[arr] Guru reivews

[yeshrao81]

3/4 stars...an incomplete review

http://www.nypost.com/seven/01122007/entertainment/movies/fabricated_tyc
oon_movies_lou_lumenick.htm

A bad review  
http://www.nysun.com/article/46560

[arr] Top Ten albums of the week - ARR Rules

[rathish ramakrishnan]

Top Ten albums of the week 
By Joginder Tuteja, January 12, 2007 - 06:10 IST

http://www.indiafm.com/features/2007/01/12/2081/index.html

RankLast weekFilmPlussesMinuses
11GuruMadame Sherawat has ensured that 'Guru' keeps its #1 spot intact by belly 
dancing seductively to the tune of 'Mayya Mayya'. One of the rare albums by 
Rahman that has actually peaked before the release of the film! Normally it's 
the other way around since his music takes time to grow on you!Couple of 
situational songs do not have much repeat value
22Salaam-E-IshqAdnan Sami's subtle version of 'Salaam-E-Ishq' title song is on 
the air and is catching up with those who love their music to be mellow! With 
each of the promoted songs creating a market of their own, music of SEI is 
giving good competition to 'Guru' at the top!Not really!
33Dhoom 2Satellite promotion of the film may have slowed down over the last 
week or so but the music of D2 still continues to be one of the Top-3 selling 
albums at the music stands. And to think of it, even the production house shied 
away from promoting the songs prior to the film's release!It's an irony that 
one of the weakest scores from Yash Raj Films has turned out to be one of their 
top selling albums!
45AnwarMoving up in the charts and peaking at just the right time, 'Anwar' is 
the smallest film in charts in all terms - be it the composers at helm, star 
cast, production credentials or hype! Still, sheer purity in a couple of 
excellent songs has managed to make it reach so far!Would the soundtrack have 
been even better if Mithoon was the sole composer?
54Don - The Chase Begins AgainOne of the Top-5 selling albums of 2006, music of 
'Don' can now be termed as superhit! Each of the songs had a place in the movie 
and were no pushovers. Integrating seamlessly with the film, these were the 
kinds that defined the concept of taking a story forwardComparisons with the 
music of original 'Don' were inevitable. This was the cause of cynics running 
amok when the soundtrack released
66Woh Lamhe'Woh Lamhe' may not have matched the sales graph of 'Gangster' at 
the music stands but a continued patronage amongst the melody lovers has 
ensured that the music lives on even as the film has been off the theatres for 
weeks. Bhatts continue to add on to their repository of musical hits!None
77Bas Ek PalPhenomenal. That's all one can say about both the quality of music 
and the sustained interest that it has generated amongst all age groups. 
Breaking boundaries of music genres and target audience, this soundtrack by 
Mithoon and Viveck Philip [with guest composition by Pritam] has been a solid 
success story of 2006!None
88Bhagam BhagJust like last week, there is not much movement of music albums 
from this point onwards. 'Bhagam Bhag' hangs on since the film has been doing 
well at the box officeDespite aggressive publicity, the music hasn't really 
picked up in a grand manner except for a couple of songs that peaked near the 
film's release
910BaabulAadesh Srivastava certainly hasn't enjoyed the success of 'Baghban' in 
case of 'Baabul'. The music was decent but couldn't up the pace before or after 
the film's releaseWhile 'Kabul Express' is already off the charts this week, 
situation may repeat for 'Baabul too in the coming week as 'Red' arrives. 
'Namastey London' and 'Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd' should further help the dull 
musical phase to improve in the coming weeks
10NewJust MarriedPritam and Gulzar saab kick start the New Year with a 
melodious soundtrack in the form of 'Just Married'! A sweet album, it brings to 
fore Pritam in a new light, as he composes the kind of songs that are 
uncharacteristic of his styleThough the music is quite good, it hasn't quite 
stormed the charts in its opening week. Things should improve as the film comes 
nearer to release


 

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[arr] Guru T - Jubilee of imagination and inspiration: Indiaglitz

[Thulasi Ram]

Movie Review  Guru - Jubilee of imagination and inspiration  IndiaGlitz
[Friday, January 12, 2007]

http://www.indiaglitz.com/channels/tamil/review/8954.html

'Daring to dream' is probably the larger motif of the movie Guru. In a
sense, that has also been the underlying impulse of Mani Rathnam himself as
he has dreamed into reel about the life and times of a man who had an
outrageous idea and even more outrageous desire to make them into reality,
come hell or high water.

