Oh yeah..there are films which have made me bawl like a child, but that happened within the protected confines on my house. But this my dear friends, is out there in the public, with the public.
Three reasons why I went for Swades:
1. Ashutosh Gowrikar's next after Lagaan
2. Rahman's epic musical score
3. My best friend wanted to see it
As always, I tried making fun of the film here and there. There were a few humorous scenes thrown in for good measure. Things certainly looked hunky dory (in the film too), till Mohan (Sharukh Khan) makes the "dreaded" visit to another village on behalf of his nanny.
Scene #1:
By the time Mohan returns to his village, a deep unrest has sprung up within him. I was extremely disturbed by a scene in this part of the movie:
> When Mohan sees a boy selling water for 25 paise at a nondescript station. This scene shook me and has haunted me ever since. (Video link given @ end of post.. click ) Sharukh's poignant reaction & suppressed tears speak volumes of the scene.
We would have seen similar destitute people in our daily life, but never have I been blown away by such a subtle yet powerful scene. I was literally fighting tears as Mohan drinks the water, the train moves on and the camera pans up... A metaphor for Mohan's change within, and that particular scene was the apex of his transformation.
Scene #2:
Mohan toils hard with his fellow villagers and brings electricity to the village. Power surges and the bulb in a house glows with the hopes an entire village. An old lady with failing vision, whose face was hidden in complete darkness..comes into focus. She smiles and says "Bijli" (electricity). The years of suffering without electricity, the sheer joy at watching the bulb glower and a glimmer of hope - all three delivered with a stunning expression in one word, "Bijli".
Scene#3:
The "worst" is yet to come...Mohan returns to USA and is still haunted by memories from beyond and...
...Rahman's soul-stirring 'Yeh Jo Des Hai Tera' starts. I couldn't hold it anymore., the tears started rolling. I didn't care that people were watching me, I didn't care that some were even laughing at me. My own friend was surprised at my tears...it was too emotional for me to act as if I-didn't-give-a-damn.
That day, in the semi-darkness of the theater, I realized what "a lump in your throat" really means. I still get that lump and an unwavering wave of goosebumps whenever I listen to 'Yeh Jo Des Hai Tera', Rahman's most touching & haunting score till date.
Why did I cry? Me, An odd ratio of 1 in 100? Maybe another soul shed her/his share of tears in a corner of the theatre. Maybe not. When you witness destitute people on a daily basis and you keep ignoring their existence, there will be a point of time when the feeling of shame can't be suppressed any longer.
>Yes, watching the film made me feel ashamed of myself.
>Yes, the film made me feel sad for the sorry state of affairs in my country.
>Yes, the film touched me at a deep personal level like no other film had. It struck a chord with me, which sadly, did not happen for a majority of the audience.
This film was a big commercial failure because of people's tenacious attitude towards meaningless films. People don't want to watch honest film, which portray our country in its naked form and makes us realize how worthless our existence has been. Genuine films get massacred because of such mindless people.
I am pretty miffed Swades didn't win the Best Film award at the filmfares. But I move on, knowing that brilliant films seldom get their due. Swades is a film which permanently scarred me for life. I wipe away that lingering tear and bring closure to this post.
~Swades. We, the people~ ...is a film to be seen, felt and experienced.
A heart-tugging scene with a nuanced performance by Mohan (Yes, not Sharukh. Get the drift?). At 2:12, the defining moment of the scene.
