Swades
Swades: We, the People (transl. Homeland) is a 2004 Indian Hindi-language drama film co-written, directed and produced by Ashutosh Gowariker.[4] The film stars Shah Rukh Khan, Gayatri Joshi and Kishori Ballal while Daya Shankar Pandey, Rajesh Vivek, Lekh Tandon appear in supporting roles.
| Swades: We, the People | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Ashutosh Gowariker |
| Screenplay by | Ashutosh Gowariker Ayan Mukerji Sameer Sharma Lalit Marathe Amin Hajee Charlotte Whitby – Coles Yashdeep Nigudkar |
| Story by | M. G. Sathya Ashutosh Gowariker |
| Dialogue by | |
| Produced by | Ashutosh Gowariker |
| Starring | Shah Rukh Khan Gayatri Joshi Kishori Ballal |
| Cinematography | Mahesh Aney |
| Edited by | Ballu Saluja |
| Music by | A. R. Rahman |
Production company | Ashutosh Gowariker Productions |
| Distributed by | UTV Motion Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 195 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Hindi |
| Budget | ₹25 crore[1] |
| Box office | est. ₹40 crore[2][3] |
The plot was based on two episodes of the series Vaapsi on Zee TV's Yule Love Stories (1994–95)[5] which had Gowariker playing the role of Mohan Bhargav.[6] The story of the lead role setting up a micro hydroelectric project to generate electricity was reported to be inspired by the 2003 Kannada film Chigurida Kanasu which was based on the novel of the same name by Jnanapith awardee K. Shivaram Karanth[7][8][9] and Bapu Kuti by Rajni Bakshi.[10] The music and background score was composed by A. R. Rahman, with lyrics penned by Javed Akhtar.
Swades was theatrically released on 17 December 2004, and it opened to rave reviews from critics, with praise for the performances of Khan, Joshi and Ballal, and the story, screenplay, and soundtrack. However, it emerged as a commercial failure at the box office,
At the 50th Filmfare Awards, Swades received 8 nominations, including Best Film, Best Director (Gowarikar) and Best Music Director (Rahman), and won Best Actor (Khan) and Best Background Score (Rahman).
It was dubbed in Tamil as Desam and released on 26 January 2005, coinciding with Indian Republic Day. Despite its commercial failure, Swades is regarded ahead of its time and is now considered a cult classic of Hindi cinema and one of the best films in Shah Rukh Khan's filmography. Shahrukh's performance in this film is regarded as among the best performances of his career.[11][12] The film is owned by Red Chillies Entertainment.[13]
Plot
Mohan Bhargava is a non-resident Indian who works as a Project Manager on the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) program at NASA in the United States. Mohan came to U. S. for college studies and kept on living there after his parents in India died in a car accident. He keeps worrying about Kaveri Amma, a nanny at his home in Uttar Pradesh who looked after him during his childhood days. After his parents' death, Kaveri Amma went to live in an old age home in Delhi and eventually lost contact with Mohan. Mohan wishes to go to India and bring Kaveri Amma back with him to the U. S. Due to the recent success of Phase I of his project, he takes a few weeks off and travels to India. He goes to the old age home but learns that Kaveri Amma no longer lives there and went to a village named Charanpur a year ago. Mohan then decides to travel to Charanpur, in Uttar Pradesh.
Mohan decides to rent a recreational vehicle to reach the village fearing that he might not get the required facilities there. Upon reaching Charanpur, he meets Kaveri Amma and learns how his childhood friend Geeta (whom he called "Gitli" in his childhood) brought Kaveri Amma to stay with her after Mohan's parents died. Geeta runs a school in Charanpur and works hard to improve the living conditions of the villagers through education. However, the village is divided largely by caste and religious beliefs. Geeta does not like Mohan's arrival as she thinks that he will take Kaveri Amma back with him to the U. S., leaving her and her younger brother Nandan "Chiku" alone. Kaveri Amma tells Mohan that she needs to get Geeta married first and that it is her responsibility. Geeta believes in women empowerment and gender equality. This attracts Mohan towards Geeta and he too tries to help her by campaigning for education among backward communities and also girls. Mohan befriends villagers Nivaaran and Melaram, and they support him in his campaign. Mohan also wins the attention of Dadaji, a kind village chief.
