Guru (2007) User Reviews

Hindi Film Industry needs more movie like this..

[aslv12 · 8/10 · 18 June 2020]

Beautiful movie. The director ventures into a plot that is seldom touched in India: The plight of Indian Businessmen, the prejudice that the general public has towards them, the disgust with which they are seen. The directions and scrrenplay is very close to some great Hollywood biographies/life-stories like Aviator and Wolf of Wall Street. The director covers a lot of ground in 2.30 hrs and nowhere it feels that the story is getting ahead of itself. And last but not the least, Abhishek Bachchan is exceptional in the movie, from his expressions to his dialogue delivery to his body language he looks like he is in reality Gurukant Desai. I really wish that other directors take a cue from this movie and bring to forefront such stories in breathtaking fashion.

Great movie by Mani Ratnam; but, Abhsihek steals the show

[brp8487 · 8/10 · 12 January 2007]

This movie is all about the vision of a person – Gurukanth Desai (Abhishek Bachchan) & his efforts to realize the dream, fighting against all odds. Some people say it is based on the life of Dhirubhai Ambani. I can see why they say so. But, this is actually a movie about a simple guy trying to make it big in this world. It can easily relate to just about any successful entrepreneur who has been able to achieve his vision.

This movie follows Guru's journey, starting from his teenage days; his first work in the petrol industry in Turkey. As he matures in age as well as in riches, he decides to start working for himself & begins his "bijjness"- His foundation stone & his first business takeover being his marriage with Sujatha (Aishwarya Rai). He steps into Bombay and bids to cut out his own route in textile trading, through the weed-infested fields of the trading unions. His entry into trading, is greatly influenced by the works of a news editor with great principles, Manikdas Gupta (Mithun Chakraborthy). The relationship between these two, then, goes on to progress to a father-son standard. Flanked by his innovative ideas & his sole will of realizing his dreams, he dares to foray into other areas, manufacturing polyester, producing chemicals etc.

But, as we near intermission, an important incident occurs, which makes Mithunda to take notice of the ways & means of Guru's success. To investigate Guru's work, he appoints a young reporter, Shyam Saxena (R Madhavan). This is where the story really starts developing its many twists & turns; involving many intricate plots bearing great emotion, building up wonderfully to a Grand Finale worth the huge expectations from this film.

Mani Ratnam as the Director does a commendable job of realizing his screenplay dreams. His attention to detail in every aspect of the movie is commendable, be it the evolution in the type of clothing which the characters wear or the concept of using different shades of colors for different decades in the movie, there is typical Mani Ratnam uniqueness written all over it. High points in the movie are the sequences between Mithunda & Guru, the simple chemistry between Aishwarya & Abhishek & of course, the Finale. The cinematography by Rajiv Menon is very nice, capturing the essence of the India of the bygone days. The editing though good for the most parts, was a little too flashy for my liking towards the end.

The music by AR Rahman is another huge point going in favor of the movie. The soulful song & tune of "Jaage Hain" & the ravishing song "Tera Bina" are pieces of musical brilliance. "Barso Re" is a melodious number, shot very beautifully with nice choreography. ARR plays his charm though his innovative & fresh music.

Coming to the performances, the beauty queen – Aishwarya Rai has given a wonderful performance, suiting her strong character in the movie. This is one of the few occasions, where her acting has done the talking & not only the looks. Madhavan does justice to the role of the sincere journalist. Vidya Balan runs her charm in the brief, but, important role she plays; portraying her unrelenting love for her quarreling caretakers. Mithun Chakraborthy's comeback role is the best that I've seen coming from this Disco dancer of yesteryears. He is involved in a few quite memorable scenes in the movie, adding his charm. Mallika Sherawath fans would be disappointed to find out that she doesn't have any role in the movie at all, except for a song.

But, this movie belongs to Abhishek Bachchan & none other. This is the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to play such an important role & he has grabbed it with both hands. This is not a typical hero's role, which he portrays. There is the interesting addition of grayish shades to his character. His choice of role means that he probably wont have too many of his female fans swooning over him during the movie; but, it is his acting which steals the show here. He graces almost every frame with his presence. His dialogue delivery is immaculate, his energy & confidence in the movie is truly breathtaking, towering over all the other good performances in the movie.

Not a Legend, still worth your time...

[volvox18 · 7/10 · 25 January 2007]

Three reasons why i decided to watch this movie..

1. Mani Ratnam 2. Rajiv Menon 3. A R Rehman

The trio have done justice to their duty with a strong (not flawless) script, beautiful picturization, and heartwarming music. The selection of locations also deserves appreciation.

The movie have got some elements of inspiration for people who would want to chase their dreams against the advices of the whole world, but I am not sure whether this movie can be called as a motivational movie because of certain reasons such as the unbelievable pace in which "Gurukant Desai" grows from a beginner into a tycoon, and certain strategies including twisting of law en route to reaching the dream.

Chasing the dream is not a new theme as far as Hollywood or Bollywood is concerned, but may be the difference is that the whole movie is about Chasing the dream and Only chasing the dream.

It was different from the usual Bollywood movies in a way in which it made me think (THINK) instead of watch, enjoy and forget which happens with most of them.

What could have improved? Apart from Abhishek Bachan, Midhun Chakraborty and Madhavan, rest of the credited characters doesnot seem to be doing a very good performance.

The story of anomalies in the pre-liberalization Indian business situation.... through the story of Guru Kant Desai, an ordinary entrepreneur.

[shivams · 10/10 · 13 January 2007]

Mani Ratnam does it again ... outstanding!! With his vivid dramatization of the Indian business situation of the 1950s-1980s (pre-liberalization period), through the story of an ordinary entrepreneur, he surely aims at igniting the educated Indian minds towards entrepreneurship. Yes! The movie is not for everyone, but a focused audience !! The movie is not one of the eye-candy commercial movies .... but a typical Mani Ratnam product.

But, more than anyone else, the one who turns the heat on is.... Abhishek Bachchan. "Role-of-a-lifetime", as they call it, could not have been better portrayed. And Abhishek Bachchan fits the role, body and soul. The conviction is evident in his dialog delivery at each and every stage of the story.

Aishwarya Rai plays the role of the strong wife who would stand with her husband in all times. This is one of the times when she has proved more than her body. A strong role played with equal strength.

