Swades turns 17: Ashutosh Gowariker shares story behind the audition of 30 women for Dadi Setu’s role

On Friday, Ashutosh Gowariker’s film Swades turned 17. Sharing a photo from one of the casting auditions for the film, Ashutosh revealed how he chose the woman who played the role of Dadi Setu.

Sharing a picture from the audition day along with a photo of the woman who played Dadi Setu in the film, Ashutosh shared an interesting anecdote. He wrote: “On this 17th Year of Swades, sharing a BTS image -8 of the 30 women that I auditioned for the character of Dadi Setu. All had to look up at the camera and say one word – BIJLI! The woman who said it with the most emotion got the part. She was 102. #Swades #17YearsOfSwades.”

Many people reacted to Ashutosh’s post in the comments section. One person commented, “She was adorable & made that take brighter with her sweetness. Love her short but beautiful moment & each moment which added a spark of magic to one of the most real and touching films I’ve ever seen. Thank you, to @iamsrk & everyone else who made it possible #17YearsOfSwades.” 

Another said, “One of the best movies made in India. I consider it to be @iamsrk one of the best if not the best accomplishments as an actor. Kaveri Amma, Gayatri, Mewaram, Postmaster saheb unforgettable characters. The part where SRK goes for recovery for Kaveri amma’s money is the most hard-hitting.”

Complimenting Ashustosh, one person wrote: “You have been a torchbearer of how one can be so passionate about making cult movies like Swades, Lagaan etc… It had been my all-time favourite. Since now people are used to watching such films, when can we expect a new cult.”

Read More: When Aamir Khan turned up for mahurat shot of Shah Rukh Khan’s Swades. See pic

Swades was released on December 17, 2004. Actors Shah Rukh Khan (as Mohan Bhargava), Gayatri Joshi (as Geeta), Kishori Balla (as Kaveri Amma) played the lead roles in the film. 

Actors Daya Shankar Pandey, Rajesh Vivek, Lekh Tandon were seen playing supporting characters in the film.