Thread by @pramitheus

we used to be a proper country.
i mean, yeah, the movie is perfect. but, what the fuck happened to multi-language title cards in bollywood? now it's just english & hindi? now due to pan india releases, movie names are written in telugu & tamil. what about the rest?

i like how the film doesn't provide any easy answers. mohan starts with usa good & india bad. but then the villagers are like india amazing, usa bad. but as the plot moves forward, it becomes evident that the whole village is broken into pieces due to rampant casteism.

just when steps are taken to resolve the casteism, well, every other problem becomes apparent. and even though the electricity production is supposed to be this momentous occasion, it becomes clear there's so much more that needs to be done & it's not gonna happen quickly.

i think there's some oversimplification done during the govt vs people argument, which is boiled down to "everyone is responsible." the whole power dynamic is completely ignored cuz how are the people voting & those rising to administrative positions the same? it's not.

i've grown up watching swades & despite not understanding everything as a kid, upon every re-watch, i realized its take on secularism & being inclusive. and it's bizarre how far bollywood films have strayed away from the light, which is something that's being championed by many.

arre haan haan pata hai, it's still a hindu majority village, but you can see people from every community living in harmony. their bigotry gets push-back & it doesn't end in violence. optimistic hai. but i'll take this brand of optimism & progressiveness any day of the year.

also, NRIs? what did y'all watch? i'm pretty sure 100% of em have watched swades aur abhi udhar jaake videsh ka suvida utha rahe hai & then cheering on naru da as he & his minions plunge this country into new kinds of darkness. karlo yaar, swades re-watch kar lo.

i love the quaint vibe of the film. there's no rush to get to the end. the colors are so good. the sound design is soothing. the cinematography is brilliant & not just because of its wide shots but its visual storytelling as well. the "ye tara, wo tara" sequence is a masterpiece.

this is one of shah rukh khan's best performances. his humor, his awkwardness, his romance, his unconditional love for kaveri amma, his anxiety, his sadness, it's all so organic. like it's coming from somewhere deep within, which helps make the film not feel preachy.

idk if anyone has posted this scene in response to the "best sex scenes which have no sex in them" prompts, but i'm sure it definitely counts. it's so good. so simple. but so good.

a.r. rahman's songs & the background is a banger. stating the obvious. i know. i love how that slightly melancholic tune from the opening transitions into the "ye tara" one.
also, great performances from the entire cast. pitch perfect. everyone.

how can i close this thread without posting some pics of srk smoking cuz it is art? here you go.