The movie compactly binds the story of a successful entrepreneur and his simple love life. The soul of the movie lies in the final minutes, in a court hearing scene ... the 4 min 30 sec speech by Guru (Abhishek Bachchan). In his speech, Guru summarizes the anomalies of the pre-liberalization Indian business situation...how "Licence Raj", Market Imperfections, Corruption, Excise duties, Import-Export regulations troubled the businessmen and hindered the growth of the economy and nation as a whole.

A feast for Indian intellectuals !!! Salutes to Mani Ratnam, Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai !!

A perfect example of gripping storytelling and impeccable characterisation

[rdig1-1 · 10/10 · 12 January 2007]

Just returned from the theatres, now that I am home I feel genuinely very happy that Guru Kanth Desai is still going strong. I am also completely confident he will make Shakthi Corporation the biggest company in the world...by now you must be wondering what I am talking about, this is how many viewers would feel after coming out of watching Maniratnam's Guru.

First of all let me start by mentioning Abhishek Bachan's role, as this is the role that Guru is built upon. If there ever was a movie where one actor dominated so completely I would only compare Kamal Hassan in Nayakudu/Nayakan. Abhishek should be very proud of what he has accomplished in Guru, it is something that some actors haven't or will not achieve in a life time. He is impeccable for the hardest of critic to comment. His histrionics are brilliant and the way he lost and gained weight during different parts of the movie demonstrate how serious Maniratnam and Abhishek were in making this movie. Keep the awards ready please...Abhishek Bachan has his name stamped on them.

The story is quite simple; it is the narration and the characterisation that makes this movie so unique and interesting. it's about a common mans journey to build India's largest company with the help of its share holders by whatever means possible. In Guru, Guru Kanth Desai is not portrayed as an invincible man rather he is played as a very good business man who can talk and do right things at the right time. The narration of the story is so tight you never flinch. (This applies only to serious movie watchers, not the ones who cannot do without masala and comedy in a film) Maniratnam is one the best story tellers in our country if not the best, and he does that perfectly again. This will rate as one of the best works of Maniratnam; I would take the liberty of putting this Under Nayakudu/Nayakan which rates first on my list of Maniratnam movies.

The music is by A R Rahman, we all know what happens when Maniratnam and A R Rahman team up. Pure magic is created. More than the songs of Guru, the background score impressed me. It is the music in every important scene that brings the scene to life. Rahman is amazing and like Rang De Basanti the songs just blend into the movie. Not to mention Mayya Mayya and Barso re Megha in the first 20 minutes of the movie brighten up the whole theatre.

A word of mention...

Aishwarya Rai has a very strong role in Guru; strong roles are very scarce in Bollywood these days...especially for female artists. Aishwarya stays with Guru throughout the movie and stays on the top of Bollywood by doing that brilliantly.

Mithun & Madhavan are the adamant characters that fight for the right, when I say adamant they really are in the movie and you feel their willingness to stay on the right side of things all through the movie. All the other supporting roles including Vidhya Balan are brilliantly enacted. There is no character that was underplayed or wasn't justified.

Where does this leave us...? Maniratnam has made a wonderful movie full of strong characters, great screen play, brilliant music and marvellous photography by Rajiv Menon. He needs to be commended for this effort. It is no wonder he takes two years to make out one movie, Guru was worth waiting for...so here I am already waiting for his next

***** (5 out of 5 starts) GURU is a MUST-SEE

[kingrav · 13 January 2007]

***** (5/5 Stars) I'm going to have to disagree with the poster above -- "Guru" is one of the finest Indian/Bollywood films I've seen in a long time. I think identifying with "Guru" is easy to do from the start of the movie. What we have is a young person who wants to "explore" beyond his village and become great one day. The movie is about him trying to accomplish his dream of becoming great; this is surely a story that almost anyone can relate to. Abhishek's performance was absolutely marvelous, without spoiling anything, when you walk out the theater you will have actually felt moved by the last few scenes. No Indian film has managed to move me to tears -- this one did. My eyes got watery watching this character fight through all the struggles that come his way. The music was fantastic and really makes you "think." Indian movies have become clichéd with the 'love-sing-dance' style that has permeated to many movies. Also what you have is Indians copying too much of the American style films. What "Guru" is is a movie that takes pride in being Indian; it is an original story that more Bollywood movies should try to be. Be warned though: it is not a movie that is your typical "razzle-dazzle" entertain -- its a movie that makes you think, that has drama, and has strong acting, and that has a great plot. I loved Guru from the start to the finish; it wasn't a second too long or short. As an American-born with Indian roots, "Guru" fuses the best of both Indian and American cinema to produce a masterpiece. I hope you all enjoy it, Guru is a must-see.

Is Guru good or Bad

[anupama_07 · 6/10 · 22 January 2007]

This is the question I left the theatre with. In many ways it applies to both the movie and its protagonist, Guru Himself.

Guru is being raved about by the public at large but he is not without his flaws. That's the case with the movie as well. If I could forget the name of the director and the other movies he made in the past, Guru would have been a good, maybe even a very good movie. But sadly, being a great fan of Mani's other movies especially the likes of Kannathil Muthamittal (which many found dramatic, unrealistic and others even boring!), I could not expect anything less from Mani, could I? And that was the problem I had with Guru.

I think (and it's my personal opinion), that Mani got a bit carried away and much like Gurukant Desai, was looking more for commercial Success! I don't mean to say that is wrong or maybe even true. But after watching all the publicity that Mani has been doing himself for the movie (which I haven't seen him do much in the past), apart from the media and public hysteria, Ash- Abhi engagement et al., the movie comes as a bit of disappointment to me.

If direction only means getting the best performances from the cast, then Mani is spot on! I mean, how many directors can make ASH act?? The answer is none, other than Mani. Of course, other actors have done a great job as well, but that does not surprise me. Its Ash that came as a big surprise and I can truly say this is the first time I can associate the word pleasant surprise. (Well, I can't tell you how disgusted I was with her in Dhoom 2).

