Swades got mixed review!

Swades has been getting mixed reactions from the viewers as well as the critics. On one hand, it’s Taran Adarsh with his not-so-flattering review and on the other, there’s Saibal Chatterjee of www.hindustantimes.com, who praised the film for its reality and Gowarikar for accomplishing a difficult task.

The difference in opinions lies in the fact that a certain class of people likes the typical bollywood movies such as Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge where the hero meets the heroine and falls head over heels for her. The hero succeeds in convincing the heroine that he’s the best match for her by interval and the two of them dance around on the hills, in the rain and sometimes, even in the gardens. But it’s not right for the story of a bollywood movie to proceed without any glitches and here comes the conflict. But the conflict is sure to be resolved before the film ends and the couple gets married and lives happily ever after. Voila, we have a super hit film!

While, the other few percent of people like movies that are logical and makes them think. These films, for the most part, don’t do so well for various reasons one of which being that the audience doesn’t understand the film and therefore, gives it a title of a bakwaas film. Another reason is that viewers think that these movies are too slow because they don’t entertain them like the other films do because there’s barely any singing, dancing or masala in the movie.

Swades has been given the title of “a documentary” by some critics because of its length being over 3 hours and also considering that it is nothing like a “typical” bollywood movie. But there have been similar movies in the past, of which a perfect example is Lagaan. Then why single Swades out?

One more reason as to why audience doesn’t find Swades “entertaining” is that Swades is being compared to Ashutosh Gowarikar’s first film, Lagaan. The critics are looking for shades of the same acting, screenplay, cinematography, direction, editing etc. in Swades as Lagaan. When they find the same components missing from Swades, it’s disappointing. But what they seem to miss out on is the newness of the subject, which provokes thinking.

Although, “The screen average [of Swades] is the lowest for an SRK starrer” Shahrukh Khan has been rewarded with words like “This is Shahrukh Khan’s most authentic screen performance ever.”

It’s not tricky to understand the complexity of the varied reviews from critics and viewers. It’s rather unusual. Most reviews of most films are either good or bad but it seems like Ashutosh Gowarikar has confused the audience and critics with his subject. Well done, Ashutosh!