To overcome challenges and obstacles, unity and togetherness are very important. Discrimination and exclusion are wrong practices. For growth, orthodox thinking patterns must be abandoned. The film emphasizes the importance of education for all, gender equality, and the empowerment of women.
Positive Role Models
a lot
Mohan cares deeply for his childhood nanny, Kaveri amma, and becomes a vital part of the village community in Charanpur, India. Geeta, his romantic interest, stands against patriarchal ideologies. She and Mohan actively work toward child education.
Diverse Representations
some
Central characters are Indian. Lead character is male with some supporting female characters. The film pans across India and the United States. The film challenges ideologies of caste-based discrimination and promotes gender equality.
Parents need to know that Swades is a 2004 Bollywood drama deemed by many as a classic of Indian cinema. The story centers around Mohan (Shah Rukh Khan), a NASA scientist, who comes to India to find his childhood nanny, Kaveri amma (Kishori Balal). Once Mohan enters the Indian village of Charanpur, he discovers a sense of home and togetherness that he hadn't before. There are discussions about a fatal car accident and a gunshot wound during a revolt. In a theatrical performance within the movie, characters attack one another with swords, bow and arrows, etc. The film has romance and characters flirt with one another. An individual smokes cigarettes and multiple others are seen smoking hookah. Language includes "stupid" and "shut up." The film is in Hindi with English subtitles. The film is known as Swades: We, the People in some territories. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails.
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What's the Story?
In SWADES, Mohan (Shah Rukh Khan), a project manager at NASA, returns to India in search of his mother-like nanny, Kaveri amma (Kishori Balal). But after experiencing life in a rural Indian village, will Mohan be able to return to the United States?
This classic Bollywood drama, directed by Ashutosh Gowariker, is an entertaining and delightful tale that captures interest right from the get-go. Swades brings together Khan's charismatic performance with A. R. Rahman's unforgettable tunes that deliver an unparalleled sense of home, togetherness, and nostalgia. While India is definitely romanticized with the idyllic village of Charanpur, Gowariker interweaves significant issues of caste, patriarchy, poverty, and education that still impact the country today. At once playful, witty, romantic, and heartbreaking, Swades is an experience to be had with its duly balanced simplicity and bittersweetness.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Swades deals with caste-based discrimination. Are you familiar with the Indian cast system? Why are such ideologies of exclusion problematic?
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Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
By Sakhi Thirani
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
