Swades (2004)

87% of users liked it
(8,418 ratings)

A man searching for clues to his past pays a visit to the place where he was born in this drama laced with romance and music from India. Mohan Bhargava (Shah Rukh Khan) left the small village in India where he was born and raised to travel to the United States, where he worked as part of the… More A man searching for clues to his past pays a visit to the place where he was born in this drama laced with romance and music from India. Mohan Bhargava (Shah Rukh Khan) left the small village in India where he was born and raised to travel to the United States, where he worked as part of the American space program. But after the death of his parents, Mohan becomes nostalgic for his home and takes a leave of absence in order to visit Kaveri (Kishori Ballal), a woman who helped to raise him as a boy. While searching for Kaveri, Mohan becomes reacquainted with Gita (Gayatri Joshi), one of his friends from his school days who has stayed behind to serve the community as a teacher. Gita thinks little of Mohan's desire to bring Kaveri back to the United States with him, but she also finds herself struck by the charm and intelligence of the adult Mohan, and the two develop a strong infatuation. But many in the community have little regard for Mohan's accomplishments in the United States until he steps forward to help his old neighbors by revamping the village's antiquated electrical system. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 3 hr. 15 min.
Directed By: Ashutosh Gowariker
Written By: Ashutosh Gowariker, M.G. Satya
Genres: Drama, Musical & Performing Arts, Art House & International

In Theaters: Dec 17, 2004 Wide
On DVD: Mar 8, 2005
Studio: UTV Communications

Critic Reviews

Derek Elley, Variety
Gowariker's unforced shooting style is the same as in Lagaan, but this time is let down by a schematic, non-dramatic script.
Michael Dequina, TheMovieReport.com
The slow-burning Swades requires a bit of patience from its viewers, but such an investment is a minimal expense when the payoff is richly rewarding.

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Featured Audience Ratings

familiar s

If SRK wasn't in this one, it would have done worse than what it did. SRK should stop blindly working with directors only because their last movie was a big HIT with Aamir. He must learn something about scripts too. Hope he realizes it before it's too late!!! BTW, I heard… More
If SRK wasn't in this one, it would have done worse than what it did. SRK should stop blindly working with directors only because their last movie was a big HIT with Aamir. He must learn something about scripts too. Hope he realizes it before it's too late!!! BTW, I heard recently that he's being approached by Ghajini fame director A.R. Murugadoss for his next movie. If it's so, hope he doesn't sign it unless the script is convincing enough.
Leo L

Here's an interesting movie that follows one man's journey back to his home country and to the one person from his past that holds great memories. Mohan Bhargav returns to India to find the elderly woman who took great care of him in his youth, one that he truly sees as a… More
Here's an interesting movie that follows one man's journey back to his home country and to the one person from his past that holds great memories. Mohan Bhargav returns to India to find the elderly woman who took great care of him in his youth, one that he truly sees as a mother of his heart. Mohan takes time off to go in search for her, but comes to realize that there is more work to be done in the small village that he finds her living in. It is the general need of humanity that stirs an awakening within him, and he is compelled to do all that he possibly can. Shahrukh Khan stars. Worth seeing.