A simple story of a NASA engineer discovering his roots. And his life transformation narrated in a way that stirs your soul. The experiences that the protagonist goes through and the journey the audience takes with him is a must see for any connoisseur of classic Indian cinema.

I would rate Swades as Ashutosh Gowarikar's best work. And definitely SRK's best performance till date. If I look back and see. The movie had a great story. Screenplay that was brilliant. Ashutosh's direction was perfect. And SRK definitely stood tall in a restrained yet poignant portrayal of Mohan Bhargava. His best performance till date, yet underrated. Kishori Ballal remains etched in your memory as Kaveri amma. Gayatri Joshi is perfectly cast. Sadly she didn't appear in any movie after Swades, atleast nothing notable. An untapped potential. All other actors leave a mark.

Why did it underperform at BO? It came out in 2004. 3 years after the magnum opus Lagaan. There were bound to be comparisons. Both stories had the underlying love for motherland as theme. But were completely in stark contrast in their content. Lagaan, set in British era, was more of a fight about the protagonist and his village's honor. It had a bad guy, his evil intentions and then protagonist and his ideals. A classic underdog story. David vs Goliath. And we love those stories for sure :) Swades on the other hand was more about an individual discovering his roots. His inner journey and conflicts. His choice of leaving a comfortable and cozy life to be with his people. It's a simple story minus the melodrama. But so effectively told that it just wins you over. I think it was the expectations that audience had from Swades that made it underperform. Please do not miss this gem of a movie