Only a handful of Bollywood movies attempt to break their silly boy-meets-girl conventions in favor of more high-brow fare. But even fewer movies stay within the confines of this oft-repeated formula, and manage to get the formula right. Swades is one such film. The much-anticipated follow-up to Ashutosh Gowariker's award-sweeping success Lagaan, Swades is a more low-key, rustic affair. Starring the ubiquitous Shah Rukh Khan in what is arguably his most nuanced performance to date, Swades tells the simple story of a Non-Resident Indian (NRI) who embarks on a journey to India's heartland with the sole purpose of bringing back his effervescent nanny to the US. What starts out as a simple mission turns into an eye-opening exploration of the meaning of being an Indian. What separates Swades from other passionately patriotic films (i.e. Rang de Basanti) is its ability to avoid grandiose political statements. Instead, the film's charms are simple... the plight of a small village without basic electricity, a young boy selling water for pennies, a villager with two daughters and no reason to educate them. And who can forget SRK's impassioned speech at the town hall gathering, where he decries India's blind affection for its divisive culture? At the end of the film, you're left with an exhilarating feeling of hope - a hope that comes from making deceptively simple decisions. And the message is clear for every single Indian who once called the subcontinent his home. Go light your bulb!
