Swades Review

WE THE PEOPLE
-Nimish Inamdar. 30 December 2004.

“Don’t forget Captain Russell that you are here to fill the treasury of the Queen!”
“I beg your pardon sir! But that’s exactly what I’m doing.”
These were the words scripted by Aushutosh Gowariker in his previous mega hit Lagaan. There he was talking about the Economic Drain. Many great Indian thinkers of the British era pondered on this issue viz. The Great Economic Drain. Now it seems that writer, director turned producer wants to amplify the existing buzz of a more serious threat to the nation, and that is of The Brain Drain. That’s how his new venture Swades was made.



Swades begins with Mohan Bhargav, a NASA scientists dealing currently as a project manager of a very important satellite that will help him create a mark on his dreamland. But Mohan isn’t much aware about his connectivity back home. But one thought always bothers him, and that is about his childhood Dai (care-taker) or Kaveri Amma, for whom he crosses the seven seas in order to bear his responsibility to take care of his Kaveri Amma from henceforth. But none other than Mohan’s childhood friend, Geeta, also equally loves Kaveri and both want their share of her pie. In this tussle, chemistry strikes between Mohan and Geeta and they fall in love. But Mohan also falls in love with his motherland, and especially the small village called Charanpur where Kaveri Amma along with Geeta is residing, and where Mohan works passionately in order to bring out a permanent solution to the electricity problem, becoming a undisputed hero.

What’s the best thing captured by the director? Well the answer is nor NASA, neither the USA but Charanpur. The movie has brought you the best possible glimpse of a typical Indian village scene, and there lies the genius of Ashutosh Gowariker. Shah Rukh Khan has given his best performance so far. The model turned actress Gayatri Joshi is also nowhere less than brilliance, may it be in acting, dancing or fully understanding the character of Geeta.

“Our lamp giving light to the neighbor’s home” isn’t the only motto carved by Swades but more importantly it creates a sense of independence amongst us all. If the government doesn’t act then it’s we, the people who should work for our own good, or else we will be habitual to the darkness of night. Country’s progress doesn’t solely rely on GDP, but the upbringing of the downtrodden villages. Although the movie has very few areas to be compared with previous film of the director, I should say that there isn’t much “Lagaan” effect in the movie. The movie has very less enthusiasm and comparatively less energy. Even few of the songs are inappropriately fitted, which creates few boring spots in the movie.

But looking at large the film is good, well thought and very well directed and I can rate it as a must see one, if not then at least once. After all it’s about We, The People.