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 Cast : Abhishek
Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai, Vidya Balan,
Madhavan, Mallika Sherawat
Director : Mani Ratnam
Producer(s) : Mani Ratnam, G.
Srinivasan
Dialogues : Mani Ratnam, Anurag
Kashyap
Music : A. R. Rahman
Cinematography : Rajiv Menon
Editor : A. Sreekar Prasad
Review
: ‘Daring to dream’ is
probably the larger motif of the movie
Guru. In a sense, that has also been the
underlying impulse of Mani Rathnam
himself as he has dreamed into reel
about the life and times of a man who
had an outrageous idea and even more
outrageous desire to make them into
reality, come hell or high water.
If Gurukanth’s chase of fantasy (to make
it as a businessman) puts him and those
who reposed faith in him on the path of
riches, then Mani’s own cinematic
odyssey into the pioneering story of
modern-Indian business world rewards us
with an unforgettable experience of
artistic entertainment.
 A
business missionary and a visionary, is
what Gurukanth is. For him, no rule or
norm is an impediment to the path of
progress that he has charted for him,
his company, which for him is also the
metaphor for the newly emergent India.
Mani’s genius lies in incorporating a
cute and impish love into the broader
ambit of an emotionless world of shares
and supplies. Mani’s other great success
is in getting the best out of his team.
It is Abhishek Bachchan who leads the
pack with a show that is surely the best
of his career so far. In a de-glamourised
‘bania’ look, Abhishek packs all the
right punches in a character that is far
more complex than the dandified exterior
would otherwise lead us to believe. The
Abhi-Aish chemistry is well known and
needs no repetition here. But the
sub-text of the duo’s romance to the
larger theme of a man with a mission
keeps the film from slipping into the
slipshod stream of stereotyped
consciousness. And then there is A R
Rehman. In Mani’s company, Rehman
becomes magical and his beautiful songs
get an even more compelling contextual
beauty. Rajeev Menon has the true ‘eye’
of Mani, bringing into images the ideas
in the director’s mind.
 The
story is obviously a takeoff from
Dhirubhai Ambani’s life and times. But
that is just a starting thread. Using
that, Mani’s spins a yarn (just about
the right term to describe about a story
that is about success in spinning mills
and polyester fibre) that gives a
feeling of comfort and warmth.
‘Guru’ begins with the young Gurukanth
(Abhishek) setting off to the arty and
raucous Istanbul. In a sense, Istanbul
proves to be what South Africa became
eventually for the other great Indian
dreamer ----Mahatma Gandhi ----- a seed
of inspiration. Appropriately, Guru too
invokes the ideas (though not the
idealism) of ‘Bapu’ when he is towards
the end pinned down by Indian
authorities for transgressions of laws
that are in the book.
Guru, though appreciated for his work
ethic, is consumed by the desire to make
his work come good for himself rather
than waste it for others (in this
context, the whites). So he throws up
his job in Istanbul and comes down to
his dusty hamlet in Gujarat. But here
again, the roadblocks before the takeoff
are many (parental disapproval, monetary
dryness and a general small-minded
approach).
 Guru,
who sees Sujatha (Aishwarya) in quaint
circumstances, falls in love with her
and marries her. But the bigger love is
for the money that she brings along as
dowry (it is a truth that he will come
to face at an unexpected crossroad).
This would be his opening gambit on a
complex, chequered board of a game in
which every coin is deemed a pawn by
vested interests. Guru of course wants
to be the king. He understands the
system. More importantly, he understands
men and their minds. He strikes up
friendship, by chance, with a maverick
press baron Mangaldas (Mithun
Chakraborthy). It is what launches him
into a tumultuous world and it is what
holds him back later. It is an enigmatic
relationship that even amidst the
no-holds-barred fight, Guru is able to
strike a beautiful and bouncy
relationship with the multiple-sclerosis
ridden daughter of Mangaldas (Vidya
Balan).