But then, that's not the only thing I expect from Mani. I have always revelled at Mani's forte – his characterization. And that was the biggest let down for me in GURU. While he did justice to Gurukant Desai and Sujatha's character, he sadly lacked his original Midas touch. I have always believed that Mani could bring out the nuances of a character, major or minor is a scene or two. But in Guru, I thought he miserably failed to do so! Madhavan, Vidya Balan, Mithun and all the rest of the cast, seem to be floating in and out of the frame in a way very uncharacteristic of Mani! I can't help but wonder why Mani did that. I can still remember the scenes of his earlier movies, Nayagan and Bombay (well, guru is part the former and part the latter in many senses!) vividly, though I was very young when I saw former and fairly young during the latter. Yet, a single scene in those movies brought out every character beautifully. In guru, even after 4 or 5 scenes of Vidya Balan, Madhavan and you are left wondering about their presence. And that is something you just can't digest, only because it is a Mani's movie. These things wouldn't matter if some XYZ director had done the movie! The other biggest let down in the movie was the picturization of the songs. As beautiful and melodious the songs were, it is a big shock that, Mani with Menon failed to capitalize on them. Again probably because of the high standards the duo have set for themselves, it is difficult for me to expect something like this. Sadly, even 'Tere Bina' failed to have the effect that 'Snegidhane' had (on me!).

May be it is not right to compare, maybe I am over critical and getting carried away. But then the fault for that as well lies with Mani. It is he, who after all set such high standards that I expect out of him.

It would be unfair to take away the credit from the movie, especially to Abhishek who has evidently put in a lot of effort, to Aishwarya for finally acting in a movie and others (read Madhavan) who have agreed to do such half baked roles only for Mani! Well, then what I am saying, is the movie good or bad? Like you guys care! It is worth a watch, though, I'd say (especially if you don't have your expectations set as high as I had)!

Want inspiration...watch Guru....it is overwhelmingly energetic!!!!!

[ridhima-suri · 10/10 · 15 January 2007]

We went to watch the late night show of Guru on Sunday evening and I must admit, in recent times, it was one of the most wonderful experiences of my life. There was not one moment which i regretted while watching this wonderful movie with the best in all departments. Full marks to Mani Ratnam and the whole cast. It is difficult to come out of a movie happy, yet charmed and to feel so proud of astute vision (also,to be an Indian if you are overseas!) Before I start raving about Abhishek and Aishwarya..have a couple of important things to do. Even the smallest roles (Abhishek's father, his mother,Aishwarya's father, her mother,the committee head and so many others) were done sincerely by actors who are very good at what they do but are unsung heroes in Indian Cinema..I mean i do see them in good, intense roles but because there is no glamor attached, I cannot recall their names.

A friend of mine suggested that I should give a balanced review by adding some bads of the movie too....huh!!was initially tough for me, since I was so overwhelmed;On serious thoughts, I thought let me do the worst job and then start the raves and praises!!!!!but come to think of it....here are some of my objections....there were too many songs;initially back-to-back (with my husband groaning.."oh no, not another song!!!!");I kept asking what happened to Jhignis (Aishwarya's brother) because he just disappeared;when Aishwarya and Abhishek broke up, the scene shook me, but I did not understand why it broke into my most favourite song..."Aye Hairathe"!!!; And last but not the least, Mithun da deserved more screen time, given his powerful performance!!

Nonetheless, this media called cinema has matchless power to shape and influence minds. The analogy drawn with Dhirubhai Ambani was just too good! I mean I know about his milestone work in industry, trade and commerce, but never would have wanted to read a biography on him. Now I am really curious and am inclined to dig the net.Let me clarify, not to come out and mock on how he made it big by breaking/making/kicking/obeying rules. But to know more about VISIONARY and ENTREPRENEURIAL thinking!! One of the most touching statements to prove this point were made by Abhishek Bachan (Gurubhai)when he justified his stand. He said to the tune of "I saluted when asked to salute;I kicked when asked to kick, now why ask why did you kick so much and salute so much??") reflected how bureaucracy, heavy entry barriers and closed doors policy in India stiffled business growth in that era. A typical 'rags to riches' story (I am stealing my husband's expression:D) but done so well with 'into the character' acting by everybody. How Abhishek managed to get all the Gujju expression (just part of his character) to portray his larger than life vision in life speaks volumes about his homework for this film. Being born and brought up in that region myself(Western India), I am totally familiar with local talk-walk!! He looked so ordinary, yet he did such extra-ordinary things!! In fact, in this context, the actor-character line looked so bleak. I did not know whom to reckon with more, with Abhishek for being Abhishek Bachan the son of Amitabh Bachan or with the so obvious Dhirubhai reference!! Aiswarya Rai was so down-to-earth, identifiable in this movie. I really liked her work and also appreciated how she chose to dance a little awkwardly in 'Barso Re Megha Megha' (despite the fact that she is a perfect dancer) just to portray that rusty, village belly gal!! I love to listen and listen to some of the songs, especially 'Aye Hairathe' which is so soulful, so meaningful, so heart rending!! Mithun Chakravarty played Nanaji so effortlessly; Have to agree that everybody was so right in their own shoes in this movie whether it was to promote the virtue of honesty, simplicity, clear vision or simple regard and respect for spouses, elders etc; that it was difficult to point out who was right and who was wrong. Mithun did not come out as a villain neither did Madhavan. Even I knew that Guru had paved his path with dirt smeared here and there, he did not seem to wrong at all.

It was a true work which is really inspiring and totally keeps you thinking!! Wonder if Abhishek Bachan will get the National Award of not....hope he does...:) From my side, everybody on the crew deserves one!!

When son becomes the father......

[prayagnarula · 7/10 · 3 March 2007]

This movie celebrates Abhishek Bachachan, his father's son. When you are the son of one of the best actors of the world of all times, you have the pressure to step into the shoes of your father. It doesn't happen often that a son matches up to his father in stature.

In this film Abhishek Bahcachan does just that. He gives a performance his old man would've been proud of. Abhishek proves his pedigree. This is a difficult role. Not only because he has to portray a wide range in his character but also because his character has some of the cheesiest lines. But he makes you forget that the lines are out of place here and there. He goes flat out on this one, and gives a performance which is probably the best of this year. Probably matching up to Amitabh's in Black.

About the film. Its a Mani Ratnam film, which raises the expectations immensely and nearly lives up to it. Its a well written story and direction is up to the mark. There is a slight problem with screenplay and the songs and dance sequences break the flow of story telling. A good film nonetheless and a great viewing.

Though Abhishek steals the show; other actors are pretty good too. Mithun proves again why he is 2 times National Award winner. He is a legendary actor who has been wasting his time and talent in crappy movies for a long time now. Hope he would get better roles after this. Ash is good in the second half but her choreography is not up to the mark and she looks bland and unsophisticated while dancing. Vidya Balan is wasted and R Madhvan is good in a small role.

