My obsession with Swades

I watched Ashutosh Gowariker's Swades again. This time, I watched it while living in the US. The location from where you watch it does make a difference!


The first time I watched it was at home, in my country. I was amazed at how the movie told the story with no extras. The usual melodrama is missing; a lot of things are conveyed through expressions and good music. The movie touches my heart on so many levels. I hardly know of any other movie as flawless as this one.

I am sure many Indians living in the US can relate to Mohan Bhargav almost as soon as the movie starts. There is everything that one can need for a comfortable life, and still a vaccuum. When Mohan is on his way to India, just before the flight lands, he looks out the window - at his physical motherland. This scene is very close to heart for my husband, who said he did the exact same thing the first time he went home.

Mohan goes to the old age home to look for Kaveri amma, his foster mother. Upon enquiring about her, another old lady comments that Kaveri amma is very lucky coz someone always comes looking after her. A wave of emotion swept through me thinking of all the old people who live in these homes - how they wait for someone to come and enquire about them, how they feel neglected and unwanted......wish there were an easier solution for this. In fact, I liked the lighter side of this shown in Lage Raho Munnabhai....the concept of Second Innings is very appealing to me :)

Mohan's first meeting with Geeta is sweet, and shot without the excesses. He is obviously very taken by her and likes her respect for values. After the short meeting, she is gone and he is wondering how he can get in touch with her again.

The first song is Yun hi chala chal raahi - while many people love this song, I dont find it as good. Its definitely a good song to listen to on maybe a road trip. I simply love the scene where Mohan pulls his caravan into the village of Charanpur. The curious faces of kids, the narrow roads - a very authentic shot of how village people marvel upon the arrival of something unknown to them.

The scene where he meets Kaveriamma and touches her feet is very sentimental - again, just the right amount of sentiment. Geeta is refreshingly simple and beautiful, and to add to that she is a girl with a mission -to educate all the kids in her village and to expand the school started by her parents. I love the arguments she has with Mohan -asking him not to criticize India when he hasnt done much to help the situation -I have done likewise in the past, when I was in India. It is a sort of idealistic argument, but I too believe that educated Indians with a conscience can achieve a lot to improve the situation in the country.


Mohan starts falling in love with Geeta, with the simplicity of the village life and wants to contribute to their welfare. He speaks out his mind in the village panchayats, and uses every opportunity to make them take an educated approach to problems. One of my favourite songs in the movie is Yeh Tara Woh Tara, where Mohan tries conveys the message of unity to the village by singing and dancing with the kids. The lyrics of this song are simple yet convey a powerful message - one that we all are taught in school but seldom remember to follow -Unity is strength.


Then there is the touch of humour with scenes like the one where Melaram brings up business propositions to Mohan, to open restaurant(s) in the US , Mohan going to the class where Geeta teaches, Mohan crooning 'I've been waiting, for a girl like you' while taking a bath in the backyard of the house.


Kaveriamma appreciates Mohan's good intentions of improving the village but wants him to get a reality check. She sends him off to collect rent on one of her farmlands from a poor farmer. The song 'Saanwariya' starts as he leaves for the trip, with Geeta realizing her love for Mohan. The trip changes Mohan's life in a profound manner. He is unable to digest how poverty really is and what it means. Even in such poverty, the farmer feeds Mohan and Melaram, as his kids look at the food hungrily and longingly. Mohan leaves some money with the farmer, just to temporarily relieve him of his miseries.


Mohan comes back from the trip a changed man. He has more interaction with the villagers - he cringes at their superstitions and wants them to look at issues based on facts as opposed to old beliefs. In the Dusserah celebration, picturized through the song 'Pal pal hai bhari', he has a message at the end - telling the villagers 'Man se Ravan jo nikale, Ram uske man mein hain'. As he gets more involved with the struggle and strife of all these people, Mohan decides he wants to do more. He takes up a project to produce electricity for the village, using their own water and resources, thus making them self sufficient. He gathers all people young and old and through sheer hard work and determination, gets the electricity generated. An old woman is shown looking at the bulb, that lights up when the electricity is generated. These are the very scenes that make this movie. During this project is also the fantastic 'Dekho na' song, which is as simple and romantic as a song gets. It kind of takes you back in time, when songs were picturized this simple - the hero and heroine are content to be in each other's company and dont need a hundred extras jumping and dancing along with them.


Mohan's vacation is drawing to an end and upon receiving an ultimatum from his boss, he painfully decides to go back. He loses an argument with Geeta about taking Kaveriamma with him. With a heavy heart, he packs up and the entire village gathers to send him off. Mohan's eyes are only searching for Geeta. He has almost given up, when he sees Geeta along the way. She gives him a parting gift - a box of things that will bring India to his mind. After a tearful goodbye, Mohan is back at the NASA in the US. He is working on an important satellite launch. Even during the hectic work schedule, his mind wanders to thoughts of India - to the villagers, their lives, their struggles, their joys and sorrows; to Geeta and Kaveriamma and the little kids; to the old lady above whose face the bulb lights up; to where his heart and soul really belong! We have the most amazing shehnahi playing the haunting tune of 'Yeh Jo des hai tera'. The scene where Mohan looks at a revolving globe and sees the Indian map and tears up has my eyes welling up too. The beats and background music of this song start right then. Hats off to lyrisict Javed Akhtar 'Yeh jo des hai tera, Swades hai tera, tujhe hai pukara....yeh woh bandhan hai jo kabhi toot nahi sakta' During this song, Mohan's friend Vinod tries to convince him that going back to India is not a wise decision, but Mohan is undeterred. He finally resigns from the NASA and goes back to his homeland. His boss tells him 'Go, light your bulb' and he responds 'I will'.

The last scene of the movie shows Mohan participating in a local wrestling match with the villagers; with Geeta, Kaveriamma, the kids and everyone watching. He wins the match and washes himself in the river, laughing and joking with Geeta, and the camera zooms out. Happy ending!

All in all, Swades is a movie that inspires me and hopefully inspires an entire generation of Indians.