It was India's official entry to the 2004 Oscars and was ranked 6th in the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film category.

[4] Vishwanath Nayak, one of the eight producers, a chartered accountant for Arun Nalawade, a Marathi stage actor, suggested him to make a film.

Later, Arun came across a story by writer Madhavi Gharpure, published in the Diwali edition of a magazine and thought that it would make a wonderful film storyline.

In the initial stages, it was taken to as many villages as the team could manage; marriage halls, school auditoriums and makeshift venues were all used for screening.

[6] A villager (Vichare) brings his 8-year-old grandson Parshuraam (also known as Parshya) to a doctor in Pune to diagnose the child's eyes.

Confronted by an angry surgeon on their return, the grandfather states quite simply that he wanted to show Parshya the sights of the city for one last time.

Shwaas has been applauded for scenes which depict the difficulty faced by the doctors to explain to grandfather and Parshya that nothing can be done and the truth is but inevitable.

It shows the medical fraternity in a very positive light, with the doctors and nurses being extremely supportive and doing the best they can, and helping the villagers with the best facilities.

The last shot where Parshya returns home wearing dark glasses, waving to his family and friends from the boat was widely appreciated by film critics.

[7] This Indian melodrama about a young boy with retinal cancer whose only chance for survival is an operation that will leave him blind is unstintingly sentimental and a bit tedious, but it also has a winning simplicity and some touching moments.

The story is a kind that American audiences are accustomed to finding on basic cable television, and there is something strange and oddly gratifyng about seeing it rendered with the luster and grandeur of CinemaScope.

[13] Mumbai's Siddhivinayak temple installed a drop box for people to donate for Shwaas promotion at Oscars.

They addressed a crowd of 12,000 members of the Maharashtra Vishwa Parishad in New Jersey while attending the Diwali celebrations in Manhattan.