As the movie completes 23 years, we give you some interesting trivia on its making...

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23 Years of Pardes: 23 lesser-known facts about the Shah Rukh Khan - Subhash Ghai musical

Team CE

Updated:30th Sep, 2020 at 1:40 PM

Aamir Khan was Subhash Ghai's first choice for the lead role, but Aamir declined due to a lack of dates. Salman Khan was also offered the lead role but he opted out.

Subhash Ghai used to hate Shah Rukh before the making of Pardes.

The lead role of Ganga was exclusively written for Madhuri Dixit, but Madhuri had some issues with Subhash Ghai during the filming of 'Khalnayak' and so opted out of the movie.

Juhi Chawla was then considered for the role of Ganga, but Subhash Ghai was so impressed with Mahima Chaudhry's audition that he gave her the role.

Subhash Ghai changed Mahima Chaudhry's screen name from Ritu to Mahima because the letter 'M' was considered lucky for a Subhash Ghai debut (Meenakshi Sheshadri, Manisha Koirala, and Madhuri Dixit)

Fatehpur Sikri was used as the backdrop for several scenes in Pardes.

Subhash Ghai badly wanted AR Rahman to compose the music for Pardes, but Rahman politely declined the offer since Ghai wanted the tunes ready in less than two months.

Pardes was Apurva Agnihotri's debut film. He played Shah Rukh's foster brother.

Salman Khan was at one point of time considered for the role played by Apurva Agnihotri.

After about 18 years of successful combination with musicians Laxmikant-Pyarelal, Ghai opted for Nadeem Shravan for Pardes, and he also gave the music rights to Tips instead of HMV for the first time.

Because of the super hit music of Pardes, Subhash Ghai presented 2 cars to Nadeem and Shravan as gifts.

Whitney Houston's song 'I have nothing' and Michael Jackson's song 'They don't really care about us' were used in the movie.

Aditya Narayan played a child artist in Pardes.

Pardes is the first film in 14 years that Subhash Ghai directed without Jackie Shroff. Ghai was rather upset he could not find a role for Jackie in the film.

Shah Rukh was not happy with the way his role turned out. He felt Mahima had a better role and footage. He didn't work with Ghai after Pardes.

Pardes is the only film of Shah Rukh Khan with Mahima.

Pardes was also Subhash Ghai's first film to be shot abroad.

The only film of Subhash Ghai for which Nadeem-Shravan composed the music.

Yeh Dil Deewana was shot with Shah Rukh's body double as the actor had to rush to Delhi to be with his then pregnant wife.

Subhash Ghai as usual made a cameo appearance in the sequence of Yeh Hai India in the beginning of the film.

Anupam Kher did not act in the film because of a major argument he had with Subhash Ghai during the making of Khal Nayak.

I Love My India was sampled from Dance of Saraswati by Kitaro.

Pardes was remade in Telugu as Pelli Kanuka (1998) starring Jagapati Babu, Lakshmi & Banumathi Ramakrishna.

The film, made at a budget of 10 crores, made 35 crores at the box office.

Here are a few more memorable snapshots and posters from the movie

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