A word about cinematography is necessary. This is one of the best shot movies of last year, with breathtaking views and the last scene with Guru giving his speech to a stadium full of people looks more real than reality itself.

Over all a good movie, best since Munna Bhai 2.

Even Dhirubhai couldn't have written a better autobiography

[khobor2002 · 10/10 · 3 April 2007]

Well, Maniratnam has proved his worth as a director. To be able to make a hero out of somebody like Dhirubhai requires great skills. Not to mention that he made an excellent movie even with Ms Rai in it. (why did he cast her in that movie - did he lose a bet or was that a contractual thing for casting Mr. Bachan? Or was Tabu unavailable?) At the end of the movie the audience are most likely to come to the following conclusions: 1. Guru is a courageous, in-your-face, kind of entrepreneurial genius. 2. People such as Guru are the key to the success of our country and to the elimination of poverty 3. Guru is a hero of the poor people fighting for them against the club going, golf playing, influenced by the west, rich clique who prevented others from coming into their group with the help of the license raj, 4. People who stand up against corruption are honest, good people but really who are we kidding, do we really need these jokers? and 5. a small side issue is that the role of good women is at the side of their genius husbands even when they are treated as start-up capital. However, these are my questions: 1. If the poor are poor is it really because they are either lazy, or scared, or simply idiots. I wonder what would Mohd. Yunus of Grameen Bank have to say about this? 2. According to the movie people like Guru benefited 30 million people. In a country of 1 billion is 30million that much? It is just 0.3%. Not to mention these "poor people" had to be people who were at least of middle class status and living in cities. 3. Yes, it is true that the license raj did fetter the rise of dynamic capitalists - but will somebody ever talk about those toiling masses of this country who work until death to make this country run and people like Guru trilionaires? 4. And will someone ever say anything against making heroes of not only persons who are geniuses at exploiting others but also those who take dowry? what happened to all that social conscience of ours? It makes me very sad when talented film makers such as Maniratnam make such movies. Miracles can happen and may be Maniratnam will find his conscience....someday....

Context overwhelms Content

[nirmalstheone · 7/10 · 16 January 2007]

Guru starts by dazzling with its starcast, its brilliant director-music director combo and amazing cinematography not necessarily in that order. But retrospect doesn't treat the movie that kindly.

Personally,the high point of the movie was Menon's handling of the camera. Every frame of the movie is desktop-wallpaper friendly. And though that might not be good for every kind of movie, Guru with its semi-period film setting and scope of locations deserved Menon's touch.

Maniratnam as usual handles his subject and his actors with consummate ease though the pace of scenes where he builds his characters too fast or truncated. A.R. Rahman is brilliant by the non-intrusiveness of his music. The Guru chant that follows Gurukant Desai around might be very Bollywoodish but hey! this IS Bollywood.

Abhishek and Mithun Chakraborty deliver the best performances in the movie. If Mithun had been given any more screen space than he was, he could've easily overshadowed Abhishek. Manikdas Gupta has... well...more character than Gurukant Desai.

Aishwarya as usual is a huge letdown and a liability throughout the movie but her saving grace is her reasonable performance during the Trial scene. She manages to put herself in the center of every frame and refuses to look old at 50. When will she realise that acting doesn't mean that every frame needs to look like an Aishwarya Poster or desktop wallpaper? Madhavan and Balan are obviously wasted as characters with Madhavan delivering a sterling performance but summarily dismissed during the movie.

As for the message, the less said the better. There are a few jarring moments when Maniratnam goes over the top trying to project Guru who is obviously a marketplace villain as a person who deserves what he wants. Whoever from India will believe that a Taxi-Driver is so knowledgeable about personal finance that he invests enough to marry off three daughters with "Shakti" shares? Indians who invest in shares (especially during the time the trial is set in) can hardly be the "Aam Aadmi" that Guru claims to love and serve. And on the contrary, IAS/IPS officers who Guru accuses as the self-serving elite are usually the ones who're from middle-class "Aam Aadmi" families.

On the whole an enjoyable movie especially the spine-tingling scenes where Guru triumphs. The movie is all the more enjoyable if you're familiar with the real life story( Irrespective of his claims Guru is definitely based on the tycoon). You go home thinking you'll need to think about the movie but you don't. The movie doesn't deserve THAT much.

Failed by family, system - how do you fight?

[VirginiaK_NYC · 8/10 · 12 January 2007]

The beautiful photography of India, superb acting, and realistically told modern historical story make Guru a good choice as an eye-opener for someone who doesn't know Bollywood so well. And though the music is extraordinary, there is also somewhat less of it than sometimes.

Guru is the story of the rise of a man from a village to become the owner of maybe the most successful business in India (a textiles manufacturer), which also benefited its mass of middle-class shareholders in an unprecedented way. It spans 30 years. The film is said to be based closely on the story of a real person. It seems intended to inspire Indians to overcome the obstacles presented by corrupt practices, and it raises the question as to what is the appropriate response to a closed and corrupt system that forecloses legitimate opportunity.

It is a joy to find oneself in the hands of a master like Mani Ratnam.  I'd wondered if I'd find this movie at all dull or slow: I did not.  It moves along - there's a lot of plot going on all the time.  I would guess that we get from Guru's village origins to his years working in Turkey to his arrival in Bombay as an adult ready to go into business in less than 20 minutes.

Abhishek Bachchan gave a lovely performance as the son of a village schoolteacher who isn't much of a student, to his father's dismay. He declares his intention to have his own business, and disregards his harsh father's negative predictions about his prospects.  The character, Gurukant Desai, has a wonderful spirit - doesn't take no for an answer, also can laugh off irritants and obstacles, and the laugh is charming, at once boyish and manly.  He's "big" as a personality, and Abhishek is emotionally and physically up to it - you feel his great reserves of self-regard in the various ways he meets opposition, whether from family or business-world characters.

One of my primary responses to seeing the film today was gratitude to be able to see it on a big screen.  The movie occurs in city and countryside, the 50s through the 80s. Every visual image, and the whole field of the movie - scenes, sets, costumes, ambiance, acting style, music - worked together to tell an appealing story with a strong appreciation for India, as well as a potential inspiration and warning. 