If Gurukanth's chase of fantasy (to make it as a businessman) puts him and
those who reposed faith in him on the path of riches, then Mani's own
cinematic odyssey into the pioneering story of modern-Indian business world
rewards us with an unforgettable experience of artistic entertainment.

A business missionary and a visionary, is what Gurukanth is. For him, no
rule or norm is an impediment to the path of progress that he has charted
for him, his company, which for him is also the metaphor for the newly
emergent India.

Mani's genius lies in incorporating a cute and impish love into the broader
ambit of an emotionless world of shares and supplies. Mani's other great
success is in getting the best out of his team. It is Abhishek Bachchan who
leads the pack with a show that is surely the best of his career so far. In
a de-glamourised 'bania' look, Abhishek packs all the right punches in a
character that is far more complex than the dandified exterior would
otherwise lead us to believe. The Abhi-Aish chemistry is well known and
needs no repetition here. But the sub-text of the duo's romance to the
larger theme of a man with a mission keeps the film from slipping into the
slipshod stream of stereotyped consciousness. And then there is A R Rehman.
In Mani's company, Rehman becomes magical and his beautiful songs get an
even more compelling contextual beauty. Rajeev Menon has the true 'eye' of
Mani, bringing into images the ideas in the director's mind.

The story is obviously a takeoff from Dhirubhai Ambani's life and times. But
that is just a starting thread. Using that, Mani's spins a yarn (just about
the right term to describe about a story that is about success in spinning
mills and polyester fibre) that gives a feeling of comfort and warmth.

'Guru' begins with the young Gurukanth (Abhishek) setting off to the arty
and raucous Istanbul. In a sense, Istanbul proves to be what South Africa
became eventually for the other great Indian dreamer Mahatma Gandhi
- a seed of inspiration.  Appropriately, Guru too invokes the ideas
(though not the idealism) of 'Bapu' when he is towards the end pinned down
by Indian authorities for transgressions of laws that are in the book.

Guru, though appreciated for his work ethic, is consumed by the desire to
make his work come good for himself rather than waste it for others (in this
context, the whites). So he throws up his job in Istanbul and comes down to
his dusty hamlet in Gujarat. But here again, the roadblocks before the
takeoff are many (parental disapproval, monetary dryness and a general
small-minded approach).

Guru, who sees Sujatha (Aishwarya) in quaint circumstances, falls in love
with her and marries her. But the bigger love is for the money that she
brings along as dowry (it is a truth that he will come to face at an
unexpected crossroad). This would be his opening gambit on a complex,
chequered board of a game in which every coin is deemed a pawn by vested
interests. Guru of course wants to be the king. He understands the system.
More importantly, he understands men and their minds. He strikes up
friendship, by chance, with a maverick press baron Mangaldas (Mithun
Chakraborthy). It is what launches him into a tumultuous world and it is
what holds him back later. It is an enigmatic relationship that even amidst
the no-holds-barred fight, Guru is able to strike a beautiful and bouncy
relationship with the multiple-sclerosis ridden daughter of Mangaldas (Vidya
Balan).

The initial days in the market are hard slog and slugfest. Guru manoeuvres
them all with commonsense and conviction. But he has to subvert the system
(mind you, those were the times of license raj and quota rules). This is
what gets the goat of the Mangaldas, an old-world journo, who, despite his
outward brusqueness, likes to play within the rules.

What ensues is a high-stakes cat and mouse game with Mangaldas using his
hotshot scribe Shyam (Madhavan) to dredge up details of off-the-book
dealings of Guru. It is a fight between two equal enemies. Guru, despite
playing by his own rules, wins popular support. It is on these crutches that
he eventually hobbles out.

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.

