As Ashutosh Gowariker-Shah Rukh Khan’s Swades clocks twenty years today, here’s a little trivia about the iconic train sequence from the film.
Ashutosh Gowariker’s critically acclaimed film Swades is considered to be one of Shah Rukh Khan’s stellar works where the Bollywood superstar won hearts sans any ‘quintessential’ hero trappings. While the film consists of many memorable scenes, there is one particular sequence which also leaves you teary-eyed.
Yes, we are talking about that iconic train scene where Shah Rukh Khan‘s character Mohan Bhargav finally gets what it means to be in his homeland after he sees a poor boy selling water in a mud cap for 25 paise. He buys that water and gets emotional while drinking it. What makes this scene special is the way Shah Rukh conveys the required emotions without any dialogues!
On the completion of two decades of this King Khan starrer today, the film’s cinematographer Mahesh Aney shared an interesting trivia about this powerful scene in a chat with Bollywood Hungama.
He revealed, “If you see a slightly wider shot, you will see it’s the shot of the over-shoulder of the guy sitting on the opposite seat of the window. That person is actually Ashu (Ashutosh Gowariker). Ashu, at all times, was in conversation with Shah Rukh. It was so casual, the way the scene was taken, although the intensity was there. And we got it.”
The DoP continued, The beauty of it is that 99 percent of all of them were non-actors, including the kid (who sold water). Can you imagine what that kid has done? Woh bachche ne phaad diya hai woh shot! All the little actions he did so beautifully yaar. And Shah Rukh in that scene; that guy is phenomenal.”
Swades which released in 2004, revolves around an NRI NASA scientist who ends up rediscovering his roots when he visits India to take his nanny to the US with him. The cult film also features Gayatri Joshi in a prominent role. While the theatrical release of Swades received a lukewarm response at the box office, the film won critical acclaim and has achieved a cult status over the years.
