Director: Ashutosh Gowarikar
Producer: Ashutosh Gowarikar
Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Rahu Vohra, Peter Rawley, Gayatri Joshi
Music: A.R Rahman
Lyrics: Javed Akhtar
Director Ashutosh Gowariker's
Swades, the most awaited flick is finally out. After
Lagaan, one of the biggest hits in 2001,
Swades was looked upon with great expectations as it cast none other than the Bollywood 'baadshah' Shahrukh Khan.
Set in modern day India,
Swades is a film that tackles the issue facing the citizens of this nation at grass root level. The India of
Swades is colourful, heterogeneous and complex, and it is to this environment that Mohan Bhargava (Shahrukh Khan), a bright young scientist working as project manager in NASA, returns to, on a quest to find his childhood nanny.
Mohan's simple quest becomes the journey that every one of us go through in search of that metaphysical and elusive place called "home". He finds his nanny, Kaveriamma (Kishori Ballal), the symbol to him of motherhood in a village called Charanpur in Central India. Mohan also meets an admirable young woman Gita (Gayatri Joshi) and her younger brother Chikku (Master Smit Sheth). Gita is an important influence in Mohan's emotional and idealistic crossover.
The flick is a unique experiment with grassroots realism. From poverty, caste system, illiteracy, child labour, lack of electricity and a host of other ills that plague India you find Mohan Bhargahava deciding to channelise his energy into doing his bit for his land.
Well, does it all sound like a documentary? Sure it does. It might remind you of those social awareness documentaries that play just before the start of a feature film! It misses out on the most essential element for the film to capture the mood of the audience. A moral science lesson to drive back home?!
It's Shah Rukh Khan who dominates the proceedings. This is perhaps one of his best performances till date. By conveying so much pain through his eyes, he has emerged as a real actor. Gayatri Joshi makes a confident debut with the fact that she's paired with the country's biggest star. She invests in Gita a great deal of sensitivity and dignity.
Director Gowariker's intentions behind making
Swades is admirable. He no doubt is loyal to creativity but perhaps the homage to his Indian culture is the only thing that will remain virulent in the flick.
The songs composed by A R Rahman are on an average scale. The movie shot in parts at NASA lack lustre.
Though
Swades might do well at the box-office, it might fall out on loosing the appeal of the majority of the audience.
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