Swades

Ok Mohan, Go light your bulb !
15th august 2005 is not the first when I have watched Ashutosh Gowariker’s Shah Rukh khan starrer Swades and certainly it would not be the last either.
Following Lagaan’s success, another Ahutosh Gowariker’s directed flick, the launching of Swades was huge and naturally compared with the prior, but unfortunately its comparision was unfair. While Lagan highlighted the mindset of an youth, Bhuvan, played to near perfection by Aamir Khan, agitated against the atrocities of the British and rotated around cricket match in the pre-independence era, Swades is more of a turbulence in the mind of Mohan Bhargav, an Indian scientist working for NASA. The turbulence reflects the thoughts of a mind, the mind of Mohan Bhargav for his own nation. There was more to Lagaan than just the cricket match and the last ball six and certainly there is more to Swades than just the return of an NRI to his country.
I should not get into the core of the movie for its is for all to watch it, and most of the readers must surely have watched it I guess, but certainly there is enough in it which I feel is just amazing.
Mohan Bhargav, a wonderful character, and its him and not the SRK himself who caught much of my attention. An Indian by birth, in a well to do family in north India, he couldn’t get enough of the parental care early and was brough up by His Dai kaveri amma. He was never deprived of the love and care needed by Kaveri amma and he was grateful for that. Graduated from Philadelphia in U.S. and working for NASA for last ten years or so he seemed to forget Kaveri amma. She had to live in an old age home in Delhi. It was not too late before it struck him that he has neglected her, unintentionally. And there begins his journey, ofcourse after his boss John grants him a weeks leave.
Gayatri or Gitli, looked after Kaveri amma and took her to Charanpur in Uttar Pradesh. Gayatri joshi played this role very efficiently and the simplicity and the determination of the character is very well reflected. She is a school teacher in a primary school and have a vision of building a high school in village, her father’s dream. She is offended by the negligence of Mohan towards Kaveri amma and always believed that Mohan will never return back to see Kaveri amma. However her belief was shaken when she meets Mohan in a book shop in Delhi and forsees her fears being materialized.
Mohan Bhargav reaches Charanpur. Kaveri amma is overjoyed to see him back. He apologise for being so her days in old age home and being negligent. Its during his stay in Charanpur, where he came to persuade his Kaveri amma to accompany him in U.S., where he gets a glimpse of the life and society prevalent in the rural India. Its here in Charanpur when he realizes that he has been fortunate enough to lead a lifestyle he has been living these days and he owes something to pay back to his country. Its here when his resolution starts materializing. His visit to Haridas leaves him completely shaken, and its here when he resolves to do something. He constantly contradicts the primitive view points of the villagers and tries to persuade them to help themselves. With the help of villagers he helps them generate electricity for themselves and make them see a ray of hope. The look of utter satisfaction blended with happiness on the age old wrinkled face of Setu mami in the village when see shees a bulb glowing, an electric bulb in her very own eyes, the way she utters the words “bijli”, her toothless pronounciation not being clear enough, “bijli”, the words repeated as the old lady looks at the bulb, the light highlighting the wrinkled face and a cataracted eye. Really touching.
Geeta by now develops a feeling of attatchment for Mohan, and vice versa, but is shattered when she learns that his leave is over and he isn’t willing to stay back. Geeta is firm and stands by her principles, working, trying to help the society from grass root level. Kaveri amma isn’t accompanying him to U.S. but Mohan is bound by certain responsibilities and has to return back. Anyways by now John had lost it as a weks leave had already exrended unofficially to 5 weeks. He has to return. The Global Precipitation Measurement project manager has to go back. GPM. Its really catchy to see the expreesion Geeta’s face as she utters those words “Global Precipitation Management” as if she understood everything of it, in the first half of the movie.

Post master and Melaram dhabawala adds some humour in the movie. But really the movie entirely rests on Mohan Bhargav and his relentless efforts for his country India.
Its really amazing creation and makes me wonder the lack of sight in the viewers, when I look at its box office collection. I personally rate this movie higher than Lagaan and really wonder why it failed to turn viewers as Lagaan did. I have nothing with Shah Rukh or with Aamir, but I feel that viewer should try to get Bhuvan and the Mohan Bhargav in these films. And I found Mohan Bhargav more appealing.
One song
“Ram hi to karuna mein hai,
shanti mein ram hai,
ram hi hai ekta mein,
pragati mein ram hai.
Ram bas bhakto nahi shatru ke bhi chintan mein hai,
Dekh taj ke paap raven ram tere mann mein hai.
Ram to ghar ghar mein hai ram har angan main hai
Mann se raven jo nikale ram uske man mein hai.
Now one can see, envision the definition of ram in Mohan Bhargavs mind.

The last conversation Mohan Bhargav has with his boss John. Before retuning back to India, ofcourse after a successful completeion of his project GPM:
John: Mohan, I guess you know what you are going to lose.
Mohan: John, I know what I am going to gain.
John: At this rate you can go places.
Mohan: I am going places John.
John: All right, Ok Mohan, Go light your bulb!