Customer Reviews

Swades

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Plot SPOILERS here and there...

So, Mohan Bhargava (Shahrukh Khan) is an NRI, a Non-Resident Indian. Mohan is busy living the American dream in Washington, D.C., residing in cushy digs and fostering a thriving career as a NASA engineer. And his request for U.S. citizenship has just been approved. Yet, something is missing in Mohan's very good life. On the latest anniversary of the death of his parents, he fondly recalls his nanny, who had raised him and is the last living tie to his parents. On a whim, Mohan goes on vacation to visit his beloved nanny in India. It's a decision that will change his life...

SWADES is a good movie, a really good movie, and directed by Ashutosh Gowarikar, who made the awesome epic Lagaan - Once Upon a Time in India. And, like LAGAAN, SWADES is more than your standard Bollywood fluff. Both pictures have things to say about their native country, and both pictures say these things well. SWADES is not as dramatic or as excitingly paced as LAGAAN, and not as filled with cinematic thrills (SWADES, for one thing, doesn't have the sport of cricket to drive the plot). And yet, for all of its more than three hours of running time, SWADES does not ever stop being immensely watchable and moving.

While LAGAAN hearkens back to a time in the past and recalls an event in which India's rustic natives were able to beat the English at their own game, SWADES tries for a more modern form of patriotism. Mohan Bhargava, as mentioned, is a non-resident Indian who returns to his roots, initially to spend time with his nanny. But the remote village in which he finds himself impacts him overwhelmingly, to the point where he begins to question his worldviews.

Progress is slow in certain parts of India. For each metropolitan like New Delhi and Mumbai, there are hundreds of overlooked villages who barely have education and electricity. In tiny Charanpur, Mohan meets Geeta (Gayatri Joshi), a half-remembered childhood playmate and now a school teacher. Gita looks askance at Mohan's RV, with all its modern amenities. She's slow to thaw to Mohan, believing (accurately) that Mohan intends to steal away her nanny, who is like a second mother to her (yes, this nanny is the same one Mohan had come to visit). Geeta is beautiful and independent ("There's more to a woman than just wearing bangles.") and fights so hard to provide education for all the children of Charanpur. You see, old ways are so very hard to change. The prevalent thinking is that little girls do not need school. And segregation of castes is strictly enforced. So no mixing of kids in school. Geeta fights hard, but it's a futile thing. Education and electricity. The village of Charanpur does have electricity, but infrequently. These are only some of the things to which Mohan is exposed. But they set the ball rolling, as Mohan's eyes are gradually opened to the inequalities and abject poverty of his homeland.

Two of the most wrenching (and memorable) moments in the film happen as Mohan travels many hours by train and boat to demand rent from a farmer. But, it turns out, this is a farmer so very ashamed of his inability to pay and so destitute he finds it a constant struggle to feed his starved family. Yet the farmer finds the wherewithal to share his meager food with Mohan. That heartbreaking scene is then followed by a stopover at a railway station, as Mohan sees a simple little boy desperately attempting to get the passengers to buy a glass of water for a coin. Dare ya. Dare ya not to feel something at these scenes.

But there are joyous moments, as well. One such moment pops up early in the film, as Mohan, enroute to Charanpur in his rigged-out RV, picks up a shaggy-haired wild man, which is all a lead-in to the invigorating, toe-tapping road song "Yun Hi Chala Chal" ("Keep Wandering"). Then there's that one evening when, as a power failure cuts short a film screening taking place in the village square, Mohan gives a lesson about the stars to the village children.

(Plot SPOILER really comin' up now, in this next paragraph.)

Big things stem from little things. One of my favorite moments is Mohan, having finally fully committed to the betterment of Charanpur, using his engineering savvy and pulling the villagers together in a massive project to provide electricity...for one light bulb. These scenes play out so well that you can't help but be touched by the payoff, when the recipient of that sole lit bulb, in a dismal hut, brokenly caresses one word: "Electricity."

Shahrukh Khan has made a lucrative film career out of histrionics. And it's a thumbs up to his talents that we realize he's overacting and yet are still vastly entertained by his movies. But SWADES finds a different Shahrukh, one who is more restrained and, therefore, even more effective. How is SWADES as watchable as LAGAAN? Simple. Shahrukh Khan. SWADES, being mostly an internal story and telling of one man's self-discovery, depends largely on Shahrukh's reactions, his ability to convey emotions, his underplaying. When Shahrukh stops messing around and actually acts for real, as he does here, he becomes even more magnetic on screen.