I think a good test of a bio-pic, or pseudo-bio-pic, is whether or not somebody who doesn't know much of anything about the putative subject, which is me (in this case, the reference subject is a super-businessman named Ambani), experiences the story as having integrity, and for me this entirely passes that test.

And it's nice to see a Hindi movie in which parental disapproval is met with a "cut your losses" response rather than the sometimes maudlin kind of pining or carrying on about an "incomplete" life we often run into.  Moreover, this dynamic is not at all irrelevant to other levels of meaning in a story about a man in India who take on large defeatist cultural expectations to achieve success.  How should we respond to Father or principles or rules that are truly not serving our interests? It is also not irrelevant to how he plays his hand in relation to the corruption and cronyism he meets when he goes to Bombay to make his way.

Aishwarya is fine in a wife-from-the-village role who is a partner all the way, and I love her dancing. She also shows a definitely womanly aspect as the movie goes on. I am glad to see her in a role that does not confine her to the vulnerable-verging-on-breakable girl she is sometimes stuck in.

Mithun Chakravorty (of Disco Dancer fame) was  nothing but perfect as a newspaper owner who was a father figure to Gurukant and also significantly opposed some of his decisions.  The presentation of that complex relationship is a giant strength of the movie.  I don't recall running into this before, a scenario where an older generation figure is out to bring down a "son" and the love between them is dramatized as going on nonetheless.  I found it emotionally powerful, and insofar as there is a background allegory about India, excellent, about opposing and maintaining ties.

In a subplot that I couldn't find the rationale for, Vidya Balan as a lame girl and Madhavan as a journalist with high ideals and non-idealistic practices were appealing and romantic.

Just Average

[prashants17 · 6/10 · 26 January 2007]

Much hype about what??, its just an average flick, far behind much less hyped but better made flicks like Main Aur Meri Biwi, Khosla ka Ghosla.

The performance were OK I would say Abhishek was good but nothing great about it, Mithun after a long time got a good role fitting for his enormously mostly wasted talent, Ash was good, the support cast has done a very good job, the music and cinematography are nice, but the story does not have the gravity and feel of a classic, Mani Ratnam has worked hard tough and you can easily tell that, its based on Dhirubhai Ambani's life, and is overall a average flick.

May watch on DVD.

Inspiring movie with some flawed messages

[xbsd · 5/10 · 23 January 2007]

Rag-to-riches is not a phenomenon exclusive to America. Guru is a testimony to the fact that ambition, determination and perseverance can be a winning potion for any aspiring person, irrespective of nationality. The movie charts the life of Gurukanth Desai, the disowned son of a school headmaster, and his rise to the helm of the Indian business world from frugal and humble beginnings. Abhishek, Mithun and Vidya Balan offer excellent screen performances. Vidya Balan is by far the best. Her acting is surprisingly natural and original, unlike many of the well-known Bollywood names. As for Aishwarya, although she portrays the role of Guru's wife well, I believe that her acting is greatly over-hyped by the media and her accompanying stardom.

I won't discuss the movie plot in detail as that has been repeated several times in different tones throughout the forum. Many viewers have related the movie to the life of Ambani, and although, there is a clear correlation between some of the movie ingredients (opening a business with an investment of fifteen thousand rupees, polyester factory, etc), some facts such as Guru's trip to Turkey are not entirely factual of Ambani's career. Overall, the movie has very powerful and inspiring messages for the ambitious. The character played by Guru portrays the image of a gung-ho, determined, resolute individual unwilling to bend under the inequalities of a society driven by greed. He epitomizes a timeless message of where there's a will there's a way.

The reason why I give this movie 5 stars is that, while the first half of the movie is very involved and 'inspiring', in the second half Guru deviates from this image of a righteous role model, into a wealthy businessman symbolizing all the wrongs of the society.

************** POSSIBLE SPOILER HERE ************** As Guru ascends into the echelon society, he inherits societal trends associated with greed and corruption. Mani Ratnam argues through his character that such vices are essential in order to succeed in business, but I cannot agree that it is alright to 'misrepresent the equity value of a firm', 'state fictional statements about foreign investments', etc all in the name of raising market capitalization, thereby increasing stock prices. I'm accustomed to these practices in the business world, and, as such, there are times when one needs to bend rules in order to succeed in an imperfect world. However, the abrupt, unwanted deviation from an ascetic do-good Guru to a capitalist commoner is disappointing. I'm afraid, Ratnam's message and argument that wrongdoings are acceptable as long as it benefits the public in light of a corporate world already wrought in umpteen scandals sends a very confusing message for the young. At that rate, Ken Lay would be still at the helm of Enron, and Arthur Anderson would still remain a distinguished firm. **************************************************

Overall a fine movie, but you must watch it with a discerning and critical eye.

A perfect wedding gift

[jawahar4 · 8/10 · 16 January 2007]

Mani Ratnam's Guru holds forte for the whole movie period and lets it off at the end. The enthralling story of the rags to riches is a true tribute to Dhirubhai and his business acumen. It is also a peek into the way business is and should be run in present times. The shackles of the licence raj and how the protagonist Gurukant Desai breaks them is beautifully depicted. The fearless Guru makes

his way wherever he goes. It also shows that in today's business education or the lack of it is no deterrent. Dhirubhai and Bill Gates are examples of this . Gurukant enacted by Abhishek lives up to the character. The smiling face, the twinkle in the eye shows that he is confident of himself. The interactions are also at extremes, with the snobbish he is rude but with the friends and relatives he is subdues. A heady mixture of earthy charm and brilliance is what Abhishek shows in a neatly drawn character of Guru. Ash as his wife who has lost in love and marries Guru out of no choice is also restrained and supports Guru not getting awed by the brilliance of the character and showing the strength that was trademark of Dhirubhai's wife Kokilaben. Mithun Chakravarty shows flashes of his Mrigayaa brilliance in the character of the media baron and how his love turns into hate and how he goes on to be the ruthless media baron after he knows that Guru has used his media is a fine effort by a veteran actor. Vidya Balan acts well but her life and death are not well integrated into the story and bear no relevance to Guru and his life. Madhavan too as the journalist in the cameo acts well. The story of a rural boy who goes to Istanbul to trade and comes back to India to set up his own business, marries for the sake of dowry to set up his business, finds his way through the market, sets up his textile plants , takes care of his shareholders , gets into trouble with the Government in his fast rise , is paralyzed, fights back and comes out a winner. Guru is ruthless and shows no emotion for what is right or wrong . This is shown by his marrying Ash for the need of 25000 rupees as seed capital. He again uses the newspaper of his Nanaji to get the membership. He bribes officials and ministers to get clearances. This shows that all is fair in war and business. The only weak point in the movie is that after building up the second half with misery for Guru, the jury makes up its mind to punish Guru. Only one lecture of Guru makes the learned men overturn their decision . The lecture is not logical. Its emotional. Here also Guru is more interested in the public trial and makes the most of it. But the sequence in which he equates himself with Gandhiji does not bear semblance to Dhirubhai and brings the movie to an abrupt end as if a racing car comes to a screeching halt. AR Rehman is fantastic with his music, as usual and uses Hariharan,Bappi and Shreya to the hilt and also the Mayya Crooner. Mallika Sherawat does her bit but is not as hot as the song. All in all the blemish is only at the end. Otherwise a good movie.

