Top 100 Bollywood Movies Of All Time: No.23 - "Swades: We, The People", National Matters Are Raised Through The Movie

From remarkable music, cinematography to thoughtful values behind Swades: We, The People, the movie deserves to rank 23^rd in Top 100 Bollywood Movies Of All Time. It is about an NRI NASA Project Manager (by Shah Rukh Khan) on his way to India to find his baby-sister then take her to the US with him. On his journey, the social matters in modern India are re-appeared frankly when he meets many exciting people including the woman he loves.

Above all, the content that Swades: We, The People wants to transfer stands out the best. Ashutosh Gowariker’s directorial has spread out the important national matters in Indian society at that time. Here are the popular issues we know from the movie:

Education

One of the debated issues of India is primary education even implementing the Right to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 for several years. More than 50% of the Std V students cannot read a text at the Std II level, according to ASER.

In the movie, Geeta wants to run a school where dropouts and social exclusion to low-caste children causing the dwindling of enrolment.

Casteism

Caste differentiation in India is always a developing issue. The lower castes are treated pathetically with refusal from basic public services including education and healthcare. The movie showcases many such untouchable families that they stay outside the village.

Poverty and Inequality

More than 400 million of over 1.2 billion population starve without having a meal twice a day. Like Haridas’s case in the movie beautifully built a tearful tragedy, standing for other Indian farmers with a lump on their throats.

Women empowerment

In the Indian society where dominates the role of men, they do not respect the feminine power and spread gender discrimination widely. Women do not have the right to decide their lives while some of them may get discouraged from work just because their husband’s family doesn’t allow.

Geeta in the movie is an example when she desires freedom and dignity but her boyfriend’s family does not agree, so away is opened up that she refuses the proposal of marriage.

Child Labor

Everyone knows how awful to apply labor on a child but this case seems to be prevalent in India. Thanks to Kailash Satyarthi, the winner of the Nobel prize, millions of Indian children get free of child labor and are ensured a happy and safe childhood.

There is a scene that Mohan an around-10-year-old child serves Mohan a cup of tea at the local railway station. A heart-breaking scene that either us or Mohan couldn’t stand crying.

More than just a movie, Swades: We, The People reflects the reality of Indian society that we have been paying attention to. Until nowadays, we cannot deny that the movie deserves to be one of the Top 100 Bollywood Movies Of All Time.