Slowly love blossoms between Mohan and Geeta. Kaveri Amma asks Mohan to visit a nearby village named Kodi, and collect money from a man named Haridas who owes it to Geeta. The story gives a journey to Mohan very similar to what happened to Mahatma Gandhi after he came back from South Africa. Mohan visits Kodi and feels pity seeing Haridas' poor condition, which is such that he is unable to provide his family with meals every day. Haridas tells Mohan that since his caste profession of a weaver wasn't earning him any money, he shifted to tenant farming. But this change in profession led to his ostracization from the village and the villagers even denied him water for his crops. Mohan understands the pathetic situation and realises that many villages in India are still like Kodi. He returns to Charanpur with a heavy heart and decides to do something for the welfare of the village.
Mohan extends his leave by three more weeks. He learns that electricity inconsistency and frequent power cuts are a big problem in Charanpur. He decides to set up a small hydroelectric power generation facility from a nearby water source. Mohan purchases all the equipment needed from his own funds and oversees the building of the power generation unit. The unit works and the village gets sufficient, consistent power from it.
Dadaji's health deteriorates and he passes away. Mohan is repeatedly called by NASA officials as the GPM project he was working on is reaching important stages and he has to return to the U. S. soon. Kaveri Amma tells him that she prefers to stay in Charanpur as it will be difficult for her to adapt to a new country at her age. Geeta also tells him that she will not settle down in another country and she would prefer it if Mohan stay in India with her and Kaveri Amma. Mohan returns to the U. S. with a heavy heart to complete the project. However, in the U. S., he has flashbacks of his time in India and wishes to return. After the successful completion of his project, he leaves U. S. and returns to India with intentions of working at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Center, from where he can also work with NASA. The film ends by showing Mohan staying in the village and wrestling with his friend Nivaaran near a temple.
Cast
- Shah Rukh Khan as Mohan Bhargava
- Gayatri Joshi as Geeta "Gitli" (Chiku's elder sister and Mohan's childhood friend/love interest)
- Kishori Ballal as Kaveri Amma (Mohan's nanny)
- Rajesh Vivek as Nivaaran Dayal Srivastava (Postman at Charanpur)
- Lekh Tandon as Dadaji
- Daya Shankar Pandey as Mela Ram (A eatery owner at Charanpur)
- Smith Sheth as Nandan "Chiku" (Geeta's younger brother)
- Bachan Pachehra as Haridas
- Vishnu Dutt Gaur as Mr. Vishnu Dutt (Charanpur Panchayat Member)
- Farrukh Jaffar as Panch Fatima Bi
- Visshwa Badola as Panch Munishwar
- Bhim Vakani as Panch Narayan
- Dilip Ambekar as Panch Hariya
- Raja Awasthi as Panch Gungadin
- Rahul Vohra as Vinod Raaz
- Rajesh Balwani as Rahul Sinha
- Peter Rawley as John Stockton
- Mayuri Bagade as Book Store Girl
- Makrand Deshpande as traveller who shows Mohan the way to Charanpur
Production
Motivation
Swades is inspired by the story of Aravinda Pillalamarri and Ravi Kuchimanchi, the NRI couple who returned to India and developed a pedal power generator to light remote, off-the-grid village schools.[14][15][16] Gowariker spent considerable time with Aravinda and Ravi, both dedicated Association for India's Development (AID) volunteers. He supposedly visited Bilgaon, an Adivasi village in the Narmada valley, which is the backdrop of the Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) movement. The people of Bilgaon are credited with doing 200 person-days of shramdaan (community service) to make their village energy self-sufficient. The Bilgaon project is recognised as a model for replication by the Government of Maharashtra.[citation needed]
Themes
Mahatma Gandhi's great-grandson, Tushar Gandhi, noted the theme of Gandhism in the film.[17] The name of the main character portrayed by Shah Rukh Khan is Mohan, which was Gandhi's birth name (Mohandas or "Mohan"). The film opens with the quotation:
Hesitating to act because the whole vision might not be achieved, or because others do not yet share it, is an attitude that only hinders progress.
