By far, Swades is one of the most emotionally overwhelming experiences I have had while watching a film. And I include all of Hollywood when I say that.

Swades comes home to me as a very real depiction of life. It would be a fool's errand to fixate the film onto patriotism, for it is so much more. The film portrays all the truths of human life through multiple socio-economic strata.

Swades' direction hits that perfect sweet spot, with Gowariker being at the top of his game. Every Camera Angle, every Camera Movement, and even the staging has been done in a way that makes sense to the story. Frequently, we find ourselves in a situation where we are trying to evaluate the reasons why certain directorial decisions were made, but in vain, since there was no intent on detailing. This is where Swades breaks all expectations. Ashutosh's ambitious vision for the project was nailed by the skillset he possesses.

And that brings me to directing Shahrukh Khan. By far, after My Name is Khan(2010), this is SRK's best performance for me. Known widely for a slightly over the top portrayal of his characters, SRK makes an archetypical exception in Swades. The subtleties and nuances on the actor's part contribute astronomically to Gowriker's vision of Visual Storytelling. Without an actor like him, it would be hard for a director to convey the story visually, and would have to resort to dialogue exposition. That adds another point to the beauty of Swades which separates it out from its Bollywood contemporaries. Ashutosh trusts you as an audience, and hardly does any spoon-feeding of information.

The cinematography, editing, and other aspects are right on point, none drawing the attention away from the story's main objective. I don't know if the use of Anamorphic Lenses was a creative call or just a norm for Bollywood at that point, but it made sense nonetheless. The distortion around the edges added a texture to the visuals which went hand in hand with the story. 35mm adds its own character with the grains and organic colors of rural India.

The Music, of course, needs no validation from me. This film represents AR Rahman at the peak of his game as well, which carries forth to his pieces in Jodhaa Akbar(2008), Gowariker's next project. Just 1 or 2 times I felt like the music was being stretched just a bit, but a)That is the director's call, and b) It can really be forgiven thanks to the cinematography and the performances by the actors.

Another unique thing I love about Ashutosh Gowariker is that the story practically never halts when music is playing in his films, something that is abhorrently present in peer Bollywood films. This I find to be more or less true with Lagaan(2001), Swades(2004) as well as Jodhaa Akbar(2008), 3 of the veteran director's gems.

On a story level, the richness of Swades shows the fervency of the writers to create a sense of reality, displaying how Rural India really is. However, it would be a mistake to say that this is the only theme in Swades. It is a highly character driven film, and does absolute justice at the end when the external conflicts of the character have been resolved, yet he must face the internalised issues. There is a whirlwind of emotions, from Light Hearted comedy, to enthralling visual moments inducing tears. Every character has been crafted till it was fully discovered.

I recommend this film to each and every person reading this review. Might end up being one of the 3 most overwhelming emotional journeys of your life.

Hope this helps :)