Not that he's by himself in all this. The supporting cast is mostly excellent, and particularly Gayatri Joshi. SWADES marks her film debut, not that you could tell by it. A striking beauty, Gayatri's acting is nothing but self-assured and fiery. She and Shahrukh spark in their scenes together. Also memorable are the actors who play Mohan's nanny, the postmaster/wrestler (really great!), and the ambitious cook. However, the actors who play the NASA folks fare poorly (not counting Shahrukh, naturally).

SWADES is, more than anything else, a heartfelt valentine to India. A valentine, and also a bit of a dis. Love of country is counterpointed by the lead character's assertions that changes do need to be effected in certain repressive aspects of Indian culture and tradition. As one character tells Mohan, so is SWADES telling its homeland: "Go light your bulb."

This movie is over three hours long, and I enjoyed every minute.

When I saw this film, I was largely ignorant of Shahrukh Khan and Bollywood and the quality of films coming out of India. This is as sweeping and grand, funny and touching, intelligent and down-to-earth a film as I have seen in any language. Hollywood filmmakers should take note that it is possible to make a big budget, visually sumptuous, intelligent and entertaining movie. The acting is great, the script is great, the cinematography is great. I'm not even a fan of musical sequences in film, but I found the ones here quite irresistible. Highly recommended for movie lovers of any language or persuasion.

Note: Hindi with English subtitles.

Writer/director Ashutosh Gowariker's follow-up film to the brilliant and highly successful 'Lagaan' is an enjoyable but far too long tale of one man's effort to unite a rural Indian community in chaos and show them the path to a better future for everyone is one that can change with the times while still embracing the past.

Gowariker repeats the basic storyline from 'Lagaan' where we had the courageous Bhuvan (Aamir Khan) breaking through the bonds of old resentments, customs and taboos in his village in an effort to unite his people and defeat the British at their own game, cricket. This time around in 'Swades' it's Mohan (Shakrukh Khan) who is trying to unite a rural village in Northern India to forget about their old prejudices and work together in an effort to provide much needed electricity to the village. Unfortunately repetition doesn't guarantee repeated success.

Shahrukh Khan as always proves himself to be not only the top actor in India but one of the best anywhere. This is also the first film for Gayatri Joshi who plays Mohan's love interest Gita. She simply lights up the screen with her smile and graceful movements. It isn't an easy task for anyone to play opposite Shahrukh Khan, but somehow she pulls it off masterfully. Their chemistry is wonderful.

The only problem with this film is the length. Unlike 'Lagaan' which made you forget about time altogether, ]Swades' tends to wears you down making it difficult to maintain maximum focus and interest until the end. A little shorter would have definitely been better. If you're accustomed to the lengthy nature of Indian cinema you'll probably love this one, however if you're new to the genre try `Lagaan' or Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham' before watching this one.

This is one of my favorite Shahrukh Khan movies. It is long, but what good flick from Bollywood isn't? I think this movie captures several poignant differences between the east and the west and reminds us that though we have many things in the west, it is not the things that matter, but rather the people in our lives. Two great scenes are the 'NRI' comment, and the drink of water on the train. Fantastic! It is sad to see Bollywood trying to become more like Hollywood, when Hollywood should be watching Swades to see what makes this movie so good. One of my friends from India refuses to watch this movie as he knows that if he does, he'll pack up and go back home. I gotta say that this movie was makes me wish I could go with him!

Plot SPOILERS here and there...

So, Mohan Bhargava (Shahrukh Khan) is an NRI, a Non-Resident Indian. Mohan is busy living the American dream in Washington, D.C., residing in cushy digs and fostering a thriving career as a NASA engineer. And his request for U.S. citizenship has just been approved. Yet, something is missing in Mohan's very good life. On the latest anniversary of the death of his parents, he fondly recalls his nanny, who had raised him and is the last living tie to his parents. On a whim, Mohan goes on vacation to visit his beloved nanny in India. It's a decision that will change his life...

SWADES is a good movie, a really good movie, and directed by Ashutosh Gowarikar, who made the awesome epic Lagaan - Once Upon a Time in India. And, like LAGAAN, SWADES is more than your standard Bollywood fluff. Both pictures have things to say about their native country, and both pictures say these things well. SWADES is not as dramatic or as excitingly paced as LAGAAN, and not as filled with cinematic thrills (SWADES, for one thing, doesn't have the sport of cricket to drive the plot). And yet, for all of its more than three hours of running time, SWADES does not ever stop being immensely watchable and moving.

While LAGAAN hearkens back to a time in the past and recalls an event in which India's rustic natives were able to beat the English at their own game, SWADES tries for a more modern form of patriotism. Mohan Bhargava, as mentioned, is a non-resident Indian who returns to his roots, initially to spend time with his nanny. But the remote village in which he finds himself impacts him overwhelmingly, to the point where he begins to question his worldviews.

