Customer Reviews

Guru

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Note: Hindi with English subtitles.

Synopsis: After a brief working experience in Istanbul young dreamer and visionary Gurukant decides he has worked long enough for the "white man" and returns to his native India to star his own business. His initial battle against widespread corruption in his Motherland is at first laudatory and inspiring but as Guru's wealth and power grow he appears to have become as bad, if not worse than the forces that once held him back. When all is finally said and done the question that the viewer is left to ponder is whether it's our responsibility to martyr ourselves in an effort to change an already flawed system or our right to work within the boundaries of that corruption in order to make a better life for ourselves and the ones we love?

Critique: Before the opening credits have disappeared from view `Guru' literally explodes on the screen with two amazingly fast paced musical numbers that will have you waiting breathlessly for what is to follow. However you will definitely be surprised to discover the story about to unfold before you is nothing like what you might have expected judging by the exhilarating, upbeat beginning.

`Guru' is an intense exploration into third world political and economic corruption as seen and experienced through the eyes of the films star Abhishek Bachchanin the role of Gurukant. Strangely enough, dispite his taking advantage of the system in place and partaking in somewhat dubious activities to succeed he is looked upon as a dreamer and visionary. This is indeed an important film and quite visionary in a manner that might go unnoticed by viewers in the West. This is a film with a message to the rest of the world. If you have any doubt about this listen carefully to Gurukant's final words.

India is tired of working for the "white man" and watching the West prosper while they continue to languish in poverty. They despise being called a Third World country and are poised to step into the 21st century an equal in every way. `Guru' is like the sounding of a great trumpet awakening its people to respond to the challenges ahead and they are listening. While this is a very good film that can stand on its own merits, I believe this message of hope and liberation has struck a cord with its intended audience and has a lot to do with the success this of film.

This is a hard one to review. For one thing I couldnt get through it and bounced between fast forwards to see if it shifted.
It depicts years from 1951 onwards with the movie quality of the day for effect. So the film texture and colour emulates the old and there are lots of little breaks in movement if someone is running for instance. They really achieved the look of the times but I found it alienated me fro the emotion presented. I'm not an arthouse fan but filmies may well find a lot to like in this movie.
It is a sociopolitical piece that has a realistic, almost documentary feel about it. There was one review up when I wrote this and I refer you there for more of the plot. Unfortunately I didn't get to the bit about India riding on the coattails of the West. That may well be so and I as a Westerner support them finding their own way differently. However the early bit showed more that their own corruption and egos may be as much, if not more, of a challenge in turning things around. Not that they are the only country with those challenges!
Abhishek does what may be his best work to date in the movie and the tenderness and chemistry between be and Aishwarya are palpable.
Unfortunately the subtitles were unusually a problem. The grasp of English wasn't as good as Indians usually have it. Many of the subtitles made no sense, substitutes vaguely similar looking words like 'league' for 'luggage' so often I was working hard to decipher what was being said rather than absorbing the movie.
I found one or two memorable songs but it's not really a song and dance movie. The dances are more traditional in style (in keeping with the era depicted).
So I didn't relate nor find it powerful as advertised (but would have liked to as it is obviously well executed in many ways). I have a Sri Lankan friend who recommended it and she usually only likes light and fluffy romances with no violence. So will you like it? If you are into Ab and Ash you'll want it and if you like arthouse there are things to explore. If you like realistic sociopolitical stuff or are interested in India and its history it may be for you.
I wished I could have got into this more (and understood many of the subtitles). I'm giving it 4 stars for creativity, thoughtful execution and fine acting- and because it is probably an important sociopolitical movie for those that enjoy that. Unfortunately my enjoyment of it wasn't at that level but I don't want to dissuade viewing of this on my taste.

While actor Abhishek Bachchan might seem like a natural to play romantic heroes, given his looks--and he's usually cast in that type of role--he does his best work when playing unconventional, even unlikeable, leads--for example, his exceptional portrayal of a thug in 'Yuva' (2004). His turn in 'Guru' as a business tycoon with slippery morals is likewise one of his finest performances. The film chronicles the rags-to-riches rise of his character, Gurukant Desai, a poor Gujarti boy who goes first to Istanbul and then to Mumbai to make his fortune selling textiles. He's not book-smart, but he's a savvy hustler, and he gets ahead the only way a common man can--by bending the rules. His arrogance and ambition take him far, and he eventually becomes the king of a polyester manufacturing empire.

'Guru' also marks Bachchan's first successful pairing with actress Aishwarya Rai, whom he starred opposite in such weak films as 'Dhaai Akshar Prem Ki' (2000), 'Kuch Naa Kaho' (2003), and 'Umrao Jaan' (2006). Perhaps it's no coincidence that this was also the first time the two worked together while dating in real-life. (They reportedly became romantically involved during shooting. The couple married four months after the film's release.)

