A prodigal's providence

Following on the footsteps of Lagaan, Swades — an exegesis on desh bhakti — is a fitting step in the evolution of Ashutosh Gowariker

Sonali Ghosh Sen Delhi

Once upon a time, in the land of milk and honey (your guess: there is only one), there lived a rocket scientist. He had everything his heart wished for — a great job, designer jeans, a penthouse apartment. But his heart kept crying out for more. He wanted something that only the land of the Ganges and bullock carts could give him — his former nanny.

So, he arrived in her village in a caravan, armed with mineral water and an attitude, but after encountering a pretty schoolteacher, a wrestler-cum-postmaster, a cook and wannabe non-resident Indian (NRI), and a weaver-turned-farmer, he discovered enlightenment. Not beneath a banyan tree but on a dusty railway station somewhere in the boondocks of India. As a ragged urchin tried to sell him an earthen cup of water, our hero understood his true purpose in life: he was sent to Earth to lead his people from darkness into light.

In a matter of a week or two, he built a little dam and gave the people of his village what they wanted most — electricity. He then went back to the land of milk and honey, launched his satellite, quit his job, and returned to live happily ever after with the schoolteacher and his nanny in his picture-perfect village.

This, in a nutshell, is the story of Swades, the long-awaited film from Ashutosh Gowariker. After tackling the British Empire and cricket in his Oscar-nominated Lagaan, he now tackles ignorance and inertia in 21st century India.

Swades is a modern-day fable of a man in search of his roots, in search of a purpose, in search of a place called home. At the core of the film is the leitmotif of desh bhakti. This is not patriotism brought on by a war or natural disaster; nor is it the patriotism that engulfs crowds at an India-Pakistan match. This is patriotism in its purest form, a revolution that begins in one man's heart and mind and spreads to the masses. An internal desh bhakti that is very difficult to bring to life on celluloid. But Gowariker manages to bring this elusive patriotism to screen rather effortlessly. After all, he is a pastmaster at narrating how ordinary men can achieve the extraordinary with courage and determination.

That he does so without resorting to drama or over-the top emotions is what makes Swades special. Gowariker pits his protagonist Mohan Bhargava's First World life against the caste – and class-ridden life of an Indian village with ease. The change in his protagonist from unconcerned observer to hero is gradual, and Gowariker lets the audience absorb this change very, very gently. The director's idealism can be seen in every frame and it is this honesty of vision that creates a film that is refreshing — at times even revolutionary — and never, ever boring.

Gowariker gets able support from his leading man, Shah Rukh Khan. Shah Rukh makes Mohan Bhargava — the urbane yet earnest NASA scientist — completely believable and totally endearing. The rest of the cast is as impressive: Kishori Ballal as Kaveriamma (his former nanny) puts in a fine performance: so does Mela Ram, the cook who wants to be a dhaba owner in the US. The rest of the villagers, including the postmaster, puts in very natural performances.

So, it comes as a surprise that when it comes to casting the leading lady, Gowariker blew it. If the heroine in Swades was just a beautiful mannequin, Gayatri Joshi would have scored a perfect 10. But this film demands a little more — acting skills, for a beginning. And that's where Gayatri Joshi fails as Gita, the firebrand schoolteacher. If the film is flawed, a lot of blame can be put on her casting.

There are other glitches too — such as the Maharashtrian accent of UP villagers and the building of a dam in a few days. The scenes of NASA also fail to impress.

The music of A R Rahman is flawless, however, and the songs woven seamlessly into the movie's fabric.

Swades is a fitting successor to Lagaan, when it comes to the evolution of Gowariker as a director. The film shows that Gowariker can tell unusual stories beautifully, carefully craft in a social message while keeping one entertained.