The distributors are saying that Swades type of films are slow starters and the business will pick up?? I saw the film. Not a bad film but to recover their Rs 30 crore is another thing. Film has to do as good as Veer Zara to recover their 30 crores. I don't think they will recover even 50% of their investment.

Indian Critics have acclaimed this film (American/ UK critics have ignored it). Producers say, it's hydro-elec project sequence was based on an actual happening. (Can any one explain me how can they power up a whole village from a trickle of water fountain??)

Why would Americans/ US patriots like this film?? There is nothing for them. It could have been mutually beneficial both for the US and Swades producers had they shown NASA in a more positive/ active way. It would have been great, had the story gone like this that NASA satelites contributed in the uplifting of the village poor. For example: identifying hidden sources of water, minerals/ riches etc. Or, NASA/ US Govt/ Aid agencies encouraging employed Indians to send money for the uplifting of Village Poor. Instead, the story encourages well settled Indians to give up their high paying jobs and then join the Village poor in India and be one of them poor. You may be good in IT and earning tons of money, but to help the poor you take up farming or mining or manual labour. Isn't this what MaotseTung did in China during their cultural revolution??

Had they shown NASA in a positive/ active role as I mentioned above, it sure would have been a good PR for NASA, but it would also have interested US film critics and may be even Oscars that Swades producers are/ were hoping for??

Actually this is quite plausible and is indeed based on an article written by Dilip D'Souza on Rediff.com. Due acknowledgement has been given to the journalist at the beginning of the movie.....here's a link to that article http://in.rediff.com/news/2000/aug/31dilip.htm

Also about the hydro-electric project.....the theory is quite simple....you hold water at a high enough 'potential' and then make it 'gush' at the right velocity to move the turbine blades of an alternator, which will end up in converting the tidal energy to electricity.....the implementation shown in the movie may have been simplistic, for obvious cinematic reasons, but technically there was not a flaw.....in any case it was but a metaphor used to depict how simple solutions can effectively bring about major transformations.....a tad V.Shantaramesque touch I thought. Pretty preachy, but I did not mind it...i would like to hold on to all the other lovely feelings it evoked inside of me...especially the scene when SRK travels in the train to do some rent-vasooli....suberp sequences those !

Bapu Kuti

Product Description:

Bapu Kuti, at Sewagram Ashram, Wardha, is the mud hut which was Mahatma Gandhi's last home. Half a century after Bapu was killed, the Kuti is alive with gatherings of people who share his dreams. They do not call themselves 'Gandhians'. Yet, as they search for the solutions to the many problems of modern India, these activists find themselves coming to the same conclusions as had Gandhi. In this collection, Rajni Bakshi explores the world and lives of twelve such people who have turned their backs on lucrative professions to embark on a search for practical and humane ways of political and social transformation, rooted in the faith that new India with prosperity for all can be built on the strengths of cooperation and community.

http://www.hindu.com/fr/2004/12/10/stor ... 210100.htm

Any inspiration behind the making of "Swades"?

I found a lot of empowerment examples in a book `Bapu Kuti' by Rajni Bakshi about people who are selflessly working towards the community's development in small towns and villages of India.

Then I read about this guy, Ramesh Ramanathan, who had a cushy job in Citibank in the U.S. who gave up all comforts to return to his hometown in Bangalore to set up Janaagraha, a citizen initiative to improve governance through public participation.

The result of Ramesh's hard work is that today, Bangaloreans have a say in the city's corporation budgetary allocation. And that is what "Swades" is all about — every man can make a difference to the society.

A decent review of SWADES at Upperstall.com - read on - http://www.upperstall.com/swades.html

SRK can't rescue Swades

http://specials.rediff.com/movies/2004/ ... cue~Swades

The entire nation and Diaspora, it seemed, were looking forward to Ashutosh Gowariker's Swades, his first film after the Oscar-nominated Lagaan.
Unfortunately, Swades, despite starring Shah Rukh Khan in the best role of his career, is fighting hard to stay afloat at the Indian and the US box-office.

Swades

Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Rajesh Vivek, Dayashankar Pandey, Gayatri Joshi.
Director: Ashutosh Gowariker.
Shah Rukh Khan, great music, well-intentioned.

Too long and preachy.

Number of weeks: New.
BO Verdict: On its way to become a flop.

Budget of the movie is around 20 cr and not 30 as everyone is saying.

Finally, a positive Box Office report for SWADES.

http://www.glamsham.com/movies/scoops/0 ... swades.asp

SWADES makes news in PARDES

By Manisha Deshpande

Never mind the lukewarm response it has received here, Ashutosh Gowariker's 'Swades', has opened to a smashing box Office response worldwide.

According to a press release issued by U T V, the co-producers and overseas distributors of the film, it has grossed $424,804 on 74 screens in the first three days of its release across North America.

The film has also recorded the 3rd largest per screen average at $ 6,667 beating heavyweight Hollywood flicks like Polar Express and The Incredibles, and just below Ocean's Twelve.

In Dubai, it has crossed $ 175,000 in its opening weekend -substantially above the previous SRK-starrer, Veer Zaara, while in UK, it registered a screen average of £ 2,848, substantially higher than that of the previous releases this year.
-------------------------------------

Not bad. It's overseas, with dollar/ pound power, that counts the most.

