As I was watching this movie yesterday night in the theatre I started to feel ashamed of myself being an Indian. This shame was not the result of the hard reality shown in the movie, but it was because of the way the critics in India wrote this movie off on the very first day of its release. I certainly did not expect this from Taran Adarsh and Co. For once they should look beyond the box office collections as the criteria for a good movie. One the other hand I also realise that people living in a country like India see at this reality in their every day life and wouldn't want to spend three hour refreshing their wounds. But here is the question! Can you go away from this reality by watching a romantic flick like Veer-Zaara (no criticism of the movie, it was brilliant), when you know that you have to go back to face the same situations. I think when Mohan tells villagers on dashera night that they have come to love the situations and that's why they don't want to do anything about it holds right for the Indian moviegoers and critics.

Well better get at the movie, what can I say. Everything was just perfect. I feel comparing it with Lagaan is unjust as both belongs to different movie genre. While, Lagaan was about the triumph of the human spirit, Swades is all about us, WE, THE PEOPLE. Personally I feel Swades stands a better chance of winning an Oscar than Lagaan. Indian Government should send this movie as the official entry from India this year. Ashutosh has done wonders directing and writing this movie, so have done every individual involved in making of this movie.

Only one criticism of this movie though, why Mohan had to go back to India in the end. I would have preferred the ending if he had stayed at America. I also felt that Ashutosh should have showed a bit of positive attitude towards the people who are working abroad and helping Indian government in building huge foreign currency reserves. After all it was because of Mohan's hard-earned money in America that helped him in building the electricity generator in the village.

Leaving above criticism the movie is a gem coming out of Bollywood. Acting is first rate, it was so refreshing to see Shahrukh playing such a role and that's right to say that with this movie a Star became an Actor. Music by AR Rahman is brilliant, although some of the songs did hampered the pace of the movie. Background score was the life of the movie in my opinion. In the end all the commemoration to Ashutosh who dared to make such a movie. I think he truly deserves the ovation public gave when movie finished yesterday at the theatre.

A must see. 9/10