Swades tells the story of Mohan Bhargava (played by Shah Rukh Khan), a NASA scientist who returns to India after 16 years to visit his ailing grandmother. During his visit, he meets a beautiful and charming village schoolteacher, Meghna (played by Aishwarya Rai Bachchan). As Mohan spends more time in the village, he begins to re-evaluate his priorities and rediscover his roots.