Cinema is definitely entertainment. Everybody wants to have a nice time at the theatre, have some popcorn & chill out. But, why not for a change go in for a tonic, edutainment instead of entertainment. ’’ Swades ’’ is precisely that kind of movie. It?s like a tonic. Take it if you want to. But I think this tonic is not gonna harm you buddy. It?s just full of vitamins.
There are very few films that carry a single message from start to finish without altering its course. ’’ Swades ’’ beckons us. Thus, starts the journey of Mohan Bhargav (Shah Rukh Khan), Successful NASA project manager, working on Global Precipitation Measurement. But there is a void in his life, a void that can filled only by Kaveriamma (Kishori ballal), who is in some old age home.
So he starts his journey to India in search of Kaveriamma, who by that time is taken away by Geeta (Gayathri Joshi) to Charanpur. So Mohan packs off to Charanpur.There he finds his nanny & expresses his desire of taking her to United States. But there’s a problem. Geeta wont let go Kaveriamma & she wants her to stay in Charanpur & develop the little school.
Slowly but surely Mohan gets to know the problems the villagers face & is frustrated at the acceptance of problem by the people over here. His attitude changes when Kaveriamma asks him to go & collect the rent from a farmer who has not paid them. The poverty he sees over there, the pain he endures seeing others, seeps into him. Instead of fighting against the system he makes his own way & tries to generate electricity for the village in which he succeeds. But alas, NASA needs him & he returns. But where is his heart? Should he follow the rules of the world or make his own? And so Mohan decides....
’’ Swades ’’ ought to be one of the most poignant films ever made. It is calm, serene & rich. Subtle messages can be the most emotionally charging. The scene in the old age home, where an old women while cleaning the table speaks ’’ Kaveri is lucky, some one came to drop her & someone has come to take her?. She doesn?t even look at Shah-Rukh during that scene but the power it imparts is enormous. Another beautifully conceived scene is, where a young water seller keeps running up-& down outside the train to sell his water for 25 paise. That?s the first time Shah-Rukh drinks the water from his country with tears in his eyes. Spectacularly poignant scenes, laced together forms ’’ Swades ’’.
I loved the way Ashutosh directed ’’ Lagaan ’’. I respect the way Ashutosh directed ’’ Swades ’’. You can see the intentions of a really talented director. The content that it offers is nothing short of noble. But, people need to be prepared to take the message. I?m afraid they wont, if yes, it would be the director?s greatest success.
Music (A.R.Rahman) is so beautifully underplayed. The songs gel with the mood of the film. The background score is outstanding. Various versions of songs in instrumentals are a highlight of this film. Rahman somehow reserves his best for the best.
Cinematography (Mahesh Aney) was different. It was totally gloss- free. That has made some people think, it was inconsistant, but I think it was more of a deliberate attempt to make the film look real. Picture of Shah Rukh standing with the blue sky as his backdrop was spellbinding. That?s the costliest set one can have & its available free of cost.
Kishori-Ballal gives an excellent performance as Mohan’s nanny. Gayathri Joshi makes a fine debut & her expressions are great. She is extremely photogenic. The supporting cast comprising of Rajesh Vivek (An underrated actor) as the Postman, the panchayat heads, Dayashankar Pandey as Melaram (watch out for his English dialogues, hilarious stuff), Smit Seth as chiku, perform wonderfully well.
Dialogues (K.P.Saxena) are a treat. He is one of the best, if not the best.
Shah-Rukh khan simply gives his best performance till date. How I wish he acted more of these stuff. He literally speaks through his eyes. The pain they show is enormous. The camera simply loves his eyes. Awesome performance. It was a relief to see him wear normal clothes designed by Bhanu Athaiya.
I watched 3 really good Hindi movies this year but all three were average grossers. It started with ’’ Yuva ’’, followed by ’’ Lakshya ’’ & then by ’’ Swades ’’. I think people need to wake-up a little bit. There are people who do give us good cinema. POWERFUL CINEMA.