Rai is the bigger star of the two, but Bachchan outshines her in 'Guru'--only slightly though. Despite Rai's extraordinary beauty, she manages to pull off playing an ordinary woman whom no one wants to marry (!). Her character, Sujata, is a disgrace because she tried to elope with a man who stood her up. At the beginning of Guru's quest for success, he offers to marry her as a favor to her brother, who is Guru's friend and future business partner, but unbeknownst to Sujata, Guru really only wants her dowry for startup capital. The newlyweds soon realize they're kindred spirits: Sujata is as willful and defiant as Guru, and they both want more out of life than what they grew up having. Their shared dreams become the basis of their budding love.

But Guru's challenges at the bottom are more interesting than his problems at the top, and the energy, hopefulness, and heroism of the first half fizzles in the second. In addition, the plot becomes somewhat confusing because of underdeveloped characters. Manik (Mithun Chakraborty), a newspaper editor who championed Guru when he was an underdog, turns on him with little explanation. Shyam (R. Madhavan), a reporter who's obsessed with exposing Guru as a fraud, is grossly unethical himself. Manik's granddaughter Meenu (Vidya Balan), who becomes involved with Shyam, doesn't serve any purpose in the story. Finally, the film raises interesting questions about business ethics in the beginning, but fails to reach any satisfying conclusions by the end. Still, 'Guru' succeeds modestly as an epic about a challenging subject--a textile entrepreneur--and gets points for originality.

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Guru (2007) (Hindi Film / Bollywood Movie / Indian Cinema DVD)When one believes in himself and others who believe in you as well you can accomplish many things. To strick out on your own and not work for someone else after a while takes courage. There were odds against him and serious challenges confronted by main character. He dug deep and did not give up and fulfilled his dream. This movie I will watch many times more than happy I purchased it.

I am not a Hindu but I loved this movie - If you are a romantic and like fun movies this one is for you,

Mani Ratnam has created Guru with a larger aspiration, with an additional producer, for a bigger film look than his previous Writer-Director-Producer films. It may look like a bigger budget film, but it wasn't exactly, but more importantly, it was released in Canada and made $28M, seven times what it cost, perhaps partially because of higher prices of gate receipts in North America, no matter. This was a great success for Mani.

In Michael Woood's documentary on the history of India (Story of India) he interviews Shashi Tharoor, Undersecretary General of the UN (2002-7) who characterizes India as being "stiffled by certain political and economic policies which had been enacted in the 20 years after the Independence in 1947." This movie is about this priod.

Major American media (NY Times, Time Magazine) hailed this film simply because it held up a positive and very energetic view of a native Indian capitalist entrepreneur, something that Westerners didn't think Indians understood or desired to emulate up until the mid-90's, with all the communist influence that took place in the Cold War era in India (starting with Nargis and Raj Kapoor in Moscow with Mother India(Mother India)according to Mihir Bose (Bollywood: A History).

The relationship between Guru (Abhishek) and his future wife (Aishwarya) starts out similarly to Ratnam's Roja(Roja) but this relationship does not become the focus of the film. The two leads are subsumed in the docudrama, much like Ratnam's two leads in Bombay (Bombay). It is not that the character development is irrelevant, just that they are developed in a rich texture where the story of Indian capitalism must be told.

And the movie clearly profiles the many obstacles that a natural Indian entrepreneur faced during the period following Independence: just learning how to do business without the white man's perspective; navigating hang-over British good-old-boy financial networks; lack of understanding and prejudice against free market concepts; government currency control and tariff protectionism; lack of understanding of public offerings and stock market operations, financial instruments and so on.

Abhishek Bachchan is very strong in this picture, for obvious script reasons, and Aishwarya Rai finally morphs into a real person one can believe in on screen, rather than just the toy of directors and the pet of camera persons. Both actors have grown tremendously since their appearance together in Umrao Jaan (Umrao Jaan (Bollywood Movie / Indian Cinema / Hindi Film / DVD)).

The take-away of this film for Mani, and hopefully for the audience, is that there can be sustantial hope and success in capitalism and this, this stadium of workers in Guru's company, could be the face of an India to come.

It was the talk that this Bollywood movie is based on Ambani's life. If today a kid wants to know who Dhirubhai Ambani was, we can tell him to go see this movie. Ambani achieved unparalleled heights in his career as a businessman who rose from zero to infinity in his lifetime.

The movie has been directed very well; Mani Ratnam is a well known Director. It maintains a neutral stance regarding the controversial events which occur in Gurubhai's (Abhishek Bachchan) business life. The more obstacles he faces, the stronger he will become and further will he grow, he says with confidence. The intoxication and fire to grow in business, come what may, has been portrayed well. Gurubhai becomes a business legend eventually and the movie dwells upon the price he has paid for it.

Many say that this movie is the best performance from Abhishek Bachchan (AB) so far. Aishwarya Rai, who plays his wife, excels too. AB also has a love-hate relationship with a newspaper baron, whose part is played by Mithun Chakraborty (MC). MC stands tall and has no personal animosity; his newspaper is fearlessly devoted to the truth and exposing it. He helps Gurubhai and is also critical of him.

The songs in the movie are hits today. This makes the movie more of an attraction. This movie is a must see.