In the end, the film is indeed a biopic, without the attendant dreariness.

Like all truly great directors, Mani says a lot when he doesn't say much.
The st

[arr] [Semi-ARR]Nice personal experience shared by a guy who got a chance to act in SIVAJI

[Thulasi Ram]

Given below is a write-up that I found in shankar group in orkut.. A guy
shares his experience while he was involved in the Sivaji movie shooting and
climax scene of sivaji. This is how it goes...



I got chance in acting for the flim SHIVAJI
I got chance in acting for the flim SHIVAJI

Watch out for me in the movie last scene...
In 1 scene : I will be wearing blue jeans jacket with white
T-shirt and blue jeans pant
In 2 scene : orange shirt and black jeans wearing a college bag.
since it was two different days i acted..

It is great pleasure for me to say that i had an wonderful,memorable and
enjoyable last week of My LIFE(i.e. from 26th dec to 1st jan). It was monday
night(25dec) when my friend called up and asked me there is shooting going
on MS Ramaiah college , bangalore for the flim SHIVAJI, they need some
students to act in the flim and are u willing to come for it and payment is
Rs 150 per dayBlindly I said forget about the payment i'll be there
since its my THALAIVAR's flim

Day 1: (dec 26th,tue)
I got up at 5am and was there at shooting spot at 6:30am. Rajni sir came to
the spot at 9am (before that i had the breakfast provided by the AVM). we
all students were waiting at 3rd floor of the Ramaiah old hospital. when
superstar came there he waved his hand towards us as usual

After that the shooting was being held at the top of the building which was
a fight scene (most probably the climax scene) . we all student had to wait
in a seperate place which was about 10meters away from the shooting
spot..The fighting scene was being held with lots of Money being
flying(i.eRs1000,500,100 of course dupicate notes). There was another
fellow who was
dup of
rajini sir...for some scence in which gymnasium has to be performed it was
done by the Duplicate fellow of rajini sir...

The whole day we were waiting for our scene to come but it
looked the fight scene didn't finishdo u know why  because there was
a scene were RAJINI SIR was wearing black huge coat (above black t-shirt)
and black jeans , the notes will be flying and he has to give a turn and
look oppsite side. He did this more than 15 times i believethis shows
what kind of director is
SHANKAR sir.thats why i think he is one of the TOP directors in INDIA
giving hit flims..
Thats it we went back home without a single shot of us but we were paid
Rs150...Rajini sir left from there at 6:30pm in INOVA CAR DARK BLUE

Day2: (dec 27th, wed)
Almost same thing happend and we did not got chance to act.

day3: (dec 28th, thu) and day4(dec 29th, fri)
I was not feeling well so did not went for the shooting

day 5: (dec 30th,sat) I went to the shooting spot and went back to my home
since i didn't get the PASS for the shooting

AT last i got the chance to act in the FLIM on 31st dec 2006 and 1st jan
2007 when shankar sir called us

This time the shooting was held at MS ramiah college at ELECTRICAL Science
departmant buildingthe scene goes like this . Some of the
students were wearing DOCTOR's white coat and some in usual color dress in
jeans. Some Uncles and Aunty were put as lecturer. Lots of money will be
flying in the air and our job is to catch the moneythere were 3cameras
in all direction put up by SHANKAR sir.

I also met ACTOR suman who is the VILIAN of this flim...he was in white
shirt,white dhoti and white shoewith bloods coming from mouth,lips and
forehead which is last scene of this flim

I also met bose venkat who acted in Metti olli serial..and took
autograph from him...

BUT my only worry is that i couldn't take the autograph of Rajini
sir,Since he was guarded with 2 inspectors and 5 constables.and we
couldn't reach him near...

However i felt happy at the last day of shooting on 1st jan...I knew that
only way to come from top to down of the old ramaiah hospital was thru
stepsso i was waitng in 2nd floor for superstar to come and then shook
his hand.but couldn't take the autograph from him .
It was said that some of shooting was being held in pune...

And the money spent in printing dupicate notes( of Rs1000,500,100) was
25lakhs..which comes only in last scenenearly two lorries full of
notes..