— Mahatma Gandhi
Gowariker tries to address the lack of scientific temperament and widespread ignorance among the rural folks through the energetic number "Ye Tara Wo Tara", where Mohan is seen encouraging the children to experience the fascinating world of stars through his telescope. In a symbolic manner, the song rejects the defunct divisions of caste and class and at the same time, through its protagonist, tries to instill in the audience an appreciation of curiosity and observation.
Casting and filming
Gowariker initially offered Mohan's role to Aamir Khan (who worked in Gowariker's Lagaan (2001)), but he rejected it because he found the story to be weak. Mohan's role was then offered to Hrithik Roshan, who refused after reading the script.[18] Gowariker then offered Mohan's role to Shah Rukh, who finally accepted it after listening to the story and he started crying during the story's narration. Bhanu Athaiya, an Oscar winner for Gandhi (1982), was the costume designer for the film.
Swades was the first Indian film to be shot inside the NASA headquarters and inside the NASA research center at the Launch Pad 39A of the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.[19][20] The rainfall monitoring satellite known as the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) in the film is an actual NASA mission and was launched in 2014.[21][22][23] A major part of the film was shot in Menawali, Maharashtra.[24][25]
Reception
Critical reception
The film received critical acclaim and went on to become a cult classic, and Khan's performance as Mohan Bhargava is considered one of his best to date.[26]
Subhash K. Jha of Indiatimes Movies gave the film 4.5 stars out of 5 and said, "Swades is 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."
Mayank Shekhar from MiD DAY gave it 4 stars, stating, "I cannot think of a better film for the longest that deserved a stronger recommendation for both touring cinemas of India's villages, and plush multiplexes of Mumbai or Manhattan."
Jitesh Pillai of the Sunday Times of India gave the film 4 stars and said "After Lagaan, what? The answer's blowing in the wind. Swades! Here's the verdict: This is a gutsy and outstanding film. Welcome back to real, solid film-making." He added, "Swades is undoubtedly the No. 1 movie of the year."
Shradha Sukumaran of Mid-Day gave it 3.5 stars and said, "At the end of it, Swades is a far braver film than Lagaan. It could have hit the high note – if it hadn't tried so hard."
Avijit Ghosh wrote in The Telegraph, "With its gentle humour, the film acts as an entertaining vehicle for social change. And hopefully, it will do more for positive nationalism than the Union government's Directorate of Audio Visual Publicity (DAVP) ads ever will."[27]
The film was reported to be inspired by two episodes of the series titled Vaapsi on Zee TV's Yule Love Stories (1993–95).[28] The story of the lead role setting up a micro hydro electric project to generate electricity was reported to be inspired by the Kannada novel Chigurida Kanasu by K. Shivaram Karanth[7][8][9] and Bapu Kuti by Rajni Bakshi.[10]
Box office
Swades earned ₹15.25 crore (US$1.9 million) net box office in India.[2] In the overseas market, the film made $2,790,000.[29] It had a lifetime worldwide gross of ₹34.26 crore (US$4.3 million). The film topped the Chennai box office on its opening weekend.[30] The movie was declared a flop domestically and a hit overseas, earning ₹34.26 crore worldwide on a budget of ₹21 crore.[citation needed]
Soundtrack
The song "Dekho Naa" is a modified version of the song "Kichchu Tha" from the film, Baba (2002).
| Swades | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by | ||||
| Released | 10 November 2004 | |||
| Recorded | Panchathan Record Inn | |||
| Genre | Feature film soundtrack | |||
| Label | T-Series | |||
| Producer | A. R. Rahman | |||
| A. R. Rahman chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Planet Bollywood | link |
All lyrics are written by Javed Akhtar; all music is composed by A. R. Rahman.
