Movie review: Guru Aprajita Anil
Rating: **** 1/2 Cast: Gurukant Desai (Abhishek Bachchan), Sujatha (Aishwarya Rai), Nanaji (Mithun Chakraborty), Shyam Saxena (R Madhvan), Meenakshi/Meenu (Vidya Balan) Director: Mani Ratnam If it's Mani Ratnam, it has to be good! And his latest venture just reconfirms this popular belief. Perhaps it's as close to perfect as anyone can get. But folks, if the director is worthy of such acclaim, the actor deserves no less appreciation. Whether one talks about the narration or presentation, about the script or dialogue, about the cinematography or choreography or even if about the lyrics or music, Guru fails nowhere, absolutely nowhere! Guru unfolds with the story of a simple young villager, who has the nerve to fly high and the vision to grow. Grow bigger than life itself. Grukant Desai, who hailed from a small village named Idhar in Gujarat, was the son of a headmaster. Although his father strongly believed that dreams and reality did not go hand-in-hand, Guru was too rooted in his dreams, which grew with him everyday. Raving to explore opportunities, he left behind his father's mental setup and went to Turkey to work for an oil company. His hard work and determination soon earned him praise and promotion. But life was meant to be beyond the small success and it was this foresight which brought him back home. He wanted to work for himself. He wanted to write a success story of his own. But scoffed by his father, he knew that his destiny was beyond his village. If money was the problem, marriage to Sujatha was the answer and if moments were a problem, his wittiness was the solution. He had the will and never found it difficult to pave his way. As he reached Bombay, he realised that the business world is ruled by a handful of rich and influential people. And when fighting and cajoling didn't help, Guru made his foray by force. It was then that he bumped into Nanaji, editor of a newspaper, who was enchanted by Guru's truth, innocence and sharpness. Guru's name soon becomes the new chant and his fame could be smelt across the land. As success sailed in, critics also came in. Nanaji too, realised the wrong means resorted by Guru and vowed to expose the truth with the help of his avid reporter, Shyam Saxena. And so began the battle. While Nanaji and Shyam left no stone unturned in revealing the 'real' Guru, the mogul himself remained undeterred. Court enquiries were ordered, probe panel was setup and charges were framed. The film reaches its climax, when Guru has to defend himself before a government board and he delivers a bravura, inspiring speech. What judgment comes is another story but one thing which holds is that when dreams are coupled with hard work, passion and blessings of so many, the wars can be lost but the battle is always won! The larger than life story, told with utmost brilliance keeps you tied to your seat and not once would you realise that it lasted almost 2.45 hours. The film is anchored by Abhishek Bachchan's remarkable performance. Whether it's his not-at-all glamorous looks or his far-from-funky accent, the actor has completely seeped into his character. His brilliant performance has proved that he has outgrown from the shadow of papa Bachchan to mark his own existence. AB Baby is indeed a complete treat! Although Aishwarya Rai doesn't have too big a role to play, she has skilfully displayed the 'strong wife' persona. But her oh-I-have-seen-those-expressions (!) failed to add a fresh touch to her character. When she dances, you quite know how those pretty lashes would flicker, when she acts naughty, you know exactly that she's about to bite her lips and when she's angry, you can't help but predict that those eyes would be red and forehead frowned. Remember Dhai Akshar Prem Ke? Aishwarya hasn't moved too ahead but what has blossomed is the Ash-Abhi equation. The chemistry is indeed stunning. The large supporting cast is uniformly good. While the always reliable Roshan Seth stands out even with his 10 minutes screen presence, Mithun Chakraborty too, handles his part with great finesse. Although the actor made a comeback long ago, this role has bestowed back the grace and intensity he was once associated with. Madhvan too has done justice to whatever little part he has been assigned. Vidya Balan, however, does not get the podium to exploit her skill. Though there is no doubt over her performance, her character has not been defined too well. The director has perhaps tried to make her the balancing factor between the two schools of thought or maybe she is a tool to expose the softer side of Guru. Even the love angle of Meenu and Shyam has not been given enough time. One person who despite her 2-minute show rocked the theatre is Mallika Sherawat. The Maiya Maiya number sees Sherawat swing to the tune and you end up applauding the choreography, the music and the performer too! Her appearance will definitely hold your attention. While the music is very A R Rehman - foot-tapping and melodic, the lyrics prove that they're the work of a creative mind, Gulzaar. The cinematography is superb. The beauty and élan with which Rajiv Menon has caught Bombay during the 1950s will leave you wondering. The picturisation of the song Barso Re is so intense that you would perhaps take your eyes off Aishwarya and look at the picturesque surrounding. But one head that weaves together all the vividness and intensity and spells out an incredible performance is the director. Kudos to Mani Ratnam! It is only a director of his stature and ability who can bind together emotion, drama, intensity and make it so rooted in reality. Guru is bound to leave you mesmerized.
