Top 100 Bollywood Movies Of All Time: No.32 - 5 Lesser-known Facts About Shahrukh Khan Starrer "Pardes"

Hitting the theatres in 1997, Shah Rukh Khan starrer Pardes was literally a hit at that point in terms of commercial, critical and music. The Subhash Ghai’s directional also marked the debut of Apurva Agnihotri and Mahima Chaudhry who won the Best Newcomer Award for her performance.

More than two decades after its release, Pardes has proved that it can stand the test of time to rank 32nd in Top 100 Bollywood Movies of All Time.

Here are some interesting facts about the film we bet you didn’t know, check them out!

Mahima Chaudhary Wasn’t The First Choice For The Female Lead

The actress who won the nation’s heart for her stunning look and stellar performance turned out not to be the first choice. In fact, the role of Ganga took inspiration from Madhuri Dixit who Subhash Ghai handpicked for his film. However, the actress stepped down for the role due to an altercation with Ghai in their previous film Khalnayak.

She Wasn’t Even The Second Choice

After Madhuri Dixit turned down the film, Juhi Chawla was the next option as Subhash Ghai wanted a pure desi look for the role. However, he changed his mind after observing Mahima Chaudhary's mind-blowing performance in the film audition and decided to settle down with this talented girl.

Subhash Ghai Was Obsessed With The Letter M

From Meenakshi Sheshadri in Hero to Manisha Koirala in Saudagar and then Mahima Chaudhary, all of the leading actresses’ names in Subhash Ghai’s blockbusters start with the letter M. He also brought Madhuri Dixit fame with Ram Lakhan and Tezaab.

Mahima Chaudhary Isn’t Her Real Name

The director who worshiped the letter M asked Ritu Chaudhary to change her name, Mahima Chaudhary. Not sure if it contributed to the success of Pardes or not but the movie became one of the greatest blockbusters of all time. 

Even A Great Blockbuster Has Its Own Flaws

Being one of Top 100 Bollywood Movies of All Time doesn't mean Pardes is a perfect film that has no flaw. Indeed, it was a major flaw which many of us didn’t realize. In the sense when Ganga throws a vase at Arjun and he bends down to avoid it, we can see an open door behind him. However, the door is closed just a second later when he stands up again. It was too obvious but easy to be overlooked.