| No. | Title | Artist(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Yeh Taara Woh Taara" | Udit Narayan, Master Vignesh, Baby Pooja | 7:13 |
| 2. | "Saanwariya Saanwariya" | Alka Yagnik | 5:17 |
| 3. | "Yun Hi Chala Chala" | Udit Narayan, Kailash Kher, Hariharan | 7:28 |
| 4. | "Yeh Jo Des Hai Tera[31]" | A. R. Rahman | 6:28 |
| 5. | "Aahista Aahista" | Udit Narayan, Sadhana Sargam | 6:35 |
| 6. | "Pal Pal Hai Bhaari" | Madhushree, Vijay Prakash | 6:50 |
| 7. | "Dekho Na" | Alka Yagnik, Udit Narayan | 5:46 |
| 8. | "Pal Pal Hai Bhaari" (Flute) | Naveen | 3:38 |
| 9. | "Yeh Jo Des Hai Tera" (Shehnai) | Madhukar Dhumal | 4:00 |
On 27 March 2021, members of United States Navy Band sang "Yeh Jo Des Hai Tera" for Taranjit Singh Sandhu, the Ambassador of India to the United States and United States Navy Chief of Naval Operations at a special dinner event.[32] The video of the band members singing surfaced on Twitter and received praise and nostalgia from Shahrukh Khan, A. R. Rahman and netizens alike.[33][34]
Tamil version
The Tamil soundtrack under the title Desam[35] was composed by A.R. Rahman. All Lyrics were written by Vaali. According to the Indian trade website Box Office India, with around 13,00,000 units sold, this film's soundtrack album was the eleventh highest-selling of the year.[36]
| Title | Singer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|
| "Thirukona Moolam" | S.P. Balasubrahmanyam, Master Vignesh, Baby Pooja | 7:13 |
| "Kaaviriya Kaaviriya" | Madhushree, Alka Yagnik (humming) | 5:17 |
| "Unnai Kelai" | T. L. Maharajan, Hariharan | 7:28 |
| "Unthan Desathin Kural" | A. R. Rahman | 6:28 |
| "Thai Sonna" | K.J. Yesudas, Madhushree | 6:35 |
| "Mazhai Mega Vanna" | K. S. Chithra, Srinivas | 6:50 |
| "Kettenaa Naan" | Mohammed Aslam, Sadhana Sargam | 5:46 |
| "Unthan Desathin Kural" (Shehnai) | Madhukar T. Dhumal | 4:00 |
Awards
- Best Male Playback Singer – Udit Narayan for "Yeh Taara Woh Taara"[37]
- Best Cinematography – Mahesh Aney
- Best Actor – Shahrukh Khan
- Best Newcomer – Gayatri Joshi
- Best Director (Critics) – Ashutosh Gowariker
- Best Female Debut – Gayatri Joshi[38]
- Best Story – Ashutosh Gowariker
- Best Sound Re-recording – Hitendra Ghosh
- Most Promising Female Newcomer – Gayatri Joshi
- Dream Director – Ashutosh Gowariker
- Best Female Debut – Gayatri Joshi
- Film Café Awards
- Best Actor – Shahrukh Khan[39]
Won
Nominated
- Best Film – Ashutosh Gowariker
- Best Director – Ashutosh Gowariker
- Best Music Director – A. R. Rahman
- Best Lyricist – Javed Akhtar for "Yeh Taara Woh Taara"
- Best Male Playback Singer – Udit Narayan and Master Vignesh for "Yeh Taara Woh Taara"
- Best Female Playback Singer – Alka Yagnik for "Saawariya"
Legacy
Khan again played a scientist named Mohan Bhargav in the 2022 film Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva, which was directed by Ayan Mukerji, who co-wrote Swades.
See also
Notes
- ^ . Filmfare. January 2001. Archived from the original on 1 March 2005. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
- ^ a b . Web.archive.org (14 October 2013). Retrieved on 2015-03-30.
- ^ . Web.archive.org (26 September 2013). Retrieved on 2015-03-30.
- ^ "Meet Aravinda and Ravi, The Inspiration Behind Shahrukh Khan's Movie 'Swades'". indiatimes.com. 17 December 2018.
- ^ "Subscribe to ZEE5 - Avail the Best offers with ZEE5 Premium Subscription Plans".
- ^ "Swades Inspired from Zee TV Serial by Bobby Sing in". Bobbytalkscinema.com. 17 August 2016. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
- ^ a b "Top ten Kannada films to have been remade". The Times of India.
- ^ a b "Eight Bollywood movies that are actually remakes of South Indian films". 20 June 2019.
- ^ a b "Can't thank Ashutosh Gowariker enough for Swades: Shah Rukh Khan", Indian Express, 17 December 2016 – via PTI
- ^ a b "Bet You Didn't Know – the real story behind Ashutosh Gowariker's Swades!". 22 October 2009.