I have seen the climax scene of the SHIVAJI

the flim will be released on 14apr 2007...


Actually i wanted to tell more ,but i cannot reveal the secrets of the
climax scene of SHIVAJI FLIM

below is the link in which i have scanned and uploaded the three things in
one

1. shivaji shooting pass - without it no one is allowed to enter the spot
2. Autograph of director SHANKAR which i took..
3. Autograph of serial actor meti olli BOSE VENKAT..

http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q213/anbu210/shivaji.jpg





great isnt?!

Re: [arr] Atn Vinay: Your Tshirt Consingment Number

[hn vinay]

Hi Hakeem,

I received the T-shirt yesterday.
Thanks once again.

Vinay
--- hn vinay <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:

> Hi Hakkeem,
> 
> Thank you.
> I saw the T-shirt pics, T-shirt looks awesome.
> Good work man...
> Eagerly waiting for the courier so that I can wear
> the
> T-shirt during weekend.
> 
> Regards,
> Vinay
> 
> --- Hakkeem <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> 
> > hai ,
> > Vinay plz note your T shirt Consignemnt Number.
> > 0727130
> > 
> > Kind regards,
> > Hakkeem.A
> > (I Support UNICEF and AR Rahman foundation)
> > 
> > __
> > Do You Yahoo!?
> > Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam
> > protection around 
> > http://mail.yahoo.com 
> > 
> 
> 
> 
>  
>

> Do you Yahoo!?
> Everyone is raving about the all-new Yahoo! Mail
> beta.
> http://new.mail.yahoo.com
> 



 

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[arr] Guru in Singapore

[shariff250]

Any idea if Guru is released in Singapore yet??? 

[arr] RE : GURU REVIEW ( For Thulasi and group)

[Gomtesh Upadhye]

Hello Group,

I just finished watching the movie.let me put up the points one by one,

The movie starts off superb.The photography is breath taking.Mayya mayya
plays when credits roll.The locations and the quality of the movie surpasses
anything that Indian Cinema has ever seen.Abhishek is brilliant and
Aishwarya is surprising good too (i dont fancy her much).

The whole crew gets everything right in the first half.A R Rahman is at his
usual best with fulte pieces of barso re haunting you for
sometime.Theoccasional humor is very good and the audience appreciates
everything thats
coming in.

But but after the interval is what is a little disturbing. AB matures as an
actor at this point but the script weakens. And hopelessly at times. Mani
Sir, who had the audience glued to the seats fails to keep them from getting
restless.

No major events are depicted in Guru's bhais life and this will be the
downfall of Guru if it happens.The camera work (especially during the court
scene) gets a little shaky which was not actually required.

If this is not enough , ARR goes a little out of course himself. The Guru
theme by Blaaze is too repetitive if not annoying at times. Also the back
ground score during the court scene should have been there at all.

Mani Ratnam fails to use the same grip he had in the first half. This was
the problem with yuva too.He needs to concentrate to end the movie with the
same brilliance at which he starts off.

Kudos to all the actors (Mithun da is brilliant). A decent performance by
Maddy and Vidya.

All said Guru is a good movie but not extraordinary. Will it be a hit? I
will be pleasantly surprised if it does.

PS: Hopefully my criticism will have an adverse effect and you all love the
movie ;)



--
Regards

Gomtesh V Upadhye
--

Cell : +91 988 675 3639

E-Mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
  [EMAIL PROTECTED]
-

[arr] IndiaFm Guru Review : Strongly Recommended,Go For it

[$*$ PaVaN $*$]

Chk this out Wonderfull Review by IndiaFm:
   
  http://www.indiafm.com/movies/review/12838/index.html



 
 









 
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Everyone is raving about the all-new Yahoo! Mail beta.

[arr] Reactions from the first audience of Guru.

