Well, we had something called moral science classes from class 1 to class 10 and then we had something called “Value Education” (!!!) classes in class 11 and class 12. Today I saw ‘Swades’ and was pleasantly reminded of those wonderful periods in which we could complete our home works or study for tests or simply make up for some lost sleep.
The movie wasn’t that bad after all, but it was a major drag. It focuses on illiteracy, caste barriers, rigidity and other evils that still plague parts of rural India. But, aren’t we aware of it already? Do you need to emphasize again and again? And then the duties of NRIs towards their motherland. Aren’t they already contributing in the form of foreign exchange inflow into the country? A country like ours where employment is a huge problem, isn’t it favorable that some of our countrymen go out so that there is more scope for those left behind?
But as I said, it wasn’t all that bad. The shooting has been terrific. The portrayal of rural India has been very realistic. The houses, the roads, the fields, etc have been etched the way they really are. The dressing of the village people, their language, their attitudes were very natural. This made the movie somewhat interesting, especially if one has an eye for great details.
Another good thing about this movie was that for once Shah Rukh Khan was Mohan Bhargav and not Shah Rukh Khan in the movie. The reason why I have started disliking Shah Rukh Khan is that in all the movies he never gets into the character but rather has the character getting into him. His unnecessary 'cool' attitude n his crocodile tears, usually make him unbearable. But here we get to see a different Shah Rukh Khan, who acted out his part well. I must also complement his wardrobe designer. He was really well dressed throughout the movie. Nothing flamboyant - precisely what a person of his kind would wear.
But the songs… they made the movie seem endless. Even though a couple of tracks were Okay, but still, on the whole songs were like high bumpers on a road already full of ditches.
Another good thing about the movie was that though there was an element of romance, there was never too much emphasis on it. The focal point of the movie was to impart some moral lessons to the viewers and that it did. Now, its upto the viewer whether he likes it or not. I for my part found it average.
The movie wasn’t that bad after all, but it was a major drag. It focuses on illiteracy, caste barriers, rigidity and other evils that still plague parts of rural India. But, aren’t we aware of it already? Do you need to emphasize again and again? And then the duties of NRIs towards their motherland. Aren’t they already contributing in the form of foreign exchange inflow into the country? A country like ours where employment is a huge problem, isn’t it favorable that some of our countrymen go out so that there is more scope for those left behind?
But as I said, it wasn’t all that bad. The shooting has been terrific. The portrayal of rural India has been very realistic. The houses, the roads, the fields, etc have been etched the way they really are. The dressing of the village people, their language, their attitudes were very natural. This made the movie somewhat interesting, especially if one has an eye for great details.
Another good thing about this movie was that for once Shah Rukh Khan was Mohan Bhargav and not Shah Rukh Khan in the movie. The reason why I have started disliking Shah Rukh Khan is that in all the movies he never gets into the character but rather has the character getting into him. His unnecessary 'cool' attitude n his crocodile tears, usually make him unbearable. But here we get to see a different Shah Rukh Khan, who acted out his part well. I must also complement his wardrobe designer. He was really well dressed throughout the movie. Nothing flamboyant - precisely what a person of his kind would wear.
But the songs… they made the movie seem endless. Even though a couple of tracks were Okay, but still, on the whole songs were like high bumpers on a road already full of ditches.
Another good thing about the movie was that though there was an element of romance, there was never too much emphasis on it. The focal point of the movie was to impart some moral lessons to the viewers and that it did. Now, its upto the viewer whether he likes it or not. I for my part found it average.