The initial days in the market are hard
slog and slugfest. Guru manoeuvres them
all with commonsense and conviction. But
he has to subvert the system (mind you,
those were the times of license raj and
quota rules). This is what gets the goat
of the Mangaldas, an old-world journo,
who, despite his outward brusqueness,
likes to play within the rules.
 What
ensues is a high-stakes cat and mouse
game with Mangaldas using his hotshot
scribe Shyam (Madhavan) to dredge up
details of off-the-book dealings of
Guru. It is a fight between two equal
enemies. Guru, despite playing by his
own rules, wins popular support. It is
on these crutches that he eventually
hobbles out.
The story’s strength is in the details
that are too difficult to explore and
experience in words and overzealous
adjectives. But in Mani’s expert eyes,
everything parade out in a
panache-filled procession.
In the end, the film is indeed a biopic,
without the attendant dreariness.
Like all truly great directors, Mani
says a lot when he doesn’t say much. The
story between the lines is what holds
the attention as it is where the drama
is…the action is.
For Abhishek, this is the performance of
a lifetime. He lives the complex
character of Guru with rare ease.
Abhishek has managed to convey the
underlying energy and enthusiasm of a
businessman who romances the idea of
being the best in the world.
The Abhi-Aish love story, cool and crisp
at the start, grows up to be warm and
wistful towards the end. It is a study
in dignity and charm. Aishwarya, as
ever, looks ravishing in song sequences.
Mithun brings to life a media baron who
hides his essential simplicity and
sweetness in practised roughness.
Madhavan, as the howitzer journo of
Mithun, flies into the target
unerringly. His restraint, caught
between the high-fire exchanges of two
worthy rivals, is beautiful. Vidya Balan,
in a weepy role, looks comfortable.
As ever, you have technical virtuosity
all around in Mani’s movie. Rehman’s
songs sound even better on screen and
have been lovingly picturized by Mani
and Menon. Be it Madurai, Istanbul or
Karnataka, all places come out in
alluring clarity.
The Hariharan ghazal just lifts you to
heights that only monastery monks reach
at their moments of high inspiration.
Sreekar Prasad’s editing is crisp. The
belly dance of Mallika (in Istanbul) is
a treat to eyes craving for aesthetic
satisfaction.
So, is there nothing wrong with Guru at
all? Like the man Guru, the film too has
warts and all. But that is the charm of
it. It is what adds the agreeable spice.
The dubbing voices all fit just
perfectly. Suriya’s full-throated
backing to Abhishek is really splendid.
The details of the story have not been
lost in translation. For, what is
narrated is a universal tale of human
effort.
Mani has used all his sensibilities and
sensitivities to unspool a tale whose
drama lies in the men and not in their
methods. Guru is unpretentious and
doesn’t labour to make a point. Affected
artifices are not for him.
Guru is a study of a man who is not
afraid to chase the rainbow of
imagination. Guru, the film too, is a
jubilee of imagination and inspiration.
Review:
Guru is drawing lot of interest and
curiosity. Abhishek is paired against
Aishwarya in Mani ratnam’s Guru.
Abhishek Bachchan is reportedly dating
Aishwarya and hence the chemistry
onscreen will be worth watching. To
support the leading pair in the movie
are surprise surprise…likes of
Mallika..yes Mallika Sherawat, Madhavan,
Vidya Balan, and so on. Mani Ratnam
wanted to initially make the movie in
Hindi as well as English but the English
version was eventually dropped.
Guru is reportedly set in the 1960s with
Abhishek playing the role of a soldier
who has participated in the 1857 mutiny.
There are also reports that the movie is
based on the life of the late business
icon Dhirubhai Ambani. All we can say
for now that we will let you know once
we get the official word. Till then we
will leave you wondering what the
combination of Mani Ratnam and Mallika
Sherawat will bring!
Movie is slated to release on Dec 22nd,
2006.
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