Am I watching a Hindi film?. Review on Swades

First of all, am I watching a Hindi film?

~ The heroine comes in Cotton Saree and Salwar for the whole movie

~ Shah Rukh khan with controlled and subtle emotions

?Swades? is the most expected movie of the year because of its directors previous Oscar nominated movie ?Lagaan?. ?Lagaan? can be called as the most perfect movie bollywood has ever seen with a perfect mix of mass and class elements.

In Swades, does the class meet the mass? The answer is No. The film fails to meet the expectations of the mass but that doesn?t mean Asuthosh has failed. He has very much succeeded in making a neat, meaningful cinema with a social thought. The movie was really entertaining. But I do accept when others say it is boring because my definition of entertainment is different from that of theirs.

When I read initial negative reviews on the movie, I was really happy and I am damn sure about the quality of the movie, as I am aware of the fact that Hindi filmgoers have never ever accepted and encouraged realistic, meaningful cinema. They are very stubborn in their decision about not watching good cinema. Recent proofs are flops of some of the good movies of 2004 like Phir Milenge, Lakshya and Yuva.

Comparing ?Swades? with ?Lagaan? is inevitable but it is also idiotic to do so because nothing can entertain Indian audience more than a cricket match. For that matter, can he do the same thing again? Asuthosh has set high standards, which he himself cannot break. Well even if one wants the comparison results, ?Swades? is at par to ?Lagaan? in substance.

Premise: It is a simple story of Mohan Bharghav, an NRI (Non Returning Indian) working as a project manager in NASA who comes back home to meet his childhood stepmother Kaveriamma to take her back to USA but what he takes back leaving Kaveriamma is the crux of the film.

Hats off the Asuthosh for

~ Daringly making a script with substance and making a realistic screenplay without much of compromises for commercialism.

~ Even though his intention of making this film is to show ?A Single man can bring changes in the society?, he doesn?t show Mohan doing anything larger than life or revolutionary as Bhuvan did in Lagaan or Michael did in Yuva. What Mohan does in the movie within the given time is very much possible in the reality too. So much realistic is the movie.

~ I have never seen a movie in recent times, which gives importance to each and every character that appears on screen irrespective of the screen time.

~ All the characters are well etched out. There is completeness in characterization of each and every role. We audience our self know how a character will react in a particular situation after they got introduced. Apart from the lead, all the other characters chikku, postman, melaram, Kaveriamma and the poor kid selling water in the railway station stay in our mind when we come out of the theatre.

~ The screenplay is good and sets a fitting pace for the movie. His visionary in some of the scenes are great. Developing a screenplay for a wafer thin storyline is not an easy job and that too with a social message it is even tougher, because if anything goes wrong, it will turn into a documentary and too much preachy. But Asuthosh has very well managed to come with an entertaining screenplay. The first half moves in jet speed with very lively moments in the village.

~ The way the title appears on the screen in quite innovative and impressive. Suddenly after title in English disappears, the title appears in all official Indian languages. I could realize everyone was searching for the title in their mother tongue and felt little happy after seeing the title in their own language. In a fraction of second, he made everyone to realize how affectionate and close we are to our mother tongue and land deep in our heart.

Hats on to Asuthosh for (The movie is not without its cons, but bearable)

~ The movie will work even without the songs ?Yuhi chala?, ?Sanwariya?, ?Dekh no? and ?Pal Pal Bahari?. Though we can understand the intention of the director for including these songs, it could have been avoided. Yet the Indian directors haven?t got enough guts to make movie without songs.

We can?t complaint them because if the movie comes without songs then again we will complain the movie for its raw and rustic looks. Either way we complain. I pity the situation of the directors. But ?Pal Pal? song can be definitely trimmed of. Anyway theatres are going to do that soon. Even there was a similar song in Lagaan ?Oh palan hare? which distracted the pace of the movie. This is the reason why second half drags a bit.

Dialogues by K.P.Saxena dialogues are thoughtful and meaningful though it sounds preachy at times in lengthy scenes.

Cinematography is first rate without giving any glossy tone to the visuals. It is authentic and brings both the beauty and rawness of the villages. Editingcould have been better. Costume design for Shah rukh and Gayathri Joshi is good. I couldn?t trace out art director?s work in the movie (Is it a compliment to art director?).

A.R.Rahman does a great job in the background score. His BGM?s enhances the feel and emotions in the scene. The title BGM, Dhabba song, Current generation BGM, Dekho Na pieces for romantic scenes with various instruments, NASA BGM are great. The songs though a hindrance for the flow of the movie are very melodious and earthy especially the climactic song ?Yeh jo desh? song is very touching and emotional. Videshi?s will definitely shed tears for this song. Javed Akthar?s lyrics are added advantage. His lyrics in ?Yeh tara who tara? song delivers the message that would have occupied a considerable scene time if delivered through conversations.

Actors, be it in a small or big role has done full justice to their roles. Shah Rukh khancomes up with an extraordinary performance. I haven?t seen so much subtle expressions and emotions in his face with stagnant tears in his eyes. His screen presence is an added advantage. Gayatri Joshi is promising in her debut and looks simple and gorgeous with apt outfits. She is very much believable as a schoolteacher and emotes well. Kaveriamma is good in emotional scenes. Post man and Melaram have got some witty one-liners and evoke laughter often. Even the cute Chikku is good. Credit goes to Asutosh for extrating the best from all his cast and crew.

If you are in thirst of good meaningful cinema which is a rarity in Bollywood go to ?Swades?. I am going to watch the Tamil version of the movie ?Desam? today.