This is a movie that had a lot of hype surrounding it but falls instantly into the category that simply doesn’t deliver. Swadesh, or Swades, (wateeveer!!!!!!!!) is a movie that apparently depends on a lot of cultural understandings to convey its message. And no doubt the culture shown is rich, but not all audiences, especially the ones alien to such ideas, are able to appreciate such movies!
Just mere weeks ago SRK presented a PAHELI that the audiences failed to ANSWER, meaning it was a BO failure for the most part! All that means is that SRK can only deliver with certain ppl, like Johars, Chopras, and Farah Khan. Many SRK buffs might disagree but that’s no opinion, that’s a fact. Reality bites at times and mostly these r the instances where it bites the most. People have a favorite and u trash him for reasonable reasons and then the people get back at you to even snatch that ’’FREEDOM of SPEECH’’ from you. Funny!
But getting back to the movie, Swades is plainly a series of thoughts put together by Ashutosh Gowariker and apparently the ideas haven’t gelled well with the audience since the movie already failed a while back. Sajid Khan, in his talk show ’’Ikke pe Ikka’’ trashed the movie approximately 1000 times more than me folks, so don’t think I am being rude, I am just being honest. Swades lacks soul, to put in simple words! It’s just not in the leagues of hits of 2004 like Mujhse Shaadi Karogi, Murder, Dhoom, Hum Tum, etc. So Ashutosh, despite being one of my favorite film personalities, hasn’t done justice and is partly handicapped by the subject of the movie, which not a lot of people can relate to. NASA’s use in the movie, however, is a saving grace as the concept is extremely novel despite its common usage. That’s the part where even Bollywood fans abroad can connect---technology driven India! However besides that, there is hardly anything better to watch out for in Swadesh!
Music is of low quality as it’s quite boring as an album. Udit Narayan is a good singer and should pick better songs to overcome opposition from the likes of Shaan and Kunal, the upcoming guys who can easily overtake him if he continues to be part of such boring and non-happening music!
Performances are another good part about the movie though. Gayatri Joshi couldn’t have asked for a better launch pad---opposite the Industry’s ’’top’’ actor, she does justice to her role. She looks every bit the part she played and she’s also a naturally beautiful actress. Unfortunately she lost the award for the best debut so sad for her. However, SRK’s case is different, the movie’s failure didn’t stop him as he won a decent number of awards for best actor not in Veer Zaara or Main Hoon Na, but for Swades, which is relaxing for the makers, some of whom also got awards for putting in good effort.
But overall that’s all Swades is about---winning some critical acclaim, having a few defendants, and thus making it a success which its not! Winning critical acclaim (Rog, Haasil) doesn’t mean that the movie is a success, and Swades proves this point the best. The only place where it surprisingly (thanks to only SRK’s starpower) did some good business is overseas. In India it’s a strict Ok movie and people haven’t liked it all that much. And rightly so because Swades doesn’t fall in the league of the other hits of 2004, it falls in its own minor leagues since it boosts of nothing much to be impressed about!