A Masterpiece! What else u expect from 'Mani' ?

[suri504 · 8/10 · 12 January 2007]

First forget that its based on whom and what? thats not needed to see this movie. It has every thing a good movie needs to have. Casting, music ,cinematography, above all a great subject, that is still relevant.

Its a story you may or may not think is great. But its a story that was told in great way. Don't try to judge, you can't judge something practical with something that is theory.

If you want a movie that can project life-spectrum in another angle, here it is.

What I can say is DON'T MISS IT.

doesn't meet expectations but it's an okay one-time watch

[Chrysanthepop · 8 April 2007]

Ever since Mani Ratnam's 'Yuva', I've lost my positive expectations for his films. My feelings were similar for 'Guru' but people kept mentioning what a masterpiece it was. So I decided to give it a chance. Sadly, the movie is miles away from being a masterpiece. I am not saying that it is bad. For me it is just a one time watch. The movie drags on mostly with its tiringly sluggish pace. At parts it is very boring. Mani Ratnam's direction is OK. It just simply does not compare to his earlier works like 'Roja', 'Bumbai' and 'Dil se'. Another point where these three films succeeded and where 'Guru' fails is the performances from the protagonists.

Abhishek certainly has tried to give his best for Guru but that just is not good enough. He is okay in a few scenes, he hams a lot at most parts and he is wooden at the rest. Also someone should tell Abhishek that to play a more mature character, only makeup is not enough. However, it is highly likely that he will win best actor for this movie. In my opinion, he is a complete miscast. To date I would say his best performance (and only decent performance) is in 'Phir Milenge'. Aishwarya gets no scope. She is cast as a typical heroine (in a male biopic) and lacks the ability to make something extraordinary out of something ordinary. There is a lack of chemistry between the lovers.

In contrast, Vidya Balan's character is totally insignificant to the main plot but she shines above all and more than makes her presence felt by delivering an excellent performance. Mithun is outstanding and Madhavan is brilliant.

A.R. Rahman's score is good. However, this is far from his best work. The Maiya Maiya item number was completely irrelevant. What was Mallika Sherawat doing there playing a Turkish girl who's singing in Arabic? Background score was overused and at times ruins the moments of the scenes. The movie is very predictable. In my opinion, this is already one of the most overrated movies of the year.

Missing the subtitles

[fairyjo · 7/10 · 24 February 2007]

I saw this movie while I was in India last week. It is a good movie altogether, all in Hindi - which of course I don't understand - and it lasts for 3 hours - which is very long for a European viewer. Anyway, the story is good and complicated unlike some other Bollywood movies but it is worth to see the most of the characters lives to understand and appreciate it. The actors are excellent and will keep you interested in the movie from the beginning to its end. I only wish Bollywood would add English subtitles, that would bring more viewers in the Indian cinema theaters, and more interest from the entire cinema world to the Bollywood movies. This genre deserves some recognition worldwide.

Was I lucky to find this...

[paul-2914 · 8/10 · 27 January 2007]

Visiting my local cinema in Brussels, there was only one movie with tickets available showing in Original Version and not French language/dubbed. I had never heard of Guru and it never occurred to me that the Original Language was Hindi!

After 2 minutes of shock. I loved every minute: the way the director shamelessly grabbed your emotions by the hair and shook them around; the confidence not to show you everything that happened but to make you think during the film; the fact that almost every character was drawn in grays, not black and white; the way that you loved Guru, even when you neither liked nor respected him; most of all the mesmerising performance of the lead actor.

And as I think back on an apparently simplistic plot, I am always drawn back to the complexity of the central relationships between father & son.

3 hours of my life that I definitely don't want back :-)

Dream of a villager fulfilled, Dream of cine goer shattered.

[singh-amrit · 6/10 · 22 January 2007]

Let's start with the good things. The concept of the film to start with, is excellent which has a tremendous potential for a great movie. A dream star cast only adds to the potential of the film. And when it's Mani Ratnam, you can be rest assured of good direction and acting. So you enter the theater with sky high expectations. But alas…!! You find that most (if not all) of your expectations start falling straight on the face one after another. And by the time it ends you realize that the concept was the only thing remained good till that time.

The story, which should have been the story of struggle, set backs and standing again, realizing dreams at all cost, manipulations needed for success and then maintaining success is trimmed to fit in two love stories and some entirely unnecessary songs. You cannot stop wondering what exactly Vidya Balan is doing in the film. And when a mature looking Abhishek Bachchan stands a delivers a emotional cum strong speech to none other than the chief magistrate of the inquiry commission, the attempt to copy Amitabh is very clear. You expect a better job from Abhishek now. Aishwarya is decent in her role. Mithun Da leaves a mark. Cinematography is A grade. But music, always a high point of Mani Ratanam's film is a let down this time. None of the songs would leave you humming the tunes. Its time to pull up the socks for A R Rehman.

Overall a very average film. Its more disappointing since you go with hell lot of expectations. Don't expect too much and watch it, it definitely a one time affair.

Great Attempt but only good execution....

[kooleshwar · 8/10 · 17 January 2007]

Let me be frank I had no intention of watching this movie, the only reason I watched this movie was because my family dragged me to it. I am very apprehensive about watching dramas and ever since Mani Ratnam denied that this movie is based on Dhirubhai Ambani and named the character Guru I was sure I wasn't going to watch this film.

The movie starts out OK enough, 15 mins into the movie you that Mani was lying and this movie is in fact completely based on Dhirubhai's life.