Progress is slow in certain parts of India. For each metropolitan like New Delhi and Mumbai, there are hundreds of overlooked villages who barely have education and electricity. In tiny Charanpur, Mohan meets Geeta (Gayatri Joshi), a half-remembered childhood playmate and now a school teacher. Gita looks askance at Mohan's RV, with all its modern amenities. She's slow to thaw to Mohan, believing (accurately) that Mohan intends to steal away her nanny, who is like a second mother to her (yes, this nanny is the same one Mohan had come to visit). Geeta is beautiful and independent ("There's more to a woman than just wearing bangles.") and fights so hard to provide education for all the children of Charanpur. You see, old ways are so very hard to change. The prevalent thinking is that little girls do not need school. And segregation of castes is strictly enforced. So no mixing of kids in school. Geeta fights hard, but it's a futile thing. Education and electricity. The village of Charanpur does have electricity, but infrequently. These are only some of the things to which Mohan is exposed. But they set the ball rolling, as Mohan's eyes are gradually opened to the inequalities and abject poverty of his homeland.

Two of the most wrenching (and memorable) moments in the film happen as Mohan travels many hours by train and boat to demand rent from a farmer. But, it turns out, this is a farmer so very ashamed of his inability to pay and so destitute he finds it a constant struggle to feed his starved family. Yet the farmer finds the wherewithal to share his meager food with Mohan. That heartbreaking scene is then followed by a stopover at a railway station, as Mohan sees a simple little boy desperately attempting to get the passengers to buy a glass of water for a coin. Dare ya. Dare ya not to feel something at these scenes.

But there are joyous moments, as well. One such moment pops up early in the film, as Mohan, enroute to Charanpur in his rigged-out RV, picks up a shaggy-haired wild man, which is all a lead-in to the invigorating, toe-tapping road song "Yun Hi Chala Chal" ("Keep Wandering"). Then there's that one evening when, as a power failure cuts short a film screening taking place in the village square, Mohan gives a lesson about the stars to the village children.

(Plot SPOILER really comin' up now, in this next paragraph.)

Big things stem from little things. One of my favorite moments is Mohan, having finally fully committed to the betterment of Charanpur, using his engineering savvy and pulling the villagers together in a massive project to provide electricity...for one light bulb. These scenes play out so well that you can't help but be touched by the payoff, when the recipient of that sole lit bulb, in a dismal hut, brokenly caresses one word: "Electricity."

Shahrukh Khan has made a lucrative film career out of histrionics. And it's a thumbs up to his talents that we realize he's overacting and yet are still vastly entertained by his movies. But SWADES finds a different Shahrukh, one who is more restrained and, therefore, even more effective. How is SWADES as watchable as LAGAAN? Simple. Shahrukh Khan. SWADES, being mostly an internal story and telling of one man's self-discovery, depends largely on Shahrukh's reactions, his ability to convey emotions, his underplaying. When Shahrukh stops messing around and actually acts for real, as he does here, he becomes even more magnetic on screen.

Not that he's by himself in all this. The supporting cast is mostly excellent, and particularly Gayatri Joshi. SWADES marks her film debut, not that you could tell by it. A striking beauty, Gayatri's acting is nothing but self-assured and fiery. She and Shahrukh spark in their scenes together. Also memorable are the actors who play Mohan's nanny, the postmaster/wrestler (really great!), and the ambitious cook. However, the actors who play the NASA folks fare poorly (not counting Shahrukh, naturally).

SWADES is, more than anything else, a heartfelt valentine to India. A valentine, and also a bit of a dis. Love of country is counterpointed by the lead character's assertions that changes do need to be effected in certain repressive aspects of Indian culture and tradition. As one character tells Mohan, so is SWADES telling its homeland: "Go light your bulb."

This movie is over three hours long, and I enjoyed every minute.

I'm pleased to offer my first ever review for a film. Thanks to Slumdog Millionaire I've taken to watching films set in India, directed by and made for folks from there, and this is among the best of just 20 or so I've seen thus far. Excellent acting and character development (we care for the characters), several good musical scenes - not at all campy or tacky. The fact that this is from India is really irrelevant. It's just a wonderful film about the power of love.

