Guru – Hindi Movie review

Movie Name – Guru
Language – Hindi
Cast – Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai, Mithu Chakraborthy, Madhavan, Vidya Balan and others
Music – A.R.Rehman
Cinematography – Rajeev Menon
Direction – Mani Ratnam
Production – Mani Ratnam’s Madras Talkies

When everyone in the industry is happy to add a line this is a original story or a true story blah-blah-blah, Mani Ratnam is hesitant to do so and in that way, he stands apart from the rest. Iruvar touched the sensitive lines of Karunanidhi and M.G.R., two big wigs of Tamil Nadu politics. Mani Ratnam never accepts that Iruvar is a story of the two stalwarts and goes on to argue that all his movies like Agni Natchaththiram, Alai Payuthey are derived from real stories with a filmy fictional touch added to them. He also goes on to say that when a film is completely made from a life history of a person or people, it becomes a documentary and his job is not to make a documentary.
(Courtesy : Anantha Vikatan)

So, Here is Guru touching the lines of the late Dhirubhai Ambani, India’s biggest industrialists of all times.

Story

Guru (Abhishek Bachchan), the protagonist, hails from Idhar a small village in Idhar goes to work in Turkey for an oil company. Guru makes some money and leaves to India with the dreams of starting his own business. Sujatha (Aishwarya Rai) who happens to be Guru’s friend’s sister tries to elope and is left alone when her bou friend does not turn up. Guru comes to know about the money Sujatha’s dad has saved up for her marriage and strikes a deal with Sujatha’s brother for making him a business partner if he gets married to Sujatha. Guru with his fifteen thousand rupees savings convinces Sujatha’s dad and ties the knot with her. This way, he raises another 25 thousand rupees for his business venture through dowry. Guru, Sujatha and her brother leave to Bombay for their Business venture.
Guru is faced by hurdles while trying to establish business in the license driven Indian business sector. He goes on to oppose the industrial big shots and becomes a member of the Bombay cloth merchants. He goes on to bend and break the rules and builds the Shakthi Parivar.

Guru becomes the Gurubhai of Indian industry.Manik Das Gupta or Naanaji (Mithun Chakraborthy) owns the news paper The independent helps Guru to overcome the bureaucracy in his earlier days of business. Minu (Vidhya Balan) is Naanaji’s grand daughter is affected by multiple sclerosis. Guru and Sujatha strike a good relationship with Naanaji and Minu.Guru raises money with public issues and starts his own group of companies. Guru starts influencing people with money, gifts in his dreams of making Shakthi Parivar India’s biggest company.

In Naanaji’s absence Guru uses The Independent in his favor and throws his arch rivals the Contractor family out in shames. Mithun becomes furious after this and starts fighting with Guru with the help of Sham Mukherjee (Madhavan).

Sham has Guru’s business cut down with his investigative journalism and stops Guru from venturing into new business. One of the companies is shut down on charges of illegal trade. Sham goes on to marry Minu.Guru falls ill and is faced by a commission before the case goes to the court.

Will Guru accept the charges and go to prison or will he get out of those charges pinned against him? The plot unfolds in the climax. That too with a message.

Music

A.R.Rehman lives up as always to the expectations and this being his favorite director’s film, has not failed him. The songs have come out well and one can distinguish the lyrics with music which is harder to do now a days.

Barso Re

A folky number with voice rendered by Shreya Goushal is beautifully captured by Rajeev’s camera and blends with the mood of the movie.

Ay Hairathe , Ek Lo Ek Muft

Ay Hairathe by Hariharan and Alka Yagnik is my favorite in the movie and is very much applauded asit is a simple melody and is played in the background for many scenes.

Ek Lo Ek Muft is another peppy folky number which has Bappi Lahiri and Chitra in the lead and goes well with the movie when Guru and Sujatha give birth to twins. A song written well to emphasise how business minded Guru is. Is that our chinna kuyil (சின்னக் குயில்) Chithra? Still fresh in voice.

Mayya

The first song of the movie which has Malika Sherawat as a belly dancer in a Turkey recreation club. I strongly did not like this song and think could have been avoided.

Apart from these I don’t think any of the other songs had an impact. At least on me, to say. Any Guru watchers have a word on this?

Abhishek Bachchan has done really well throughout the movie with his changed mannerism and his chemistry with Ash has worked out really well. I particularly like his smile and the old looks definitely suits him. He has lived up to the expectations of the audience and at a lot of instances he reminds the big B. One instance is the Ek Lo Ek Muft song where he reminds the big B with his dance. Abhishek can be accepted as a hero in a Mani Ratnam’s movie.

Aishwarya Rai plays the role of Sujatha and does her part very well . Whether in scenes venting her anger against Guru when she comes to know of his intentions of marrying her or in the final court scenes where she supports Guru, has given her 100% best. One thing I noticed about her is that she is one of the best dancers who can swing their hip to the tunes of any kind of music and is too graceful. This we call iduppa odichchi aaduvathu (இடுப்ப ஒடிச்சி ஆடுவது) in Chennai slang. I had noticed this three years ago in Devdas in the Dola Re song. Now she joins my all time elite group of hip breakers like Simran, Urmila.

Mithun and Madhavan have done their part really well and fit in the story. Vidhya Balan does not have a big role to play. She looks pretty and does her part well.

Rajeev Menon is behind the camera and one has to watch the movie to really appreciate the magic touch by him.

Flashes

Conversation between Guru and the Junior Contractor

Contractor : नाम् क्या था तुम्हारा?

Guru : था नहि! है,वो हि रहेगा! गुरु, गुरुकान्त् देसाइ!

Gurubhai addressing the public gathering

एक् सप्ना था,भारत् कि सब्से बडि कम्पनि बन्ने के लिये!

Madhavan proposing his love to Vidhya Balan

As with every other Indian movie, love proposal is not so cinematic and not hyped. Madhavan’s love proposal is beautifully pictured without lengthy dialogues. A sharp scene with rain in the background.

You have a beautiful story of an industrialist in hand, add some filmy fiction masala to it. Top it up with sensitiveness. Have the best in the cinema industry with you. What will you get after cooking the same for a year? Answer is Guru. Mani Ratnam has once again touched a original story after Iruvar with neat direction and faster screenplay. He has proved that he is best at what he does.