THE ONE THAT RETURNED SWADESH. Review on Swades

SWADES

I saw this movie after a long time. Yes, I saw SWADES-SWA, which means own and DES, which is colloquial for DESH, which means country.

Story, Screen Play, Direction ?..Ashutosh Gowariker

Lead Actors??Shah Rukh Khan (SRK in movie as Mohan Bhargava) and Gayatri Joshi (Geeta}

Main Supporting Actors?..Kishori Balal (Kaveri Amma), Dayashankar Pande(Mela Ram-runs a 'dhabba), Rajesh Vivek, the postman and Smit Seth (Geeta's brother)

Let me start by writing first what I liked.

1. Gayatri has done a wonderful job, particularly as a debutant. Her subdued acting and dialogue delivery is excellent. She is tall and beautiful, carries herself with grace and dignity. SRK is a Star, heartthrob of millions and so one will expect him to act well! Kishori Ballal as Kaveriamma and the other main actors have also done very well.

   
   




2. No nudity (or appearance in lingerie), no vulgarity, no skin exposure, no navel exhibition, the scourge of present day movies and videos.

   
   




3. Best dialogue,

   
   

NRI the Non Returning Indian! I have always wondered why only Indians in US of America are expected to return. Are they the only ones causing brain drain? Let me remind my readers here that all Indians who migrate to USA are not exceptional brains. Many factors contribute to the output work of an individual. Yes, it is true that a small fraction of them face the dilemma of whether to return or not! But most of them are happy living there, and are engrossed in their work. I may bring in here a comparison with people living in South Delhi (SD) or for that matter in South Mumbai(SM, Malabar Hill) who never tire of flaunting SD or SM!. Would they like to move to lesser places unless forced?

1. Music

may not be haunting but lovable all the same. It is non-intrusive, flows naturally and is not loud. The way most songs are introduced is endearing and appealing, particularly Ye Tara?

1. Theme

One is reminded of Manoj Kumar who made patriotic films in the sixties, which also had a number of patriotic songs which became popular too, but his film is intense. It brings out the social complexities-cast system, ?parampara, whatever it does, and ?sanskar? very effectively. It may not be so easy to put up a Hydro Generator, even by a NASA Project Engineer, but there have been studies and proposals on micro and small hydro in the hilly regions. Implementation? It may not make NASA engineers or for that matter other engineers return, and I do not believe that is required, but a superb lesson in sinking age old beliefs, caste prejudices, compassion, self help and camaraderie.

1. Length

I am not a film buff but I did not feel the extra length of this film. It was riveting all through. Excellent locales and photography, good dialogues and evenly paced story make this film very watchable and lingering in ones mind.

The Film in Brief

a. NASA

The film is essentially about an Indian engineer (SRK as Mohan Bhargava) who has been living in the USA for twelve years and has attained the status of a NASA Project Manager. He is managing a project which is preparing to orbit a satellite which will collect data to determine the precipitation and throw light on rainfall. While into this he gets into memory pangs and is reminded of the death of his parents in an accident and that of his nanny, who was like a mother to him. He asks for leave which is granted.

b. Delhi

He flies to Delhi. Meets a friend and traces Kaveri amma to Charanpur a small town/village in Uttar Pradesh. Incidentally, he also has his first encounter with Geeta in his friend?s bookshop. He is soon off to Charanpur in a ?house on wheels?.

c. Charanpur

The film revolves around and in Charanpur.

Kaveri amma, Geeta, her young brother played by Smit Seth, their well laid out house and the temple.

The village Panchayat (village elders who are judges of all disputes), the postman, a little educated, Mela Ram (assayed by Dayashankar Pande), who can speak some English and has a dream of going to America, Rajesh Vivek, the postman, postmaster sorter all rolled in to one.

Geeta manages a school along with an old person. The problems lack of children in the school, segregation and caste barriers are nicely brought out.

Domination and suppression are shown with subtlety by dispatching Mohan to collect rent in behalf of Geeta from a farmer at a far off place. He has to travel third class in a train, ferry down and so to reach there to see, feel his pitiable condition and return instead after giving money and not collecting.

Similarly the scene in the train where a boy is selling water for 25 p, a ?kulladh? (earthen glass) and no buyer, where Mohan takes a glass and even drinks it, are touching vignettes of village life.

The rest of the story is to make the villagers sink their caste prejudices and send their children to school. They also solve the perennial problem of electricity by employing the villagers to dig a reservoir, lay pipes and pump up water to run a turbine and a generator to produce electricity.

Mohan returns to NASA to complete the project but comes back soon to be with Geeta.

All in all a captivating film.