It may have been 20 years since the release of the cult classic, Swades, but, filmmaker Ashutosh Gowariker feels it was only yesterday that he launched his production house with the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer. Arguably, Gowariker’s perception may not be completely flawed, given that the patriotic offering that holds a mirror to society, has been kept alive in the minds of people several years after it left cinema halls. 

The filmmaker understands why Swades—a film that deals with the themes of class and caste divide—has lived far beyond its years. “It gives us the status quo; the point zero. It [shows us] where we need to hit reset. When people tell me that Swades continues to be appreciated, it makes me happy and sad. I am happy that the work is being appreciated, but sad because it implies that nothing has changed. I don’t know if matters have become worse. The divide between urban and rural [India] has increased. We look at the technological [advancement] in cities and think we are progressing. But, it is a mirage. Of course, the heartland also has all the amenities. But have we progressed in our way of thinking? I don’t think so. The change is still happening. And more work needs to be done on that front,” he explains.