Got this review from this blog - http://www.filmframe.com - and I couldn't agree more with it.
__________________________________________________
It has been exactly a week since I saw Swades. It was just last
Saturday. I been wanting to write about it here but I keep putting it
off, not because I didn't like it, far from it. I have never been so
moved by a Hindi commercial film to this extent, I have been thinking
of nothing else but Swades the whole week. Somehow I have not been able
to get it out of my system. I have always wanted to write my views here
on India especially U.P. Somehow I have not been able to put my
feelings into words. But I will try.

Ashutosh Gowariker's Swades is a tale so well weaved that reviewing is
like saying The Mahabarata is great book but it is a little long.
Swades needs to be seen and heard. How do you start? How do you fill
yourself in Mohan Bhargava's shoes without spoiling the experience.
Swades is a poignant and subtle look at India's basic needs for
education, food, water and of course electricity, cleverly disguised as
a commercial Hindi film. It is not a docu-drama. It is a slap on the
face of the people of India. It is a slap on the face of every
comfortable NRI. It is a wakeup call for all Indians. Which is why some
people are so defensive of themselves after watching this film. I am
one of them, a slap is not enough, we need a thrashing.

I admit it. I liked Swades because it is set in U.P (Uttar Pradesh). I
liked it that Ashutosh Gowariker surprised everyone with a simple yet
powerful film. I liked it that NRI's are shown as real intelligent
human beings and not evil 'angrezi chamchas'. I liked it because the
film is paced closer to real life. I liked it because it makes me feel
guilty of who I am. I have forgotten my roots. I admit it.

I am from Uttar Pradesh and I stay in Singapore because of my
grandparent's decision to migrate here. And I don't speak proudly about
my birthplace, Gorakhpur, as I do as a citizen of Singapore. I was born
in a mud hut in a village. I have come a long way. But I have not done
anything to make both my countries proud . Uttar Pradesh doesn't help
my predicament as well. My experience and knowledge of U.P is it is one
of the top criminal producing state of the country, full of pretentious
self-righteous people who would preach to you about culture, tradition
and civilization of Uttar Pradesh, yes India, the heart of India, Uttar
Pradesh. Great 'learned" men who are nothing more than fanatics to me
will tell you how much the world has to learn from India , from Uttar
Pradesh, how great our respect is for women. But they won't even think
twice of asking their wives to sit on the ground while they sip
colonial chai on their charpai. That Benares/Varanasi is full of white
people looking for nirvana and salvation or hashish just angers me. I
don't understand why poverty inspires people. It just angers me. The
refined among us will criticize me for being hypercritical about rural
India. But that is just my first hand experience back in 1999. What a
culture shock. Why are my people so disregarded in the world. It angers
me that we are cynical of our own people. Yet I see Indian/U.P culture
embraced everywhere unknowingly.

We need to change our mindset of India. Remember Subash Ghai's Pardes
where a certain America returned Amrish Puri proudly says "India gives
and gives". Why the hell are we proud of that? Haven't we've given
enough? For that matter, hasn't U.P already given a lot to the world.
It angers me that people like Subash Ghai make a film like Pardes which
rides on the sentiments of people of U.P and India? Yes I am idealistic
and I am a liberal. I love fantasy world Hindi films but depicting U.P
or India like it isn't in reality is a sin. I am not saying that every
Bollywood film maker should infuse social reforms in their films but it
is the least they can do. But Indians are individualistic by nature, We
are smart but individualistic, we can create great deeds in foreign
countries but we are useless in India. Which is hardly surprising that
this film is not doing to well in India but is a success abroad. I
don't know what the audience were expecting, mindless entertainment or
is it sheer oblivion; the rut that the country is stuck in. I guess
they were conned into the dark halls of the theater thinking it was
just another entertainer like Lagaan.

Ashutosh Gowariker's direction is flawless despite the long duration of
the film, the cinematography is stark just like the problems in the
film but the award goes to Ashutosh Gowariker and K.P Saxena for the
dialogues. Great movies have great dialogues but Swades has heart felt
conversations with the audience; the film could easily have been
preachy like Purab aur Paschim (or this article!). While a lot of
critics condemn the length of the film and thought the NASA scenes were
unnecessary, I feel it was important to show a direct contrast between
Charanpur and the Kennedy Space Station. It would be unfair to not
mention AR Rahman, without him there would be a lesser film. One of the
highlights of his career has to be Yeh Jo Desh. Swades moved me in its
every essence. It was an emotional experience for me.

I saw Swades a few days ago and must admit I was prepared to be bored based on the feedback from a few people. But for from it I found the film to be quite engrossing and I personally did not find the film too long or longer than needed. The film is not perfect and is not even a great film. But it is most certainly a good film and Ashutosh Gowarikar needs to be commended for being different and having the courage to make a film without bowing to the diktats of the Bollywood Box office needs or to the opions of the likes of Mr. Moron (Taran Adarsh).

By the way I agree with 'Aryan' that 'Yeh Jo Des Hai Tera' is a highlight of A.R. Rehman's career. Not only are the music and lyrics great but I also feel that no one could have done more justice to the song as a singer as A.R. Rehman has done.

I, more or less agree with Sanjay with his overall thoughts on Swades. I saw it earlier this week myself, and I wasn't too moved by Gowariker's storytelling, his approach towards the brain-drain seemed very underdeveloped. Yet, I can't help but admire his attempt, and unquestionably A.R. Rahman's score indulges the very conscience of the film. The casting of Shah Rukh Khan as Mohan Bhargava was perfect. Who else but him holds soo much attention amongst NRIs.