The story of an Americanized NASA scientist who returns to his native India on a business trip and searches for the nanny who helped raise him… and goes on to become an organ of change, was a quietly compelling cinematic experience. This Ashutosh Gowariker directorial remains a cult favourite, 13 years down the line…
The lead role of Mohan Bhargav had been first offered to Hrithik Roshan who refused after reading the script - Imagine that! Then Shah Rukh Khan received the offer from Ashutosh Gowariker… he was wise enough to come on board immediately.
The film was a critical bonanza. It was hailed for being “a unique experiment with grassroots realism. It is so politically correct in its propagandist message that initially you wonder if the government of India funded the director's dream!” Other reviewers gushed, “I cannot think of a better film for the longest time that deserved a stronger recommendation for both touring cinemas of India's villages, and plush multiplexes of Mumbai or Manhattan.” Yet another said, “After Lagaan, what? The answer's blowing in the wind. Swades. Here's the verdict: This is a gusty and outstanding film. Welcome back to real, solid film-making.” Another critic noted, “At the end of it, Swades is a far braver film than Lagaan.”
Shah Rukh’s sensitive, under-stated performance as Mohan Bhargav in the film is hailed as one of his best till date. The performance saw SRK trading in his customary charisma for a more pared-down effective conviction.
The music by A R Rahman with lyrics by Javed Akhtar touched all the right notes. ‘Yeh Taara Woh Taara’, ‘Saanwariya Saanwariya’, ‘Yun Hi Chala Chala’, ‘Yeh Jo Des Hai Tera’… they remain fresh and hummable to date.
Swades was the first Indian film to be shot inside the NASA research center at the Launch Pad 39A of the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. What’s more, the rainfall monitoring satellite known as the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) in the film is an actual NASA mission and was launched in 2014.
Director Ashutosh Gowariker was inspired by the story of Aravinda Pillalamarri and Ravi Kuchimanchi, NRIs who returned to India and developed the pedal power generator to light remote, off-the-grid village schools.