[yasheer_ar2]

http://www.behindwoods.com/tamil-movie-news/jan-07-02/11-01-07-guru.html



Reactions  from the first audience
of Guru.
January  11, 2007
This news is sponsored by www.behindbikes.com


Bollywood’s  test of
fortunes in 2007 begins this
Friday with the release of Guru. The
much awaited Mani Ratnam film hits
theatres across the country and it
is being closely watched. The film
has been marketed aggressively all
over India and the effect of this
is sure to show in the opening that
the movie gets.
  [Guru]

However, the promotion has also generated lots
of expectations and it might be a bit tough
for the movie to live up to them.

The movie is believed to be based on the life
of Dhirubhai Ambani; something vehemently denied
by Mani Ratnam. Abhishek’s performance
in this movie is being touted as the best of
his career. The Abhishek-Aishwarya on screen
and off screen chemistry is sure to generate
extra interest in the movie. Add to this the
music of A.R.Rahman which is topping the charts
and an item number by Mallika Sherawat, one
can’t help feel that the movie has a very
good chance of striking the right note at the
box office. Mani Ratnam’s narratives,
as we have all seen over a long period of time
have always been gripping affairs and it is
not going to be any different this time. Guru
will have free run for the first two weeks.
The last big release Bhaagam Bhag was nearly
four weeks back and is slowly losing steam.
The next big release, Salaam-E-Ishq is scheduled
to hit theatres on Republic day. This means
a 14 day period for Guru to rule the box office.
There couldn’t have been a better time
to release the movie.

In the meantime the movie was screened for some
special guest on Monday’s night at Yashraj
studios. Amitabh-Jaya couple and Aishwarya Rai’s
parents Vrinda and Krishnaraj were also there.
Amitabh was so moved by his son’s performance
that he had tears in his eyes. He came out of
the studio and gave his son a huge hug and lauded
him for his efforts. Abhishek was waiting outside
the theatre opting not to see the screening.



  
 

[arr] Finally a good review from Indiafm

[bpr_arr]

http://www.indiafm.com/movies/review/12838/index.html

Love ARR
Raghu

[arr] Guru Movie is awsome, flawless and definitly a hit

[Pravinder Sheoran]

hi guys
just saw first day first show of GURU here in Sydney, Australia.
& i could not stop myself from writing my review 

(A) THE + POINTS
1. The movie is flawless. (Dil se and yuva had a few faults)
2. Biggest plus points are:
  * Extremly dashing cinematography by rajiv menon
  * Haunting music of course
  * Very strong background score
  * Out of the world performance by Abhishek bachan
  * Equally well performances from aishwarya rai and mithun chakrboty
  * Very very convincing art direction
3. Mani ratnam has come with superb screenplay this time. The whole
   162 minuts you are equally intrested in the movie.
4. Songs are picturised very nicely, as alway in ratnam movies.
5. This time we can expect a comercially successfull movie.
6. Some very strong moments in the movie (specially in second half)
7. Guest performance by mallika is very hot
8. Some little moments of laughter throughout the movie (and comedy 
is very natural).
9. Two new added songs are very nice as well.
10. I can keep writing but + points won't be finished.

(B) THE - POINTS
For Rahman fans there are two negative points in the movie.
1. The song BAZI LAGA is almost cut
2. The song E HARATHE ASHIQI is almost wasted as well.

Enjoy guys
Just go to watch next possible show of GURU. YOU MUST WATCH IT IN 
CINEMAS WITH NICE SOUND SYSTEM.
Its a must must watch for all people (Does not matter if you are not 
a mani ratnam fan)


Pravinder Sheoran

Re: [arr] Birthday present from Me to Rahman and the Group... Mix60

[Sanju U]

Hi Kaisssiom,

The gift seems to be a perfect present for ARR.
Bur some how, I get the erorr message as:
MEGAUPLOAD:
Unfortunately, the link you have clicked is not available

Reasons for this may include:- Invalid link
- The file was deleted because of violating our Terms of service 


Can you plz plz upload it one some other server.
Might be even coolgoose or some where esle.
Raam and Thulasiram,please see if you can help as well.