- ^ "Lost in Translation – Part 1/2". Filmfare. 8 September 2011. Retrieved 14 March 2012.
- ^ Deepak Mahaan (4 August 2011). "Arts / Cinema : Intoxicated with second love!". The Hindu. Chennai, India. Retrieved 14 March 2014.
- ^ . redchillies.com. Archived from the original on 6 October 2016. Retrieved 30 September 2016.
- ^ "The Real Swadesis: Aravinda and Ravi". Retrieved 25 December 2007.
- ^ . AID Austin. Archived from the original on 17 January 2008. Retrieved 25 December 2007.
- ^ . FRONTLINE (THE HINDU). Archived from the original on 8 December 2008. Retrieved 25 December 2007.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ Jha, Subhash K.; Service, Indo-Asian News (19 November 2015). . Sify.com. Archived from the original on 21 November 2015. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
- ^ "Ash, Hrithik ready to go back in time". The Times of India. 11 October 2006. Retrieved 28 July 2008.
- ^ "Swades". BBC. 2004. Retrieved 29 August 2007.
- ^ "Radio Sargam Interview: Shah Rukh Khan!". Radio Sargam. Retrieved 29 August 2007.
- ^ "Lights, Camera, Liftoff!". NASA. Retrieved 29 August 2007.
- ^ "Global Precipitation Measurement". NASA. Retrieved 28 July 2008.
- ^ "GPM Launch Information". NASA. 22 January 2014. Retrieved 19 February 2014.
- ^ "Error". epaper.timesofindia.com.
- ^ "The village where Shah Rukh Khan's Swades was shot". 19 August 2009.
- ^ Verma, Sukanya. "10 Best Bollywood Movies of the Decade". Rediff.com. Retrieved 27 June 2011.
- ^ "A film that dares". The Telegraph. Calcutta, India. 24 December 2004.
- ^ "The inspirations behind SWADES (2004), including a '90s TV series where the director himself played the role of SRK. – by Bobby Sing (BTC Exclusive) (Did You Know – 87)".
- ^ www.boxofficeindia.com . Archived from the original on 6 October 2013.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ^ . sify.com. Archived from the original on 9 September 2017.
- ^ "Yeh Jo Desh Hai Tera Song Lyrics". 10 January 2021.
- ^ Taranjit Singh Sandhu [@SandhuTaranjitS] (27 March 2021). "'ये वो बंधन है जो कभी टूट नहीं सकता! This is a friendship bond that cannot be broken ever.' 🇮🇳🇺🇸 US Navy singing a popular Hindi tune @USNavyCNO 's dinner last night! t.co/hfzXsg0cAr" (Tweet). from the original on 18 April 2021. Retrieved 9 June 2021 – via Twitter.
- ^ A.R.Rahman #99Songs 😷 [@arrahman] (28 March 2021). "Swades rules for ever🌹@AshGowariker #sharukhkhan @Javedakhtarjadu t.co/DGgN5xRsEp" (Tweet). from the original on 17 April 2021. Retrieved 9 June 2021 – via Twitter.
- ^ Shah Rukh Khan [@iamsrk] (29 March 2021). "Thank u for sharing this sir. How lovely. Git all nostalgic about the time spent making this beautiful film and belief sung in the song. Thanx @AshGowariker @RonnieScrewvala @arrahman & everyone who made it possible. t.co/rFRKcHTDCg" (Tweet). from the original on 18 April 2021. Retrieved 9 June 2021 – via Twitter.
- ^ Kamini Mathai (2009). A.R. Rahman: The Musical Storm. Penguin Books India. pp. 256–. ISBN 978-0-670-08371-8.
- ^ . Box Office India. Archived from the original on 15 February 2008.
- ^ Suhasini, Lalitha (19 July 2005). . The Indian Express. Pune Newsline. Archived from the original on 13 August 2013. Retrieved 25 April 2009.
- ^ IMDb, IMDb (26 March 2005). "zee cine 2005". IMDb. Retrieved 16 March 2014.
- ^ "Film Cafe: Winners". BBC Radio. Retrieved 28 July 2008.
External links
- Swades at IMDb
- Swades at Rotten Tomatoes
- Swades at Box Office Mojo
- Official site
Reviews
- BBC review – BBC
- – Times of India