Mani Ratnam-a name synonymous with class, quality, and classics brings to celluloid his latest magnum opus which came with sky high expectations and searing hype-does Ratnams vision live up to expectations? Yes, yes and yes!
Ratnam brings to screen a tale that is loosely based on the life of Indian entrepreneur Dhirubhai Ambani(although the disclaimer at the start states otherwise, the similarities in parts is just openly obvious) but in the process captivates the viewer with a lot more as he, in true Ratnam style, works the film on more than one level.
The movie starts in black and white (a masterstroke) with Gurukant Desai (Abhishek Bachchan) as a man in his 60’s delivering the films opening, and rousing lines. From there we’re transported via a flashback as we watch the rise of Gurukant Desai , the son of a school teacher from a modest family in Idhar (Gujarat). After failing his exams, he goes to work in Turkey selling oil as a working missionary. There he realises that his dreams are much bigger than this, and despite repeated promotions and pay rises Guru realises that his dreams are much bigger than this, and rather than waste it on others(the “white man” in this instance) he decides to use it on him self to realise his dreams. In a sense, Istanbul works for Guru how South Africa worked for Mahatma Gandhi in a warped parallel of sorts.
Guru meets Sujatha (Ashwariya Rai) in the most unusual circumstances and the two get married. But even here, Guru marries Sujatha not out of love, but for the dowry that she will bring with her so that he can use that money and start his business in Mumbai(though that comes back to bite him later).
Without revealing too much of the story, from here unravels a tale of one mans desire to succeed, to become the best and to have everything and hold in his palm what one can only call the Indian Dream. He challenges the systems, and with his penchant for not taking “no” as an answer starts building an empire which goes from strength to strength and his profits start going up, up and up.
Along the way he strikes a friendship with an ethical press baron Mangaldas aka Nanaji (Mithun Chakraborthy finally in a role worthy of his talent) and in a sense, the two develop a father-son relationship.
Guru manages to build an empire which is larger than what most people only dream of, with a staff that is thousands in numbers, yet he still wants more, to grow bigger and to become the biggest company in India.
But with great power comes a darker side, that of corruption, and his one time friend Nanaji now becomes a foe of sorts as he doesn’t agree with Gurus business ethics and ideals. Nanaji with his protégé Shyam Saxena(Madhavan) decide to bring down one of the most powerful men in India-Gurukant Desai. What follows next is a cat and mouse game of power play and in a turn of events Gurus world starts tumbling in front of him, but he continues to fight on in a cat and mouse game of power-play. Who comes out on top?
The story has not been credited, but the screenplay by Mani Rathnam is absolutely outstanding to say the least. The first half of the movie is flawless as it introduces the viewer to the character of Gurukant Desai and slowly lets him grow on us. The relationships that Guru establishes with those around him are beautifully put into place in the first half and strike an eminent chord with the viewer. The rise of Gurukant Desai provides to the viewer one of the most enjoyable and engrossing movie experiences in recent times. The second half of the movie focuses on the flipside of the coin and the consequence of what comes with great power. As always, Ratnam spans his tale across 40 odd years and letting his characters age with the story like fine wine.
As a director, Mani Ratnam brings forth the the final addition to his “power” trilogy after NAYAKAN (1987) and IRUVAR (1997) and now GURU (2007). In a weird twist of irony, Ratnam has spread each of his masterpieces over a span of 10 years himself, and with GURU comes what is arguably his most enjoyable movie to date in the absolute sense merging flawlessly content with entertainment. GURU works on three main levels as a film, the first being the simple tale of an underdog who rises from nothing to become something and the consequences that come along the way. This is a universal theme and works on every level with the viewer, and even those who aren’t familiar with the language or Indian cinema at all (a feat in itself). The main criticisms that have always been against Mani Ratnam is that his films on the whole aren’t “commercial” enough to become a true blockbuster and that he doesn’t cater enough to the “masses”. In that retrospect GURU does NOT disappoint at all, as Ratnam has realised that “masala is a MUST”. The main element of “masala” comes in the form of Abhishek Bachchans performance as it is one that makes us laugh, cry, sit there gape faced and ultimately stand up and applaud. The “feel good” factor in this movie is soaringly high that it’s inspirationational in many ways, and when you leave the cinema you hold your head up high with the attitude “I can achieve anything” which is surely a plus for GURU as far as Box-office is concerned, and also the repeat value, which too is high.
