Swades
Finally got to see “Swades”. AMAZING. One word to describe that movie. A very bold storyline. Most mainstream Bollywood directors wouldn’t dare venture out into such “hatke” topics but Ashutosh Gowarikar has done just that. The story is so un-Bollywoodish. No running-around-trees, no hefty villains, no helicopter chases, no raunchy scenes, and I could just go on and on.
I liked sooooo many things in the movie:
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The locations were just simply awesome. Classic desiland. I was amazed at the realism of the picturization. Most directors would prefer cardboard sets for village-based stories. This was a friggin’ real village!!
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The screenplay was very crisp and flowed smoothly. Some would say that the movie was too long but I wish it was longer!!!
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The lead female was sooo pretty. She wasn’t the hi-fi model type but I fell in love with her (or maybe with the character she played??). Her expressions were a bit weird at times but for a female in her position, her reactions to Shahrukh would be natural. Her character needed to maintain her own dignity and composure and not get swept away by the firangi hype of Shahrukh’s.
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Shahrukh was just perfect for this role. I never really liked him as he often overdoes his Romeo roles. But this time around, he simply was the best. The guy is just amazing. He must be like some 50,000 years old and still is so trim and in shape. I would say he looks much much better than beefchunks like Salman or Hrithik.
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The songs were topclass too. AR Rahman once again proves why he rules Bollywood. “Yeh jo des hai tera” is the highpoint in this movie.
This movie applies to just about any desi - Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan, Nepali and so on. It could apply to any of us. Only the names change, places change and perhaps religions change. But otherwise, anybody would find it hard not to be touched by this masterpiece.
Hats off to the entire “Swades” crew for this work of art 
Ppl, please let me know what you felt about this movie.