2004 ‘स्वदेस’ Directed by Ashutosh Gowariker
NASA employee Mohan Bhargav comes to India to take his grandmother along with him at his home abroad. During his stay at his native place, he comes across various social issues faced by the villagers and decides to take a stand for them, to improve their quality of life.
Ronnie Screwvala Sameer Sharma Lalit Marathe Amin Hajee Charlotte Whitby-Coles Ayan Mukherjee Yashodeep Nigudkar Ashutosh Gowariker M. G. Sathya
Swades: We, the People
Here is what I learned about India while watching Swades. They have the steering wheel on the right side of the car, which everyone knows is the wrong side. They also have a specific way in which they shake their heads; it's not a "no", it's not a "yes", but a wobbly combination of the two. They sometimes bend down to touch other person's feet with their hand as a sign of great respect for that person, who is usually older. The word "dhaba" is used to refer to restaurants which serve food of Indian cuisine, depending on the region. Their films are usually very sentimental, unsubtle and corny. India, like many other countries on this globe, has a real…
When Swades first released in 2004, my family was in a flux. We had returned from Toronto in just six months because my father was convinced that he'd committed a huge mistake by deciding to leave India for a foreign land.
Naturally, my uncles (wishing the best for our family, of course) gave the film a hearty thumbs down when it released, telling my dad that it was pretty terrible, long, boring and all that sort of stuff. Total time waste. But when my dad left for Canada again, to try to settle there for good this time, the rest of my rather large extended family sat down to watch the film.
I didn't get it. I was eight or…
comprised almost entirely of heavy handed metaphors and messages, some of which i agree with and some i don't, but despite how blunt the story is it's so gently presented that i really sunk into it...such beautiful scenery/soft lighting/songs/score, and a weightless, natural, breathtaking SRK performance. ultimately comes down to the inherent responsibility one should feel for their planet and fellow human beings ("like a lamp on your porch giving light to your neighbor's house"), and as saccharine as that may be i do believe it. made me profoundly sad and lonely in a weird way, because lately i've been thinking so much about how fucked up white americans are and wondering how much of that comes from living in…
This is my most favourite Bollywood movie ever. It has a great story, pretty decent dialogue and excellent music. But I’ll tell you why I really love this movie—because it is nothing like anything Bollywood has ever produced before.
I do not remember watching any other Shah Rukh Khan movie where he forgot that he was SRK and just became the character he was playing. The acting in this movie does not feel like actors reading from a script, which is what watching any other Bollywood movie feels like. The acting is so good that it recedes into the background. That’s what makes me like Hollywood movies and that’s what this movie gets right.
I cannot emphasise how important that…
How have I gotten so far without seeing this incredible movie? Absolutely one of the best Hindi movies I've seen. An incredible story with stirring emotions and thought-provoking ideas, which are as impactful today as they were when this movie first came out over 10 years ago.
Just as in Dil Se, Shahrukh Khan's sweet love story and family drama, while beautiful, becomes overshadowed by more pressing and immediate troubles as he comes to realize the sad state of affairs in rural India. Starvation, discrimination, and lack of education plague those around him in the small town he's visiting, and he sees no other option but to help in any way he can.
A.R. Rahman totally knocked it out of the park here, incredible soundtrack.
Good message, acting, and casting (especially with the obviously local people) but a trite, by the numbers presentation made for a boring and predictable movie.
Contrary to my star rating, which only reflects overall film watchability, this did lead us to an investigation of the caste system and reflections on immigrants who build nest eggs and learn/practice valuable skills returning to their homelands to enrich them with both skills and an injection of new concepts. So we're not sorry we watched it although we never will be able to really recommend it.
Nationalism can be a path littered with toxic traps, but this film manages to avoid most of them.
I think Swades falls off the rails in the last half hour to 45 minutes as it devolves into material that feels more cliche, rather than honest to the core of the story. But the first two and a half hours are a really sensitive, mature and, at times subtle, exploration of national pride, dedication to country, and grassroots leadership. Some moments feel a little awkward and unnecessary, but the film moves quickly enough through those rough patches. There is a lot to like about this film, even if it doesn't quite justify its full run times.
#13 SRK film. SRK in a very different character than I had seen in in the first dozen movies. Important film. Good film.
Imagine only ever acting in one film ever and executing Gita as well as they did. Yeah, Gaytari Joshi did that! This movie is at times a bit problematic, but it’s a genuine tearjerker, if you will. AR Rahman really put together a ~perfect~ soundtrack. And Kaveri amma really made me want to go hug my nani, but it’s 4 AM. On a personal note, I haven’t been feeling well at all these past few days and I want to thank my poor sleeping for allowing me to watch this film. It’s three hours long, but not something that really felt dragged.
comprised almost entirely of heavy handed metaphors and messages, some of which i agree with and some i don't, but despite how blunt the story is it's so gently presented that i really sunk into it...such beautiful scenery/soft lighting/songs/score, and a weightless, natural, breathtaking SRK performance. ultimately comes down to the inherent responsibility one should feel for their planet and fellow human beings ("like a lamp on your porch giving light to your neighbor's house"), and as saccharine as that may be i do believe it. made me profoundly sad and lonely in a weird way, because lately i've been thinking so much about how fucked up white americans are and wondering how much of that comes from living in…
Mind blowing, breathe taking..
Swades membuka jendela mata dan hati bagaimana mengubah keyakinan dan pola pikir akan pendidikan. Semua masalah pelik negara disinggung ekonomi, kesulitan listrik, dan feminisme.
Thankful, grateful, down to earth is all you've to do, there are still many out there who are in trouble.
Disaat kita kalah, kita selalu berdalih kepada budaya dan tradisi
I've been surprised how political most of the Bollywood films I've seen are. This one had a lot to say and definitely felt a bit like propaganda directed at educated, well-off Indians who have left India for America. Probably a valid critique, I'm no expert. I think the sprinkling of engineering and astronomy was enough to get me on board and make this one of the better Bollywood films I've seen recently.
With the admittedly trope-y plotline, it would have been immensely simple to create a stereotype-laden film entirely bereft of substance; Gowarikar instead executes with tremendous soul and empathy, chiefly due to the excellence of Shah Rukh Khan. This is perhaps the most subdued, subtle, and layered performance that Shah Rukh has ever constructed, a droplet of true acting greatness in the sea of saccharine dialogue and campiness that characterizes the rest of his career. His performance is just so believable – for once, we do not have the constant, distinct feeling that we are watching him act. For Gowarikar to have coaxed such a performance out of Shah Rukh is a monumental feat, and helps make this a masterpiece of Indian cinema.
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