Cast-Shahrukh Khan ,Gayatri Joshi
Director-Ashutosh Gowariker
Release date-17th Dec ,2004
Rating- * * * * *[exceptional]

*=yuck

* * =whatever

* * *=good

* * * *=brilliant

* * * * *=exceptional

To all the miserable people who have done everything from complain about the dialogue, the slow pace, the this and the that....who wants to hear it? IF you missed the point of this beyond-beautiful movie, that’s your loss.I am a thirthy something guy who has seen thousands of movies in my life, and this one stands in its own entity, in my book. It was not supposed to be a documentary but a factual account of majority of Indians.I saw my life as if I had already lived it. An endless parade of parties and polo matches. Always the same narrow people, the same mindless chatter. I felt like I was standing at a great precipice, with no one to pull me back, no one who cared... or even noticed. Then came swades ....!!

Mohan Bhargav (Shah Rukh Khan) is a NASA engineer working on a rainfall monitoring satellite known as the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM).
Completely engrossed in his job, Mohan has no time for himself. So one day, after accomplishing his project, he becomes homesick. He starts remembering Kaveriamma, his childhood nanny.So Mohan decides to take a well deserved break by making a journey to India to trace the woman who brought him up.

Soon, Mohan’s trip turns into a journey of self realisation as he travels into rural India, meeting people and seeing in reality the country he had only imagined in his dreams.He finally finds his nanny in a village called Charanpur. She is cared by a young girl named Gita (Gayatri Joshi) who works as a school teacher. As time goes by, Mohan becomes close to her. He also realises how backward his village is due to lack of opportunities for the people. So Mohan takes it upon himself to help the villagers. By using his knowledge and experience he gained abroad, he revitalises the village. In return he discovers the warmth and richness in the hearts of these people.

At long last, Mohan sees part of India which he has never seen before. Will he have the heart to leave these people behind and go back to America


The story of the swades is rife of irony and determination, and Gowariker artfully peppers his script with these two aspects with strong emotions.Infact strong emotional anchor also overshadows some defects of the film, and it is the rapturous relationship that brings the audience into the opulence and mayhem of being in your own country in its final hours. Gowariker also uses juxtaposition to great effect in this film, contrasting the east and the west, life in the upper and lower decks, the sanskar-sanskriti and the more liberal values of the Twentieth century, and the triumph of the human spirit and the base instincts of self-preservation that emerge in the face of adversity.

The narrative is also of sufficient depth that it can be viewed on many levels. But perhaps what is most enlightening is that this film speaks to the need to grasp the moment, to find fulfillment in a laconic life, or a brief respite of happiness, no matter how fleeting.

In addition to a strong script, the other characteristics of the typical Ashutosh Gowariker film are found here. The writer/director has always been fascinated by strong characters, and SRK is the perfect embodiment of this.Initially, he is a spirited young man, though resigned to endure the fate that awaits him. However, as the film progresses, he becomes increasingly resolved in following his own heart, and challenges the decisions that have been made for him. The film has several engrossing moment keeping you spellbound for the entire three-hour running time.

Swades belongs to SRK undoubtedly. A performance like this comes once in a while and can compete with the best from across the Atlantic. The ease with which SRK slips into the character is amazing and the outcome is spellbinding. So much so, that we feel Mohan’s pain and his dilemma as he faces these village people. Gayatri enacts the part with incrediblity and authority.

On the whole, SWADES caters more to the thinking audience. At the box-office, film was a disaster .However,the fact cannot be denied that Swades is a film worth watching again and again!

Plot Revealed In The Review:	Somewhat revealed
Best to watch with:	Alone
Movie Genre:	No Comment
Best part in the movie:	No Comment