Shah Rukh Khan’s ‘Swades’, a beloved Indian classic, has garnered a dedicated fanbase over the years. Directed by Ashutosh Gowariker, the film was met with critical acclaim upon its release. But what it was an inspiration came from an unexpected source. The origins of ‘Swades’ can be traced back to a Zee TV series called ‘Yule Love Stories,’ which aired from 1993 to 1994. Specifically, an episode titled ‘America Return’ serves as the foundation for the film’s storyline.
In a surprising twist, the leading role in the telefilm was played by none other than Ashutosh Gowariker himself. Portraying the character Mohan, he embarked on a journey of love with Gayatri, aspiring to take her to America. The intriguing part is that even the characters’ names remained unaltered in the transition from TV episode to movie script.
A viral clip circulating on the internet displayed side-by-side scenes from the serial and the film, revealing an astonishing similarity in frame-to-frame replication. This clip, initially shared by film enthusiast Mimansa Shekhar on Twitter, rapidly gained traction across various social media platforms.
The revelation left the online community stunned, as the heartfelt moments from ‘Swades’ appeared to be directly lifted from the ‘Yule Love Stories’ episode, which was not originally written or directed by Ashutosh Gowariker. Viewers were left pondering whether the director had credited the original source of this captivating narrative.
The omission led some netizens to critique Gowariker for not acknowledging the source of his creative inspiration. Interestingly, while the film drew from a novel, the same novel had also inspired the TV episode. Notably, Kaveri Amma, a character from the serial, was even cast in Swades.
Commenting on the shared clip, a user remarked, “Seems like the entire script of Swades was copied, tarnishing another good movie. Thanks for sharing. I’ll try watching the original. P.S.: Labeling copying as inspiration is too diplomatic.” Another comment echoed a similar sentiment, stating, “Until we uncover the truth of this copywood, we’ll continue to believe it was an original creation.”
A concerned observer chimed in, “Impressive! I hope the writers of the show received writing credits for Swades. The resemblance is striking.”
Watch The Video:
(Mimansa Shekhar / Twitter)
‘Swades’ and this Zee TV love story episode draw inspiration from the Kannada novel ‘Chigurida Kanasu’ by Shivaram Karanth. While Ashutosh Gowariker’s adaptation is undeniably well-crafted, the undeniable parallels in scenes and themes raise questions that cannot be ignored.