I HAVE OVER 20 OF SRK'S MOVIES (AND NOT INDIAN) - SOME ARE EXCELLENT AND SOME ARE NOT SO GOOD - SRK ALWAYS GIVES HIS BEST AND THIS IS A GREAT MOVIE. SRK PLAYS A WEALTHY NRI LIVIING IN THE US WHO DECIDES HE NEEDS SOMEONE TO COOK AND LOOK AFTER HIM SO HE PLANS TO GET HIS OLD NANNY BACK IFROM THE SMALL TOWN HE CAME FROM IN INDIA. HE ARRIVES AND MEETS A BEAUTIFUL GIRL - THEY FALL IN LOVE BUT THE NANNY DOES NOT WANT TO GO TO THE USA AS SHE IS REALLY NEEDED IN HER HOME TOWN. SRK SEES THAT THERE IS GREAT NEED DUE TO POVERTY & CASTE RELATIONS AND SETS ABOUT TO CHANGE THEIR LIVES FOREVER. SO ONCE AGAIN THE POWEER OF LOVE TRIUMPHS OVER GREAT OBSTACLES. WONDERFUL DIRECTION AND PHOTOGRAPHY AND WELL ACTED BY EVERYONE.

This is a thoughtful movie of quiet tones. It examines many of the difficult issues of getting rural India self sufficient and dropping old limiting beliefs. It is also about Indians who train overseas and take their skills out of the country.
It is not a typical Bollywood song and dance movie though it does have music and 2 songs particularly are quite catchy. It is more realistic in its tone and more a quiet socio-political piece. With all that it paints the relationships as warm and is quietly moving.
SRK does an excellent job in this movie and expresses emotion and reaction in a deep yet restrained manner. He stands tall on the global stage in the responses he can elicit from viewing his movies. He also bravely goes into important social areas in going outside the box in the movies he often explores.
Recommended though quieter and different.

This FILM is excellent.

Within the last year, I've found that I enjoy many 'Bollywood' films, especially those by Shahrukh Khan (SRK). Although SRK tends to keep his onscreen presentations within very safe ranges, I enjoy that he seems to choose projects that are usually ground-breaking in some way.

This may be the best Bollywood film I've seen.

At the beginning, it appears to be a very mild romantic comedy. So mild, in fact, that one might wonder whether they are wasting their time watching it.

It isn't until a little past a third of the way through the film (the segment called "Panchayet") that it's true nature starts to gradually unfold. Then the viewer might begin to wonder whether the beginning was there to draw the viewer in to what it becomes -- a profound and beautifully-delivered portrait of what life is for Indians who live away from the cities, and the seemingly insurmountable problems presented by the burdens of poverty, overpopulation, and some of India's historic cultural values.

Except for the song during the outdoor outdoor movie, which is FABULOUS, the musical numbers are quite poor -- feel free to skip them if you don't like the first 20 seconds -- they stay the same throughout -- BUT they don't hurt the film too much, and DO SEE the one at the outdoor movie!

I ordered from the vendor called "Planet Bollywood" and delivery was fine.

Now for my main criticism of this product:

However, the description of the film should include the fact that apparently all FILMS DISTRIBUTED BY "MOSERBAER" are TOTALLY POLLUTED WITH ADVERTISING!

This DVD is polluted by:

* A LENGTHY advertisement for Moserbaer tacked on to the beginning of the film that CAN'T BE SKIPPED, FAST-FORWARDED, OR ESCAPED!

* A large-ish "MOSERBAER" watermark in the upper left-hand corner at all times!

* LARGE, DISTRACTION pop-up ads that appear periodically at the bottom of the screen THROUGHOUT THE FILM.

These features are so annoying, rude, and obnoxious that they substantially detract from the pleasure of watching the film.

*** I STRONGLY RECOMMEND that you AVOID FILMS DISTRIBUTED BY MOSERBAER ***

I also recommend that you ask the vendor in advance to confirm that the film you are ordering does not have advertisements during the film.

Enjoy! :-)

Indian NASA scientist Mohan (played by Shahrukh Khan) feels lost and alone in his life in the U.S., so he returns to India to find his beloved elderly nanny and bring her home with him. During his visit to her village, he is deeply affected by the social ills he sees there. This isn't the rosy picture of India found in most Bollywood films and it pointedly criticizes the oppressiveness of the caste system. Mohan comes to care about the villagers, finds ways to help them, and challenges them to help themselves. And he falls in love with his childhood friend, Gita (Gayatri Joshi), who runs the local school. The movie celebrates what's wonderful about Indian life without ignoring its flaws and likewise shows what's missing in America while championing its values of equality. The plodding pacing and the stiff interaction between Mohan and Gita mar this otherwise fine film. While Khan won accolades for his performance, the dynamic actor is better suited to less subdued roles. - The Bollywood Ticket: The American guide to Indian movies (Subscribe: The Bollywood Ticket)