. Furious, he tries to rape Ganga; after a violent struggle, she knocks him unconscious and flees.
Rajiv informs Kishorilal who quickly starts looking for the missing Ganga. Arjun finds her crying at a train station with her clothes torn. He tries to persuade her to go back to Kishorilal's home, but she refuses. Arjun promises to protect her and help her get back to her family safely in India. After Arjun and Ganga safely arrive in India, Kishorilal informs Suraj that Arjun eloped with Ganga and Suraj quickly picks up a family sword that hangs on the wall. Arjun seizes that sword and swears to Ganga's faithfulness and chastity. Then Arjun leaves, intending never to return. Meanwhile, Ganga is not allowed to explain further and is locked inside a horse shed by Kishorilal. Ganga's younger siblings and grandmother secretly make their way to the horse shed and advise her to elope with Arjun. It is now that Ganga realizes that she is in love with Arjun, and with their help, manages to leave home unobserved. By this time, Kishorilal has arrived in India with Rajiv.
Ganga catches up with Arjun at a temple and demands that he express his love but Arjun, who is still loyal to Kishorilal refuses to marry her. Ganga is devastated but before Arjun walks away, Rajiv turns up with several thugs to kill Arjun but Ganga protects Arjun. However, Arjun and Rajiv eventually clash after Rajiv slaps Ganga and attempts to further hit her.
In the ensuing fight, Arjun is beated terribly and is severly wounded before getting the upper hand. Kishorilal arrives with Suraj just as Arjun is about to kill Rajiv. Kishorilal furiously suggests that Arjun "honorably" kill himself with a conveniently handy gun, and demands Arjun "tell the truth" about how he came to be in India with Rajiv's promised bride. This leads to the second key monologue of the film.
Arjun confronts Kishorilal with "not wanting to know the truth; people who want the truth, don't ask for it with a gun". He accuses Kishorilal of having become a true Westerner after all since his wealth has eviscerated his compassion and ability to examine the truth when it doesn't match what he wants it to be. Confessing that he does, in truth, love Ganga, he affirms that he never pursued her and has acted honourably, while Rajiv in every way rejected honourable action and lied about how Ganga came to have returned so suddenly to India; not only was Ganga (personification of the most valued aspects of Indian culture), unable to merge with Western culture, Western values (in the person of Rajiv) almost utterly ruined Ganga.
Ganga confirms Rajiv's attempted rape, which shocks everyone, then tells her father she is willing to die by whatever means he chooses; poison, fire, or hunger. This pivotal scene both verbalizes and symbolizes how good, happy, pure Ganga (Indian values), instead of being able to uplift and enrich Rajiv (Western values), has been sacrificed to the unsuccessful attempt to merge India with the West.
Moreover, but realizing he has indeed heard the truth, Kishorilal affirms that Ganga will marry his son. Rejecting Rajiv (and, symbolically, his own Western compromises), he embraces Arjun as his true son, and along with Suraj and his family blesses the upcoming marriage between Arjun and Ganga.
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