The movie shows early signs of trying to be a formula flick though, WTF is an item-number doing in this film. Nevermind that, to add to itwe have the signature Mani Ratnam entry for the heroine with the song and dance (think Roja) and that to within 5-10 mins of the item-number what the hell.

Still the first half entertains certain parts of his life have been whitewashed and modified to avoid lawsuits. For example Dhirubhai by his own admission made his fortune in Aden, Yemen not in the spice market but by smuggling Yemeni coins that contained silver at that time, he claims he made lakhs but came back to India with only 15,000 (did he use that money to bribe or blew it up god knows).

Anyway the movie moves at a fast pace and even though you know the eventual outcome you want Guru to succeed and thats the biggest victory for the movie in the first half.

You are willing to forget the songs,and the whitewashed storyline (maybe he did it because there was probably no way he could have used Dhiru's real name and shown anything but Superman, hence the change of minor details).

You give him the benefit of the doubt and instead go with the flow of the movie, wishing from your heart that Guru wins.

But the second half is a different ballgame. You are suddenly distracted by a Love Story involving the side characters (as if the extra-sweet and obviously fictitious scenes between Abhishek and Ash weren't enough).

So here we have a man struggling with morality, on war with his godfather and in the middle of it we have two minor characters kissing in the rain .

And how is this scene important to the movie??

To add to that you have couple of more songs, by the end of it, the supposedly most stirring scene of the movie,towards the end, ends up nothing more than a damp squib.

You can literally feel the pulse of the audience dip after every song in the second half(which are far from good anyway what happened Mr. Rahman). A lot of the good done in the first half is washed away by the end of the movie.

The acting of the movie is great throughout.Abhishek Bachan as expected steals the show and this is completely his movie and probably the first time he has carried an entire movie on his shoulders, hats of to him.

On the other hand Ash did an ordinary job somehow she is not able to strike a chord with the audience,maybe be the fantastic acting all around her had something to do with it.

Mithun was also brilliant giving a stellar performance as the powerful,idealistic yet humble publisher. Its great that he has decided to return to A-list films, we need other great actors of yesteryear's to come forward do roles that suit their age.

Technically the film was nothing special(wasn't required anyway) yet the direction, cinematography etc met the standards of an A-list film.

Another glaring flaw of the movie was that even though we spent 3 hours with the character we were still shown only a whitewashed uni-dimensional character, the fact that Guru was ruthless and corrupt and often put portrayed that he was doing things for the public good but instead did it mainly for his own (anyone who's owned a reliance will know what I'm talking about he-he).

His corrupt practices we mentioned but in a passing manner inter-spread with the hyper-annoying love story. I mean we love the guy and we're not going to stop loving him just because you show us his other side, no ones perfect, it didn't make sense to only mention his malpractices and then not show us that element of his character.

However the most enduring fact about the movie is that At least ITS FULLY ORIGINAL, no rehash of dozen English and Hindi movies here. Indian Cinema is at a loss for ideas and any movie with this amount of originality gets great bonus points for attempt I may not appreciate biopics in general but I really appreciated the originality.

In all a good ORIGINAL movie that looses out in the second half but is worth watching if your looking for some family entertainment. Not the kind of movie you want to see with your friends (if you don't like such movies/Hindi movies etc allow yourself to be forced for this one, use the credit to get yourself out of watching movies like Ankahee).

-s uni-dimensional portrayal, boring second half, distracting and ordinary songs (at best), unnecessary side love story (atleast no songs).

+/-s Ash (i feel shes better of getting married and claiming she left on top),Abisheks good but round the clock publicity and announcement of marriage etc I've already overdosed.MOVIE Doesn't TAKE A STAND.

+s super acting all around, Abhishek B, FINALLY AN ORIGINAL FILM, meets industry standards (techinically), many moments mainly in the first half that connect you to the movie.

total 7+1/10 (the one is for the original attempt in absolute terms this movie is more of seven, this movie will be better remembered for the marriage announcement and the fact that Abhishek proved his mettle, than for the movie itself).

Good effort but not of really high quality.

[satan15 · 7/10 · 18 January 2007]

It is not a well-made movie. I would like to point out some glaring mistakes in the film. Though Mani Ratnam is a very respected movie maker but in this film I didn't see him living up to his reputation.

For one the setting of the movie is the dry and arid Chorwad area of Gujarat. Any one who has ever set foot on Gujarati soil knows how dry it is. There is not a source of water for miles around and women often walk hours to fill their pots every day. There is not a single big river in the entire region.

But the whole movie seems to have been shot is some doaba area of Deccan. The temples, the topography, the rivers and the village tanks all seem to shout out loud that it is shot is South India and not Gujarat.

This shows that the movie makers are not ready to find beauty in the locales where their movie is based but rather would go for their old tried and tested locations that they are comfortable shooting in.

These kinds of attitudes seem to be unprofessional on the part of the movie makers. No wonder our movies fail to make a mark on international arenas. It is simply because even our best filmmakers are not prepared to venture beyond their comfort zones.

Other than that there are frequent omissions and mistakes. For example when the hearing of Gurubhai is going on and the photographers are shown shooting the proceedings in a frantic manner. On of the photographer has a camera that does not even have a Lense. Many of the photographers are handling the cameras in a way that seems to suggest that they have never done so in the past. These small things are highly visible and they tend to give a negative feeling about the levels of professionalism of the film crew in general and lower the quality of the final output.

The disclaimer issued at the start of the movie doesn't really let off the movie makers of the responsibility of making the movie as factually correct as possible. For in spite of the disclaimer almost everyone knows who is being referred to in the movie.

Yet another well done movie from the Mani Ratnam stables

[jain-ank · 9/10 · 14 January 2007]

There are 2 levels of this movie: when you consider it only as a movie, and take all the performances for face value. The second level is where you draw analogies to Dhirubhai Ambani's life and try to dwell deep there.

At the Movie Level: Abhishek Bachchan stands out. If anyone had any doubts about his acting prowess (I never did, after his initial couple of movies) - they should surely be answered now. His dialogues are simple in words, but profound in effect. Of course, Mani Ratnam's screenplay helps bring out the best in him - but this has to be Bachchan Junior's finest performance till date. From schoolboy grins to young dreams to putting his detractors in their place, he does it all very well.The beauty of this movie is that characters have been in and out of the movie to highlight Guru"Bhai"Kant Desai's life and times. Aishwarya Rai is the only constant feature - and delivers a better performance than her recent misadventures in Dhoom 2 and Umrao Jaan. Other actors - Mithun Da (in a worthwhile role after God knows how long), Madhavan, Vidya Balan etc deliver their little cameos effectively and fade out. The beginning is powerful, the middle enchanting and the end inspiring. The only thing which feels a bit out of place are the dance sequences - which do not gel that well with the flow of the movie. Mind you, Rahman's music is as soothing as ever - though this is not one of the "to be remembered forever" scores from him.