Secondly, the movie works as a movie modelled on life of Dhirubhai Ambani with some cinematic liberties taken into play to make it commercial and to also not make it too obvious. Those familiar with the history of Dhirubhai Ambani will know that this too works superbly, especially in the first half as we see a struggling Guru break through and reach the dizzying heights of fame as well as the problems he faces from government trade quotas and stock-trading rules as well as the enemies as he makes along the way. Lastly, the movie works as a trajectory of the Amitabh Bachchan legacy, and this for me, being a hardcore Bachchan fan, worked in the most surreal and amazing way. Abhishek Bachchan has slowly been on the rise, and there have been several moments in his previous films like BLUFFMASTER, DUS, BUNTY AUR BABLI and the more obvious one SARKAR where the directors have tapped well into the psyche of Amitabh Bachchans legacy and projected Abhishek Bachchan in a light that will ultimately turn him into a superstar. SARKAR in this retrospect came the closest as the audience erupted into frenzy in the simplest scenes like when Abhishek places his hand on the shoulders of an ailing Amitabh, with the message being loud and clear-the prince has arrived. GURU goes ten steps further in my opinion and the reaction to Abhishek Bachchan throughout the movie is manifolded to what it was in SARKAR. The father has now let go of the sons fingers and much like Gurukant himself, Abhishek runs with the opportunity portraying on-screen what can only be called one of the most iconic and legendary performances in recent times. With GURU Ratnams presents Abhishek Bachchan in a performance that can only be called “the moment” in Abhisheks career (though YUVA by Ratnam was again a “moment”) where he not only gives a lifetime performance, but also connects with the masses with what can only be called one of the massiest “overman” performances I have seen in my life in the classiest fashion. The other criticism against Ratnams Hindi works has been that despite the film being in Hindi, the film themselves have a heavy “South” hangover, GURU again shatters that myth as Ratnam captures the culture and lives of Gujratis to utmost perfection with the lingo, get-ups, and milieu.
Ratnam, in both IRUVAR and NAYAKAN has always used a technique where he beautifully ages his characters spanning decades on celluloid, yet letting the deciphering at what age the character is at based on his get-up and looks(in this case how fat Abhishek has got, how many grey hairs has he got), what age the other characters around him are, how big his company has grown, and more importantly, the background features in this movie as Mani creates eras bygone on celluloid for which the movie is alone worth the price of admission.
Where GURU differs from Ratnams previous works IRUVAR and NAYAKAN, is that despite his central character being a man with lot of power, and one that has to face the consequences of the actions he takes with this power, the movie doesn’t end on a dark note, and the film stays true to its tagline..VILLAGER..VISIONARY and more importantly WINNER (the feel good factor). I must add that this is NOT to say that Ratnam compromises in anyway, but Gurukant Desai is not as darker character as Velu Naicker nor one was complex as Anandam.
Abhishek Bachchan delivers what can only be classified as an outstanding performance, and one that will no doubt be talked about for decades to come. Ratnams fascination with ageing his characters provides Abhishek Bachchan a platform to deliver a performance that enthrals and mesmerises the viewer from start to finish with his dynamism. He is completely believable as a character hailing from a Gujrati background. From Abhishek Bachchans powerful delivery, to his get-up as he ages through the years, to his body language (astounding) to his eye movement this is THE Abhishek Bachchan performance that the viewers have been wanting. There are moments, when Abhishek reminds the viewer of Amitabh Bachchan, but in no way does Abhishek imitate Amitabh, if anything, this is a perfect tribute to Amitabh Bachchan as what can only be called Abhishek Bachchans DEEWAR(1975) moment(sorry Sattu I stole your line). From the first screen to the last Abhishek is present in EVERY frame of the movie, and he holds the screen with a magnetic, larger than life presence engulfing the viewer. Despite the get-ups and makeups this is a performance that is natural to the core devoid of any “fake ness” or forced gimmicks like say Hrithik Roshan in his super hero series. In the first half, as the restless young man bursting with energy Abhishek brings to the fore a natural flair for comedy which gives the movie some stupendously entertaining moments of comedy, as the movie progresses and Guru ages, Bachchan maintains that humour merged with menacing ambition and mass appealing histrionics right up to the climax. The climax is one that I somewhat found a bit staged. Nevertheless it provides Abhishek a platform to deliver a speech which quiet frankly is the best projection of the Bachchan psyche and legacy in correlation with Abhishek. Slow-motion, gruffed voice, aged get-up, half paralysed mouthing some of the most crowd pleasing lines I have heard in recent times this is the kind of performance that evokes a cinema hall to completely burst out in whistles, claps and cheers in the largest way possible starting with the lines “ Why should I be scared of the public? I’m the public”! I guess the greatest performance one can give to Abhishek Bachchan is that this is the kind of performance one usually expects from an actor in the calibre of Mohanlal, Kamal Hassan or Amitabh Bachchan or the heavyweight actors of Hollywood, this is a world class performance-nuff said!
