#20yearsofSwades: From Deadpool connection to weird reason why SRK never saw it

Shah Rukh Khan-led Swades completes 20 years today. It is one movie that stands out among the rest of the SRK films as it is very different from regular commercial or masala cinemas. Directed by Ashutosh Gowarikar who has known Badshah Khan since his days of working on Indian television, Swades had some hatke topic and today is considered as a gem of a movie.

But exactly two decades ago when it was released, Swades failed to get the response that is expected from a Shah Rukh Khan movie. Incidentally, two other big movies of King Khan-Veer Zaara and Main Hoon Na were released the same year and were hits.

Inspired by real-life heroes

The film was somewhat inspired by the real-life NRI couple - Aravinda Pillalamarri and Ravi Kuchimanchi, who returned to their native place in India and developed electricity in Maharashtra’s Bilgaon village. The inspiration for the plot of Swades was a Kannada movie titled Chigurida Kanasu that hit theaters in 2003.

SRK was not the first choice

Before SRK, Ashutosh Gowarikar had offered the lead role of Mohan Bhargava to Hrithik Roshan and R. Madhavan. So Shah Rukh was the third choice for Swades.

20 Years Of Swades!!
My heartfelt letter to all of you!! 🙏#SunitaGowariker @iamsrk@RonnieScrewvala @agppl @RedChilliesEnt @KGowariker #VishwangGowariker #Swades #20YearsOfSwades pic.twitter.com/InvAETzHhF

— Ashutosh Gowariker (@AshGowariker) December 17, 2024

First Indian movie to be shot in NASA

It was the first time that an Indian movie was being shot on the premises of NASA. SRK plays scientist Mohan Bhargava who is employed at NASA and is working on the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) satellite which was a mission that was launched in 2014. SRK returned to NASA more than a decade later to shoot Zero.

Shah Rukh did not watch Swades

Over the years SRK might have watched Swades but initially, he simply avoided watching the entire film. In one of his interviews, the Bollywood superstar gave a surprising reason for doing so. Shah Rukh Khan said, “Making Swades was such an emotionally overwhelming experience that I never saw the finished product. Didn't want the feeling to end.”

Exclusive: Ashutosh Gowariker - " Shah Rukh Khan was feeling the same emotions that I was feeling, about the state of the country, the lot of political & sociological issues. So when I came up with Swades, he immediately attracted & eternalised it."#20YearsOfSwades#ShahRukhKhan pic.twitter.com/E2Gg2sQYut

— ℣ (@Vamp_Combatant) December 17, 2024

Swades song was used in Deadpool.

Those who want to know which scene of Deadpool

This scene

This shows the popularity of SRK,Rahman and Swades

Being a BO flop,and still being this popular is insane and shows the beauty of the song and the film #21YearsOfSwadespic.twitter.com/xZk3kQif2M https://t.co/NUx4RPTCnI

— THE KING MOVIE (@KINGmovieIn2025) December 16, 2024

Yun Hi Chala Chal Rahi composed by AR Rahman is a cult song shot on Makarand Deshpande and SRK. The song can be heard in the background of a shot in Deadpool 2 released in 2018. Incidentally, while the song originally is shot in a four-wheeler while SRK is traveling to his native place, in Deadpool 2 it appears when Deadpool aka Ryan Reynolds is riding a cab.