Shah Rukh Khan's ‘Swades’ DENIED National Award Because Of Film Being A COPY Of South Movie, Filmmaker Takes LEGAL ACTION (Watch Video)
‘Swades’, featuring the iconic Shah Rukh Khan, has ingrained itself in the hearts of Indians, evoking a deep sense of national pride, especially for those residing abroad. Directed by Ashutosh Gowariker, the film masterfully captures the sentiment of attachment to one's homeland. Even almost two decades post-release, ‘Swades’ continues to ignite patriotic feelings. Its songs, screenplay, acting performances, and overall cinematic excellence have propelled it to the status of a cult classic. Yet, despite its high patriotic undertones – a proven formula in Bollywood – the film fell short of clinching the National Film Award, the highest cinematic accolade.
Amidst the recent buzz surrounding the 2021 National Award recipients, an old video has resurfaced with a connection to ‘Swades’. This video sheds light on a potential reason behind the film's failure to secure the National Award for Best Feature Film.
The video features Kannada filmmaker T S Nagabharana, who raised allegations of plagiarism against ‘Swades’. Surprising, isn't it? In the video, the filmmaker says, “I was getting feedback from Mumbai that there is some film called Swades, on 17 December 2004, when the film got released, I was shocked to see. Swades (is) almost a replica of my film which I shot in 2002 and released in 2003.” He further says he tried contacting Ashutosh and producers but had no luck. He adds, “When I asked my producer, he said, don’t go for legal action because it is also a film and let everybody enjoy that. “That’s the generosity of South Indian filmmakers, so I just kept quiet,” he says while beaming with great pride.
While Nagabharana let the issue of copying slide, he did express a degree of "annoyance" regarding the contest for the National Award. “I told my fellow jury members that it is a remake of my film, you can compare it with that, and when I showed my film to them, they asked why didn’t you sue him? I replied I don’t want Halla Gulla. I am a filmmaker and that’s how Page 3 got the award,” he explains in the video. You can check out the video below:
(Credits: BollyBlindsNGossip)
Interestingly, some have also drawn parallels between ‘Swades’ and a 90s show, suggesting possible inspiration. An anthology titled ‘Love Stories’ contained an episode called ‘Vapas’, featuring Ashutosh as NRI Mohan who returns to India, falls in love with Geeta, and reconnects with his roots – mirroring events in ‘Swades’. Reports have even hinted that the film's plot may have drawn inspiration from the real-life story of Aravinda Pillalamarri and Ravi Kuchimanchi, who returned to India to develop a pedal power generator.
Although ‘Swades’ initially struggled at the box office, it has since garnered a dedicated fanbase. How do you view the film? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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