It’s near impossible to list the scenes that leave a lasting impact or will be talked about in the days to come as the ENTIRE movie is filled with such scenes all the way through, all I can do is list my favourite scenes and one that have left a lasting impression on me in my first watch.
• Abhishek Bachchans initial entry into the “market” as he tells a veteran trader “tumhare bagal mein beth ke dhanda karoonga”. • Abhishek dumping all the polyester bags in the IAS officers house • “Naam tha nahin hai, aur rahega(A Bachchan moment to the core, one can almost imagine a younger Amitabh saying this which gives goosebumps) • Abhishek Bachchan and Ashwariya Rai at the train station • The cute play fight scene with Abhishek Bachchan and Ashwariya Rai when they’re in bed. • Abhishek Bachchans first meeting with Nanaji • Abhishek Bachchans first speech to his company (defining moment) • Madhavans entry scene • Abhishek gets the news that he has twins(buy one get one free bought the house down) and the song that follow(EK LO EK MUFT) • Abhisheks second speech to his company(another defining moment) • Abhishek and Ashwariya entering their old house again and their trip down memory lane and the scenes that follow on the swing • Abhisheks “hospital” scene • Abhisheks reply to the enquiry commission • “Banna chahte hai iss duniya ki sabse badi company”?(defining moment).
Ashwariya Rai delivers what in my books is her finest performance to date. I’ve always been one that has found Ashwariya overrated to the core in her Hindi films with the exception of her films with Bhansali as well as RAINCOAT. Her Tamil films (IRUVAR, KANDUNKODAIN KANDUNKODAIN) were much better, and with GURU Ashwariya Rai comes fully into form with a performance that exudes charm and dignity all the way through. From a hot-headed, stubborn yet ultimately soft at heart girl to a matured, and fully realised first lady of her husband she is outstanding. Her initial scenes with Abhishek, as well as her latter scenes in the court got an extremely positive feedback from the viewers here. More so, the chemistry between Abhishek Bachchan and Ashwariya Rai simply exudes a certain amount of warmth and is absolutely lovable. They bounce off each other perfectly, and for all those who were expecting to see a relatively “normal” film with the Abhishek-Ashwariya pairing since their so-called “real” life pairing-GURU is it!
Mithun Chakraborthy wanted to work with Mani Ratnam in 1997 when Ratnam was making IRUVAR, but it required Mithun to shave his head, which he couldn’t do at the time due to commitments with prior projects. 10 years later, Mithunda finally works in a Mani Ratnam film and the result is fantastic. As the monument for truth and justice, Nanaji stands for everything that is right in every sense, and Mithun plays his author backed character to perfection. He brings so much warmth and sincerity to his performance, and elevates every scene he is in. The scenes he shares with Abhishek are simply delightful, as from their initial scenes as friends to their later scenes as foes the histrionics bowls the viewer over.
Madhavan too holds his own extremely well in a relatively smaller, yet very important. His entrance scenes is one of the best in the movie, and the dialogues he mouths after that have a eerie and chilling affect. One just wishes that Ratnam had developed his character a bit more, and shown a few more scenes between Madhavan and Abhishek.
