Swades is an emotional and turbulent movie that subtly and beautifully represents rural India in its idealist form. The story revolves around Mohan Bhargava, a NASA scientist working in the US who returns to India in search of his childhood nanny, Kaveri Amma. He finds her in a remote village named Charanpur and tries to convince her that there is a better life waiting for her in the US with him. She refuses to leave and in the process of having to convince her during his month-long stay, every incident turns into a perspective-changing journey for him. The movie battles with the moral dilemma of a successfully employed youth to return to his native country to do something good for it without the expectation of being remunerated. A movie is a well-rounded approach that brings to the fore various draconian issues that plague rural India. Visually, it captures the realm of a village spot- whether in terms of costume, location, or people.
I recommend this movie to those who would like to delve beyond the commercial bubble gum pink Bollywood and get a taste of the Rural India that still exists.