Thanks in advance
Rgds, Sanjay


- Original Message 
From: kaissiom <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: arrahmanfans@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Tuesday, January 9, 2007 7:18:37 AM
Subject: [arr] Birthday present from Me to Rahman and the Group... Mix60

Hello Rahmaniacs,

Upon many requests, my promise to extend the original 20 minutes 
medley to 60 minutes is now fulfilled. After months of work, in and 
out of the project, combining some 120+ musical masterpieces, I have 
been able to somewhat celebrate Rahman in 60 minutes of this musical 
journey called "Mix60 @arrahmanfans. "

I was working on two separate projects, the 60 medley and a separate 
mix just for his birthday. At the last minutes I decide to combine 
both projects. The mix that appears towards the last 4 or 5 minutes 
of the medley was supposed to be the 2nd project, but there you have 
it, both projects in one.. over 64 minutes of musical journey with 
Rahman.

Just like before, test your knowledge of Rahman's music see if 
you can correctly identify all the musical bits. And if you can, 
you certainly deserve a pat or two on the back because only some 
dedicated fans would know all the music bits, unless you are a new 
fan. The 20 minute medley had some logic to it...it was a little 
easier to identify all the tracks, but you'll find that the rest of 
the 60 minute medley is all kinds of things mixed together. So the 
first 20 minutes are somewhat logical but the rest is just a mess... 
I just did whatever I felt like... some parts have come off well.. 
others.. I just liked doing anyway. 

So, here's my Birthday wishes to Rahman, I wish him joy and even 
more success in life and hope he continues to mesmerize us the way 
he has. Happy Birthday Rahman.

Like always, your comments and criticisms are always welcome. Do 
let me know how you like it. I have uploaded a low quality version 
for space and piracy concerns, please e-mail me if you would like a 
higher quality version. Please read the note before downloading.

NOTE: The content provided to you for downloading is strictly for 
backup purposes. I, Kaissiom, certify that I own the original 
content(CDs/ DVDs) and make duplicates for backup purposes only. By 
downloading the content, you certify that you currently own the 
original content and want to protect it from possible damage. This 
is a free service, I'm not selling you music or distributing music, 
I'm only providing backups of the music you already own. I, 
Kaissiom, will not be held accountable for the downloader's use of 
my backups. If you sell, trade, or forfeit your ownership of your 
original software, you agree to destroy the CDR or any digital 
backups of that title. You take full responsibility for your own 
actions when using these back-ups and release Kaissiom from all 
liabilities, which may arise - expressed, written, or implied. By 
downloading the content, you are complying with these regulations. 
All trademarks and copyrights are owned by the respective third 
parties.

LINK: 
http://www.megauplo ad.com/?d= 6OSLGZ42

regards,
Wasim.





 

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Re: [arr] PLZ PLZ VOTE Filmfare Awards!

[Raam]

I have casted my vote 10 times now for Rang De basanti (Lukka Chupi) for
Best Music and Best Male Singer

Guys .. use different fone numbers .. and vote continuously ... check if
some of ur frnds are not using their fone numbers.. you use them and get
Rahman an award for Best Music and Best Singer category this time
he shud win... Lukka Chupi is a Master Piece...

Raam



On 1/12/07, durba bhattacharjee <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:


  so lets make it clear as whom to vote for what

MD - ARR for RDB
Lyricist - Prasoon Joshi for Ru Ba Ru for RDB
Playback Singer(male) - ARR - for Khalbali or Luka Chuppi ??
Playback Singer(female)- Lata Mangeshkar - Luka Chuppi (but there is
no point to vote her as she asked the Filmfare not to nomiante her
anymore long back)

I am using all my frinds email ids and phone numbers to vote. you
guys also do the same.

