It has been 11 years since this film - arguably the best films, but unarguably on of the best films in Indian cinema was released - 17th December, 2004 - incidentally the date of the first powered flight in human history at Kitty Hawk. Swades has touched the heart of every Indian who has watched it, and will continue to do so, I am sure..
I decided to write this article over 8 months ago, when I was at Sadashivanagar, Bangalore, watching this film for the umpteenth time - and I decided that today would be the day of publishing it too.
Well, I only thought that I would write about Swades - didn't think much about the content - and I -feel quite blank after writing an answer to a Quora question around a week back (link) - yeah I guess that is something I regret, for I am out of content..
What do I say about Swades? Each watch of the film is a journey.
As Mohan starts his caravan, his heart lighter compared to what it had been for months, down the road towards Charanpur, we buckle our seatbelts too, embarking upon a journey with the same expectations as him, irrespective of how many times we've seen the film. Our burdens all set aside, we become one with the film - a film that ensures that Indians from several parts - if not all, can relate to it. It is set in Delhi and is Hindi, which is fine by those from North and Central India. And people of the South can relate with Kaveriamma - after all, she is called "amma", and her dressing, accent and the way she teaches that village lady to bathe her child is strangely familiar - yeah I've seen my grandmother doing that to my cousins.
The gross journey seen metaphorically indicates an inward journey that we all take, to discover our own selves...
While the film is definitely timeless, it has captured some characteristic aspects of the 90's and the first couple of years of the 21st century. And some of these have completely been wiped off.
Each watch of the film adds a new perspective - and it keeps adding up, believe it or not. The first watch makes one pity Mohan slightly at having become a scapegoat. One watches in awe, Gayatri Joshi's remarkable acting skills and her effortless chemistry with Khan - they way in which her eyes do the acting. During my most recent watch (yesterday, in fact), I saw Kaveriamma's authority - authoritativeness (over Gita at least), I'd call it, to give the full import. Gita doesn't raise a question when she noticed that Kaveriamma was listening in on her conversation with Mohan - while that could've been to avoid letting Mohan know, she doesn't even dare to give a disapproving look. When Mohan returns from Kodi, depressed at seeing Haridas's plight, Kaveriamma asks Gita to go, taking Nandan, and this is followed obediently at once.
<editing in progress>
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