Shah Rukh Khan’s 2004 film Swades got widespread critical acclaim for its nuanced performances and thought-provoking plot. But do you know that the Ashutosh Gowarikar directorial is based on a ’90s serial titled Yule Love Stories? Yule Love Stories was an anthology series where new episodes were shown every day. In one such episode called Vapasi, Ashutosh Gowariker himself played the role of Mohan, the name of Shah Rukh Khan’s character in Swades. Much like in Swades, Vapasai centered around Mohan, an NRI, who returned to India for his beloved Kaveri amma. There, he fell in love with a woman named Geeta. The caption read, “Hardly anyone knows SRK lowkey lifted Swades from a ’90s Zee TV episode. Bro really made a movie outta a TV serial and you all out here calling it a masterpiece which is actually a masterpiece. “The video came to light after Aamir Khan, in an interview, said that he found the script boring and said no to the film. Aamir told Zoom, “I found it very boring! I had said this to Ashu when he narrated the whole story to me. In fact, I’ll tell you; Ashu narrated the story to me when we were making Lagaan. It was titled Kaveri Amma then. That’s what he told me.” He added, “It was a three-hour-long narration. When he asked me how I liked it, I said I want to tell you my first reaction first. I said, ‘I got bored. It’s important for you to hear this reaction.” Meanwhile, Aamir Khan will be next seen in Sitaare Zameer Par.
“From Screen to Silver Screen: How a 90s TV Show Inspired Shah Rukh Khan’s ‘Swades'”