Vidya Balan is simply fantastic. The relationship she shares with both Abhishek and Madhavan has been poignantly portrayed on-screen and she leaves a viscerally lasting impression. No doubt one of the most talented actresses we have in Bollywood today.
The extensive supporting cast in the movie is perfect in every sense. Arya Babbar impresses immensely in the initial scenes, and this can be compared to Sonu Soods performance in Ratnams own YUVA. Once again, Ratnam after a point doesn’t develop the character any further. The other actor who completely bowls the viewer over is Manoj Joshi-he plays Gurus “mota bhai” with such a understanding of the character he is portraying, and with such a natural charm and warmth that he leaves a lasting impression, and more-so, shines in some key scenes he shares with Abhishek Bachchan. The actor in the past has been regulated to loud comic roles in Priyadarshan movies, and it’s a pleasure to see him in such a powerful role.
Sachin Khedkar, Roshan Seth, Rajendra Gupta, Sarita Joshi, Neena Kulkarni, Sanjay Swaraj, Manoj Tyagi, Sudhir Panday, and Dhritiman Chatterjee are all aptly cast in smaller parts.
A special mention to Vijay Krishna Acharya and his outright classic dialogues movie throughout the movie. Refreshingly original and ultimately compelling they heighten the movie a few notches higher.
Technically all Mani Ratnams films are a work of art and a picture of perfection. Dazzling music merged with stirring and eye opening visuals which grace the silver screen have always been his trademark, and GURU is no different, as it actually turns out to be one of his most technically brilliant films to date.
Rajiv Menon captures GURU on celluloid like a painstakingly crafted painting by an artist at the top of his trade. From the scenes in Turkey to the scenes in the village to the scenes in Mumbai this is Award Winning cinematography. The manner in which Ratnam and his technical team have created Mumbai in the 1950’s and onwards is a testament to the talent that lies in Indian cinema, and one that is of truly International quality.
More-so, the long shots of the crowds as they look at the look and react to the larger-than-life Gurukant in front of them at three key moments in the movie is defining moments in cinema and shows how completely in sync Menon and Ratnam were with each other in the vision they were trying to create.
A.R Rehman…Gulzar..Ratnam…what more can be said about the music of GURU? Each and every song is outright amazing, and this is easily one of Rehmans best musical scores to date. The songs in the movie work perfectly in the context of the movie. Some work as a storytelling technique merged seamlessly with the narrative, while others deliver generous dollops of superb masala moments.
The MAYYA MAYYA track at the start of the film is great and foot tapping. Mallika Sherawat is simply delicious here and has some fantastic dance steps (courtesy of Saroj Khan).
The BARSO RE track is one of the most beautifully shot songs I have seen in recent times, soothing to the core and Ashwariya Rai dances amazingly well here.
TERE BINA is a visual and musical treat in the movie. The song is magnificent and majestic, and Abhishek and Ashwariya are simply stunning here.
EK LO EK MUFT is again a projection of the Bachchan psyche, and without a doubt it is Abhishek Bachchans RANG BARSE moment! A crowd pleasing number, which comes at the right time again keeping the tempo upbeat and alive. The dance steps here are rustic and “massy”-wicked.
Alongside the full fledged compositions is Rehmans haunting and gripping background score, from AYE HAIRATHE which plays at various moments in the movie intensifying the Abhishek/Ash love story, to what is one of my favourite songs of the year-JAAGE HAIN. The affect this song has and the tune of it as it plays in the background throughout the movie is one that is simply one of the best in recent times. Finally, the upbeat and catchy GURUBHAI GURUBHAI AAVTA CHE, DHOOM DHADAKA KARTA CHE which plays as Guru accomplishes each hurdle and rises further is catchy and again evokes a very positive reaction.
A few days ago, I was having a conversation with a fellow friend about the Premier of GURU in Toronto, and how I was not willing to spend $100 on one screening of GURU, however if GURU is indeed the masterpiece I’m expecting than I’m happy to spend $100 to watch GURU multiple times across the course of the coming months…luckily I kept that $100 aside:-) The movie does have flaws, the characterisations could’ve been stronger, and there are moments in the second half that could’ve been placed better, however these are minor blemishes in what is one of the most realised films from India in recent times, and one that the viewer simply cannot afford to miss at any cost.
Final Rating: * * * * ½