At the next level, you are trying to draw parallels to the great Dhirubhai Ambani's life - you would find ample common there. The facts shown in the movie (15000 bucks to start, paralysis of the right hand, the first Merc - the same model was shown in the movie) are right out of reality. There are small variations to the plot, most notable being that the movie shows him having 2 daughters - leaving out his 2 "illustrious" sons (and leaving out the possibility of a sequel as well!).

My take - go and watch it, and when the DVD comes out, add it to your collection. This is one movie you would want to watch once every few years - just maybe to realize that indeed dreams can become reality.

a mixed bag

[Buddy-51 · 6/10 · 11 October 2007]

Despite its exotic setting and occasionally flashy technique, "Guru" is really just the oldie about the rube from the provinces who ventures to the Big Bad City in search of fame and fortune, only to fall under the spell of greed and corruption in his ruthless climb to the top. The twist here, though, is that the film is also a nationalistic David-and-Goliath tale of a man from the lower classes who takes on the entrenched corporate interests who use their collective power to keep men like him from sharing in the wealth. This leads to the rather bizarre, ethically dubious contention that it's okay to engage in corruption just as long as the people you are ripping off are demonstrably more corrupt than you are.

Ambitious in theme and epic in scope, the story spans a thirty year period, beginning in 1951 when Gurubhai Desai (Abhishek Bachchan) leaves his village to make a success of himself in the outside world, and ending in 1980 when he and his company are facing prosecution for fraud, tax evasion and a whole host of other unscrupulous business practices that are threatening to bring Desai's corporate empire crashing down around him.

Despite their undeniable virtues in other areas, Indian films are not generally noted for either their brevity or their emotional subtlety - and "Guru" is no exception in this regard. It suffers from an exhausting 155-minute running time as well as from a tendency to overstate its major plot and character points ad absurdum. When the people in the film are happy, they must be shown to be deliriously happy, dancing in the streets and throwing each other into the air to demonstrate their joy; when they are sad, angry, conniving or morally righteous, they behave in similarly emphatic and underlined ways, with A.R. Rahman's pumped-up, ear-pounding musical score wringing every remaining drop of subtlety and restraint out of the picture.

Still, I suppose this is all part of the Bollywood appeal, and there are certainly some notable virtues that make the film worth recommending. First of all, the film is visually stunning, with one beautifully framed image after another unfolding in multi-colored, kaleidoscopic splendor before us. Second, there is a certain old-fashioned freshness to the utterly unabashed and shameless way in which the movie traffics in purple prose melodrama, wearing its emotions so transparently on its sleeves that it purges the story of all possible archness or coyness. (Think of it as a Douglas Sirk production with saris). Finally, as with virtually all commercial Indian films, "Guru" is decked out with a generous helping of lively, though admittedly quite corny, song-and-dance numbers that wind up "stopping the show" in both the best and worst senses of that phrase. For fun as these musical sequences are to watch, they do lead one to wonder if all the money that Indian producers so generously lavish on choreographers might not, in fact, be more wisely spent on a few judicious editors instead.

Why Guru didn't work for me ?

[rajeshk · 5/10 · 19 January 2007]

Why Guru didn't work for me ! Guru has been receiving rave reviews with critics and audiences claiming its the best movie in ages , Abhsihek's wonderful performance etc . I don't think the movie is terrible by any stretch but falls short being good as well , forget the great movie people claim it to be .

The things i like about the movie :

Performances of the leading characters are good . Clearly Abhisheks best performance till date. Aishwarya is not as irritating as she can be . There is actually a lot of chemistry between the two . Mithunda reminds us that he is a two time national award winner and is clearly in his elements . Maddy has lost weight and delivers sincerely . The relationships between Abhishek and his dad , brother-in law and Mithunda leave a lasting relationship .

Despite all of this the movie disappoints primarily cause i expect a lot more from Maniratnam . Here are a few reasons why :

The predictability of the screenplay Everyone knows its a bio pic of Dhirubhai Ambani , still it doesn't need to be so predictable . The biggest disappointment was that there was no evolution in the the protagonist as he grows from being a common villager to India's biggest industrialist . Abhishek didn't age at all , physically or otherwise ! Obviously one was no expecting a magic and mastery of Nayagan here , but at least he had potential to get some where close to that.

There was no insight, revelation or the plotting that made Guru the man he was . Lots of instances in the movie is happenstance . Guru bumping into Mithunda on the road , winning the contracts , deciding to make polyester or even meeting Aishwarya for the first time.

Glorification of Guru The end glorifies Guru as the messiah , as the best gift to mankind and the masses . While the film maker has every right to express his opinion on the protagonist , the glorification clearly plays to the galleries and all those who had confronted him for a right reason are totally forgotten ! ( the BIL, Maddy , Mithun etc )

The relationship with Mithun The movie hinges on the relationship between Mithun and Abhishek . Some of the best moments in the movie are their scenes together . It so wonderfully set up leading to the interval and subsequent scenes of Abhisheks aides trying to bash up Mithun and the Aishwarya visiting Mithun at his house , leading you to hope that this is heading somewhere ! But alas, the movie ends with an elaborate court drama and Mithun who is a defacto father figure is conveniently forgotten and sidelined .

Vidya Balan & Maddy track It had absolutely no relevance to the movie . Why was Vidya Balan a handicapped person , what does she really think about Guru ? Her elaborate death scene had no connection with the plot .

Music : ARR and Mani have always created magic . Here barring Tere Bina and Jaage raho , the rest of the songs are just plain ordinary . Both Maiya Maiya and Ek lo Ek Muft would feature in the bottom 10 songs of ARR of all time . Even the background music is pedestrian.

Overall , Guru is not a bad movie , but I was just disappointed that it didn't deliver what it promised .

Just check out this interview with Mukesh , which talks about how Relieance was built . Will give you lot more insights that the movie did ! http://www.rediff.com/money/2007/jan/17inter.htm