Swadesh

tribute to a movie which can change one's attitude THE FILM

Set in modern day India, Swades is a film that tackles the issues that development throws up on a grass root level. It is to this India, which is colorful, heterogeneous and complex that Mohan Bhargava (Shah Rukh Khan), a bright young scientist working as a project manager in NASA, returns to on a quest to find his childhood nanny. The film uses the contrast between the highly developed world of NASA, which has been at the forefront of advances in space research, and this world back home in India, which is at the crossroads of development. Mohan's simple quest becomes the journey that every one of us goes through in search of that metaphysical and elusive place called "home".

production notes
The Beginning The idea of Swades was first born before Ashutosh wrote and directed Lagaan, but he decided to realize it on film only after Lagaan. He wanted to produce the film himself but realized that the responsibility of managing a production while assuming the dual role of direction at the same time was immense and would be possible only if his wife Sunita Gowariker agreed to execute the production at his side. Sunita decided to take up the task and in December 2002, Ashutosh set up his own production house and turned producer in order to bring Swades onto the big screen. B.S. Rao was next to join the production team, having worked on Lagaan as line producer, holding a grueling and difficult shoot together in the deserts of Bhuj in Gujarat. The Cast The India of Swades has an Indian living abroad as its representative citizen, a NASA scientist named Mohan Bhargava, who returns to India in search of his childhood nanny. A complex protagonist with strong individualistic personal beliefs that are challenged at various stages of the film, Mohan goes through a concatenation of events back home that brings about a catharsis, convincing him to make a difference in the lives of everyone around him, however difficult the task may seem. For Mohan, Shah Rukh Khan was the perfect choice because of the range the actor could exhibit. As a matter of fact, Ashutosh and Shah Rukh had embarked on their careers by facing the camera together in a television show titled Circus. They are now completing a full circle with their coming together to make Swades. In the role of Gita, the woman who in many ways plays the catalyst in Mohan’s emotional and idealistic crossover, Ashutosh was faced with a conflict. “The story demanded a new face that audiences weren’t already familiar with, whom they couldn’t identify with through earlier screen characters, and who they could purely see as Gita, but at the same time I had to keep in mind that I would need an actress who could hold her own in the shadow of an actor and celebrity of the scale of Shah Rukh Khan”. The auditioning process had a permanent base in Ashutosh’s office for prospective Gitas to come in and test for. Model co-ordinators, assistants, family – everyone was on the lookout for girls that Ashutosh could see as Gita in the story. From February to May 2003, the auditions were systematically held and videotaped by Ashutosh but the right Gita was not to be found. Earlier in January, Ashutosh had spotted an interesting face at the Bombay Times party and her image had stuck in his mind as Swades’ Gita. But could she act? This question was answered when she came in to read for the part of Gita and turned out to be a potential fit. What followed was a string of auditions for Gayatri over the next month wherein she was given more scenes from the movie to enact. This culminated in her final audition with Shah Rukh, after which she was signed for the part of Gita (coincidentally, Gayatri had shot for a Hyundai commercial with Shah Rukh several years back when she was in the thick of her modeling days). The Locations With the casting for Swades (not just the leading lady but also the supporting cast) in full swing, Ashutosh and production designer Nitin Desai began the search for locations where the film was to be shot. The primary location in the film – the village Charanpur – was the focus of this search. Nitin understood the need and texture of the Swades setting, a small village in central India, and after much consideration, chose three small villages near Wai in the interiors of Maharashtra in western India for Charanpur. Says Nitin: “India is a vast country with people of diverse cultures and traditions. The colours, architecture, handicrafts of central India are very distinct to that region and vary greatly from that of western India. The Charanpur of central India was created in Maharashtra keeping this in mind.” The script of Swades demanded that a certain section of the film needed to be shot in America where Mohan worked in some kind of space research. Mohan’s background as a student of space science was absolutely crucial as it set the tone for how his character would behave through the rest of the film. He needed to be of a certain educational standing to be able to contribute to the village in the way in which he does in the film. With this in mind, Ashutosh desired to have his hero working for NASA, at the very forefront of space-related technological achievements. But it seemed difficult that they would permit the Swades team to invade their space and film there. However, Ashutosh sent NASA his first draft of the script for requisite permissions. The script was read by Bobbie Faye Ferguson, who liked it and Swades was granted permission to film at NASA, and Ashutosh and his team took off for America in August, 2003, on a 15-day location scouting tour. Locations at the Goddard Space Flight Centre, Washington D.C., and at the Kennedy Space Centre, Cape Canaveral, were selected. The film demanded about 10 shooting days at these locations. Other locations in Washington D.C. were also selected for Mohan’s penthouse. The filming of Swades commenced on the 2nd of January, 2004, in Varkhadwadi. A 110-day shooting schedule was planned with only a few breaks for major location shifts. Interestingly, the mahurat (first) clap of the film was given by Aamir Khan, the star and producer of Ashutosh’s earlier film, Lagaan.

CAST
	Shah Rukh Khan Gayatri Joshi (film debut) Kishori Ballal Master Smit Sheth Lekh Tandon Rajesh Vivek Dayashanker Pandey Farrukh Jaffar Vishnudutt Gaur Raja Awasthi Visshwa S Badola Bhim Vakani Dilip Ambekar Rajesh Balwani Rahul Vohra Bachan Pachehra Peter Rawley Makrand Deshpande

Interviews

Oscars not on my mind, says Ashutosh Gowarikar By HTTabloid.com, New Delhi, December 17, 2004 Lagaan almost created history at the Oscars. But Ashutosh Gowarikar insists that while another shot at cinema's biggest prize would be welcome, he has different expectations from Swades . Lagaan turned out to be one of the biggest hits in Indian cinema. Expectations are therefore sky-high for Swades . Do you think you will get another shot at Oscars with your latest film? When I made Lagaan , I never had the Oscars in mind. It is the case for Swades . Like before, my expectations are limited only to the audience. I want people to like and enjoy the film. Awards come much later. However, if I do get an Oscar for Swades , nothing like it! After Gracy Singh you are launching another new actress in Swades . But why have you kept your heroine Gayatri Joshi away from the media? Look, I want that when people go to watch Swades , their first impression should be of the girl Geeta rather than the actress Gayatri. Once the film is released, she will come before the media. Is this a publicity stunt to ensure success at the box office? You are free to call it what you like. But as I said before, I have done this to enhance the impact of the subject I am dealing with in Swades . Is it true that you chose Gayatri for Swades while attending a party? Yes it's true. In fact, I had called a number of girls for audition but when I saw Gayatri at a party, I realised how effortlessly she would fit into the character of Geeta. I called her for an audition and everything happened the way I had planned. swadesh we, the people

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