All Mani Ratnam’s films are most interesting and they attract the viewers directly. For Guru, there are 102 reviews, when I have started writing this review. The last time I saw the Guru’s page before I saw the movie, there were nearly 95 reviews A movie has to be so good that people are speaking about it, made me see the movie. As no theatre in Hyderabad was playing the movie in time comfortable to me, I waited till the CDs were released. I bought the CD and watched the film.
The film was told by several people to be an inspired biography of Dhirubhai Ambani. But as I do not have a habit of taking any expectation in to the movie while watching I saw the progress and growth of Gurukanth Desai, the maker of Shakti Polyesters!
Guru Bhai does not like to hear "NO" : Guru, has his own way. The greatest thing about him is that he does not like to hear "NO". He cant hear "NO" for his requests. And thats the strength for him throughout his journey of life right from being failed in 10th class to the time he declares the Shakti Industries to become the biggest in the world.
Simple and normal life of a tradesman! Thats what he calls himself. He uses all his resources carefully, and does everything in positive! That’s Business in simple terms for "Guru Bhai". If doors open only to kicks and salutes, he prefers to see whether he can kick(lath in HIndi). For getting things going his way he will do all things unpredicatble. He marries a girl who had tried to elope and is elder to him by an year for the enticing dowry, she would bring to him and promises to share the half of his business profits to his friend and brother -in- law.
Loves her or her money?: We(even Guru Bhai) do not know whether he loves Sujatha or the money she has brought! But he stays connected to her more all the same. He complains of missing food of her hands, and says to the girl who appeases to marry him, " Can you cook food like her!" But Sujatha loves Gurubhai more than he may be loving him.
" If more people are speaking against you it means you are growing": When he meets a minister to get some work done and the minister complains that people are speaking against you, this is the reply that Guru Bhai gives!
"Use the resources carefully and intelligently even your words and voice": Guru Bhai’s Shakti company is handed over to a commission to enquire the export fraud that Shakti industries has committed. Guru Bhai just out of hospitalisation uses his wife as his spokesperson and makes her declare she is 50% partner of the Shakthi Industries! Once the whole enquiry is over he is told to speak something he justs says "Namaste". When the enquiry goes into public he speaks out " Saying "**I am a Baniya and I use all my resources very carefully. I have saved my voice for today to speak in public!"
* The cast have performed their roles perfectly. But why Meenakshi is crippled and why she has to die young is not clear. The role of Madhavan and Mithun Chakraborthy are very clear and their charcters are well made. The presence of these actors adds value and depth to their character. The dialogues are well written and are exemplary.
Its like the novels of Jeffrey Archer which shows the growth of the protagonist from their birth to the time they are at the zenith of their careers!
I think by the time you read this review, many of you have already written one, and those havent would have atleast seen one! If you haven’t then its good that you see the movie before it comes on the TV so that you would have forgotten it enough to enjoy seeing it again! As I am sure you wont miss seeing it once its telecast on TV and you have time to see it!
Over and over a movie worth seeing.