Producer: Manirathnam
Director: Manirathnam
Cast: Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai, Vidya Balan, Madhavan,  Mithun Chakraborty
Music: A R Rahman

‘Guru’ is all about having the cheek to make it large. Mani Ratnam seems to be infested with the parallel kind of thought and that is why he opted to make a film about a guy who not only dreams big but also possess the verve to make it large by hook or by crook. Mani Ratnam’s ‘Guru’ is a groundbreaking yarn of contemporary Indian trade scenario and a man who ascends from rags to riches with his inventiveness and ingenuity. If Gurunath reaches the height of fame and fortune after applying all tricks of the trade, then he also remunerates all those who place their reliance and funds on him. Mani Ratnam excels with this movie demonstrating the extensive way the director has treaded.

Gurunath is a trade fanatic and a seer for whom neither law nor custom can pose as a hurdle on his way of advancement that he has graphed for himself and his corporation house, which according to him is the image of budding India. Mani Ratnam’s ingenuity lies in slipping in an adorable and puckish love story in an otherwise impassive tale of trade and commerce. Mani extracts out the best from his cast and crew. Abhishek Bachchan enthralls with his splendid performance in his utterly de-glamorized role. Abhi-Ash pair adds to the elegance of the film. A.R.Rehman once again works wonder with his magical notes that accentuates the feel and color of the film. Rajiv Menon brilliantly and precisely reels out ideas in Mani’s mind.

The story is undeniably stimulated from the life and feats of the trade magnate Dhirubhai Ambani. And Mani exploits this summary to weave out a tale of a man who is fittingly into manufacturing and fabricating polyester fibre and soaring the height of success.

‘Guru’ opens with Gurunath (Abhishek Bachchan) immigrating to Istanbul where he finds the true inspiration of his life. Although he delivers his job with full candor and enthusiasm, he is plagued by the idea of making his work benefit him rather than coming to the service of others especially the whites. So he packs his belongings and returns back to his grimy rural village in Gujarat only to find his true calling. But the task is not easy for him, as he has to encounter many barricades on his way- family displeasure, fiscal aridness and little support from every one.  

Guru spots Sujatha (Aishwarya Rai) and right away takes a liking for her and resolves to get hitched. But the real motive behind tying the knot above anything else is the dowry money that he would get his hands on, which he will be able to invest in his business enterprise. Gurunath is ambition personified and will stop at nothing to make it real big. Guru’s biggest strength is that he has great philosophical insight into the mood and many of human minds. By luck or by chance he enters into a friendship with eccentric press mogul Mangaldas (Mithun Chakraborthy). This bond opens the big door of trade for Guru. Guru also gets into a very enticing and enigmatic bond with Mangaldas’ multiple- sclerosis ridden daughter played by Vidya Balan.

The roads aren’t very smooth for him initially and he has to slog hard to establish a niche for himself. But he finally manages to win over the hurdles with his rationality and sincerity. Guru destabilizes the system while moving ahead and this annoys Mangaldas who inspite of being a hard nut likes to adhere to the rules. What follows next is literally a cat and mouse chase between Guru and Mangaldas who hooks his best man Shyam (Madhavan) to scour out details of his off hand dealings. This turns out to be clash of the Titans. Guru who likes to go by his own set of rules is popularly well acclaimed by the public and this aids him to take a big leap out of the pool of problems.

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. This is a biopic sans monotony that nevertheless impresses. Mani says it best when he says nothing at all because his dramatis odyssey says it all. The twist and turn of events and the undefiable courage of the protagonist is what holds the attention.

Abhishek delivers his role like a dream. He dons the character of Guru with great ease and élan and delivers the nuances of the character with full blow. The Abhi-Ash love tale kicks off moderately well but gradually grows with time when she stands as a pillar of support for him. Aishwarya looks enigmatic as ever. Mithun enlivens the character of media baron exceedingly well. Madhavan as an aspiring and righteous journo impresses. Vidya Balan adjusts herself brilliantly to the quaint role.

Mani Ratnam’s movie is scattered with procedural skill all over. All Rahman’s scores have been well cinematized against the scenic locales of Karnataka, Istanbul and Madurai. Hariharan soothes with his ghazal. Editing by Sreekar Prasad is crunchy. Mallika thrills with her belly dance. All the dubbings has been skillfully rendered. Suriya’s voice perfectly compliments Abhishek’s intonation. And the best part is that the essence of the tale has been retained in the translation that is a universal tale of indomitable human courage. Mani employs his susceptibility and sensitivity to yarn a story whose interest lies not in the means but motives of the hero. Guru is without airs and never struggles to prove his point. He is a man of clay for whom all the worldly affectations are non-existent.

In a nutshell, Guru is a man who never holds back his dreams. Guru the film is also a celebration of motivation and unconquerable courage. A big applause to Mani Ratnam for coming up with a film as such.