I can finally understand the frustration people feel when they come out of the movie hall exasparated! I could never understand it till I saw the film today...probably its my fault, I guess I had too many expectations because Lagaan was a rocking movie....Swades refuses to move forget rock!
Shahrukh Khan(Mohan) is a NASA scintist who comes to Chandrapur to look for his Nanny with he has lost touch.....on his arrival he falls in love with Gayatri Joshi who stays with the nanny and who apparantly is a school teacher in the local patshaala.
His stay makes him realise the ruthless poverty stricken conditions the rural India lives in and he strongly feels for them, thus making him take up the difficult task of getting electricity to the village through water conservation.
The task is succesfully accomplished and he is ready to leave. Here dilemma and a state of uncertainty or perplexity requiring a choice between equally favorable options of staying back to improve his home land or going back to a job to the prestiguous NASA leaves him disillusioned. He anyway returns only to come back....back to his homeland , to his people , to his swades!
Everything about Swades is good except the script and its lopsided execution. The cinematography, songs and the breathtaking scenery leave you breathless. India has never looked so beautiful. The acting department gets a cool 8 on 10 because all the performances are sinciere. The art direction is apt and without exaggaration. Despite all this the heart of the soul which is its script is missing. The story is waferthin and there is no involvement whatsoever. The lead couple lack chemistry and the incorrigably slow pace leaves you tormented.
Swades would have been a good film had it been 1 hour long and without songs. It has a documentry feel to it and tends to get didactic at times....a bit too preachy. Ashutosh Gowarekar has definately kept the NRI’s in mind condering the amount of patriotism he has poured into the story. It is sure to keep them happy. Anyway -
On the positive side is
The Downers
All in all Swades is a just-ok film that could’ve been much much better!
Leaves a lot to be desired.....
Watch it once, maybe!......or forget it!!