Pardes Mein Hain Mera Dil Review: A Fresh New Pair In The Same Old Boring Love Saga

Show Title: Pardes Mein Hain Mera Dil

Channel: Star Plus

Timings: Monday To Friday 8 pm

Star Plus’s latest love story Pardes Mein Hain Mera Dil starring Drashti Dhami and Arjun Bijlani is supposedly inspired by the hit movie Pardes. Produced by Balaji Telefilms, we see Arjun and Drashti as a couple for the first time on television. Let’s have a look at the first episode synopsis and see how much this new show managed to create an impression.

 

Pardes Mein Hain Mera Dil (2016)

Episode 1

With Kal Ho Na Ho’s instrumental playing in the background, we see Naina’s (Drashti Dhami) mother applying tikka to Naina’s forehead at the airport as Naina prepares to leave for Innsbruck to meet her brother. She tells her mom to take care of herself and take medicines on time but her mom is only worried if Naina has packed laddoo (an Indian sweet), gangaajal (water of the holy river Ganges) and other stuff that she gave her. Irritated by her mother’s over-concern Naina hurriedly leaves to disappear inside the airport without saying a proper goodbye to her mom. Dejected, her mom starts to leave when Naina comes running after her and hugs her tightly. Her mother tells her that had she had the money she would have definitely accompanied her. Naina once again reminds her to take care of her health and leaves. As Naina and her mother talk to each other at the airport, we see a woman observing them from a distance. That same woman is then sitting at the waiting area when Naina comes and sits a few seats away from her. She hears Naina talk to her mom on the phone and assure her that she has taken all the food that she packed for her.

The lady overhears her conversation and scowls hearing Naina lie. Naina notices her and asks her if she said something to which the lady replies that Naina is a liar who blatantly lies to her mother. She tells Naina that she understands what kind of a girl she is. She further adds that she knows that Naina is going to a foreign country for an arranged marriage and is leaving her ailing mother to fend for herself. Naina tells her that she judged her based on the 5 minutes she saw her at the airport and that she has no idea who she really is. The lady narrates her own personal experience and says that she knows how people really are and that Naina is no different than the others. Naina says that she has mixed her story with hers and that she should try listening to Naina’s story to know who she really is.

Naina introduces herself as Naina Batra originally from Punjab but now settled in Mumbai. She says she is going to Tyrol to visit her brother who lives there. She lives in Mumbai with her mother and that they have been living on her father’s pension after he passed away. She tells the lady that she is a teacher teaching in a college.

Flashback, we see Naina talk to her colleague when a group of girls approach her to help them with Valentine’s day message for their boyfriends (Since when did students start approaching their teachers for such stuff?). Naina’s colleague gasps in shock saying that girls as young as 16-17 years nowadays have boyfriends. One of the students replies that it is better they start early or else they will be left all alone by the time they turn 30 years old. Naina asks them to sit and explains the meaning of love (The explanation she gives is the cheesiest thing I have ever heard anyone say. At this point, I thought I had had enough and wanted to change the channel). The girls applaud her and leave the staff room (hahaha). Naina and her colleague are leaving for the day when they overhear the girls bitch about Naina saying that she is all of 27 years and is teaching here only because she still hasn’t found anyone for herself (Seriously? Students mind your own business!). 

Later, Naina and her colleague stop by a supermarket to buy some grocery when Nania bumps into her ex-boyfriend. We see a flashback wherein Naina and her ex-boyfriend are seen breaking up because he asks her who is takes priority in her life and he knows that she will always pick her mom over him. Back at the supermarket, Naina sees a pregnant woman approach him and assumes her to be the mother of his child. Heartbroken, Naina runs out of the supermarket.

At home, Naina finds out that her Rs.15K is missing from her savings. Her mom tells her that she used the money to buy a special ring suggested by a pandit (astrologer) that will rid her off all her problems and bring lots of happiness in her life. She tells her mom that soon she will see her prince charming at her doorstep and just then we hear a doorbell and the boy she met at the supermarket is standing in front of her.

His name is Amit. He is on his knees holding a ring in his hand (Hahahaa…this was the funniest scene in the whole episode). He begs Naina to listen to him and asks her to get back with him and so she does. We then see her get ready for her engagement to Amit. At the engagement hall, we see Amit’s mother grumbling over Amit’s decision to settle abroad. She tells him that his to-be-wife Naina will never leave her mom to settle abroad. She goes on to complain about Naina’s mother, who overhears their conversation and suffers a heart attack.

At the airport, the lady asks Naina what kind of a daughter she is to marry such a man. And we see that it was her mother who convinces her to marry Amit. Naina then tells the lady that though she has broken all ties with Amit, she is still going to Tyrol for a reason. And to know that she will have to listen to her full story on their flight.

 

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First Episode First Impression (FEFI)

With almost every new television serial I watch, my aversion for these shows only grows stronger. That is because I can clearly see that these show makers do not take the audiences seriously. They feed us recycled plots, recycled songs, and recycled scripts, under different names. There is no such thing as novelty in Indian television. Every new serial looks like a recycled product with a new name. And, this is why I dislike switching on my television. There is no damn thing worth watching.

 

Also Read: 10 Reasons Why ‘Finite Series’ Is A Welcome Change On Indian Television

 

What looked nice?

The pre-cap which showed a glimpse of Arjun Bijlani. That was the only good thing in the whole episode.

 

Also Read: What Is Wrong With Indian Television And 4 Lessons It Can Learn From Korean Shows

 

What did not look nice?

Everything damn thing. The first episode of the show was highly boring, overly melodramatic, and haphazardly edited. But the worst thing about it was that freaking background score. Yuck!! Whoever selected those tunes for this episode must have done it in his or her sleep. The music is more than a decade old. In fact, I remember hearing the same background music for old K-serials. Will Balaji telefilms ever take the effort of creating some new music for their shows? It is because of the music that I find every Balaji show similar. Why reuse the same old tunes? Music is an integral part of a show. Viewers like me, who still remember title tracks of old TV serials, identify a show with its music. But I don’t think these producers will ever understand that.

There are zillion things that bothered me through the episode for instance Naina’s colleague speaks in broken Hindi which I am sure because she is Catholic. I know so many Catholic people who speak reasonably good Hindi and do not address people as ‘Kya Man’. Then, after Naina accidently bumps into her ex-boyfriend and runs away from him, he runs after her and reaches her house with a ring in his hand fully confident that despite the two years of separation Naina will still be in love with him and will accept him back in her life. Yeah right! 

 

Also Read: What Makes Korean Drama Heroines So Cool And Inspiring?

 

For me, Pardes Mein Hain Mera Dil only brings a new couple on-screen and nothing more. I personally love Drashti and have been a fan of Arjun since his Left Right Left days, but this show does not interest me even slightly. The first episode did not impress me even a bit and nothing about it makes me want to catch the next episode. If you have high levels of patience, enjoy melodrama and are a Drashti and Arjun fan then do go for this one. The rest of you can catch some cool new Korean dramas with me 😉

In case you missed the first episode catch it here on HotStar and let me know what you felt about the show.

 

Also Read: 5 Reasons Why You Must Watch Korean Shows

 

Feature Image Courtesy