Durba

--- In arrahmanfans@yahoogroups.com ,
Aravind AM <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
wrote:
>
> The only year in which ARR did not get any filmfare (bollywood or
south) was last year was last year.
>
> Lets make him win two awards this year!!
>
> merson ak <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
I have one more suggestion. those who have voted just
> reply to this mail and the chain continues.
> Take VOTING seriously. He has not won a filmfare since
> 2002. So guys make this year to our boss.
>
> ARR RULES
>
> --- merson ak <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> > PLz make it happen.
> >
> > ONly with our support we could make it happen this
> > time. Plese vote for ARR. Dont get divided, our film
> > is Rang de basanti. In MD category, singers ARR &
> > Lata
> > Mangeshkar for rang de basanti. Lyrics could aslo be
> > for Prasoon joshi in RDB. But plz vote, dont let
> > this
> > one go out of our boss hands. he has very good
> > chance
> > only if we vote. so common people. do the needfull
> >
> > arr rules
> > --- iisjedda <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> >
> > >
> > > Vote Now at www.filmfare.com
> > >
> > > Let's try and make ARR the singer win.
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> __
> > Never Miss an Email
> > Stay connected with Yahoo! Mail on your mobile. Get
> > started!
> > http://mobile.yahoo.com/services?promote=mail
> >
>
> __
> Do you Yahoo!?
> Everyone is raving about the all-new Yahoo! Mail beta.
> http://new.mail.yahoo.com
>
>
>
>
>
>
> http://arrahmaniac.blogspot.com
>
>
>
> -
> Want to start your own business? Learn how on Yahoo! Small
Business.
>

[arr] Rdiff reviews GURU

[Thulasi Ram]

http://www.rediff.com/movies/2007/jan/12guru.htm

G*uru* is the stuff of dreams, the fluff of escapism. It is cinema where
protagonists succeed defying all odds and where young gophers in Shell
tracksuits go on to address stadium-fulls of adoring shareholders. And, it
comes complete with songs, thrown in with abrupt abandon.

Except, because this is Bollywood, we've seen it all before. Rags to riches
tales abound in the unreal song-and-dance world our stars jiggle around in,
and we have seen protagonists come from nowhere to become superheroes, just
like we've seen them fight 81 gangsters armed with their mother's blessings.
Dare to dream, it announces proudly, but isn't that the moral of pretty much
every *masala* Bollywood *pikchur*?

Then again, *Guru* is a Mani
Ratnamfilm. Which
automatically ensures restraint and realism in the film and an
almost hushed reverence in the audience. The film stops a few inches short
of being a biopic, but the director bestows his character, Guru Kant Desai,
with enough depth to make him feel as flesh-and-blood as you or me. Sure,
there are enough superficial similarities with real life business icons, but
the film (sadly?) isn't about men who share a corporate logo uncannily
similar to the hero, it's about Guru. Period. And he's quite the character.

Abhishek Bachchan
plays the
young Gujarati boy with stars in his eyes and an excessive urge to
warm his pockets. After landing himself a job in Turkey (and cavorting with
the supremely sexy Mallika
Sherawat)
he works his way up the corporate chain, before he decides he's got to go
into business for himself. 'Bijness,' Guru'd say. Deciding to marry his
closest friend's sister because of the dowry he can packet as his starting
capital, our leading man strikes gold as he finds himself a dutiful,
undeniably pretty wife in the bargain, played by Aishwarya Rai.

[image: A still from Guru]Then comes his rise, with lots of happenstance.
Strangely, Mani chooses not to dwell too much on his climb itself,
preferring to show us bits of success interspersed with A R
Rahman's
spectacular music -- which, in this case, almost always overwhelms the film
around it. So while we have young Guru seeing through a game of
cups-and-balls  at a Turkish
fair and Guru ingeniously winning himself a crucial trading membership on
the golf course, the incidents come at a slow clip, minus revelations or
insight, with most of the action lying in Guru's crisply-written dialogue,
the hero speaking almost exclusively in punchlines.

And a rise so meteoric does indeed owe a tremendous debt to Miss Fortune.
But the ambitious achievers, the ones out there trying to change the world
around them while you're reading this review, aren't just lucky lads/lasses.
They're the ones leaving absolutely no stone unturned, denying refusal and
perpetually keeping eyes peeled for opportunity to exploit. So when a
furious, sun burnt Guru glares at a big building at Mumbai's picturesque
Marine Drive and happens to randomly run into the genial publisher of *The
Independent* (Mithun Chakraborty) who happens to like people with a temper,
the meeting is chance. The relationship that follows, is all Guru's doing.

*Guru* is fuelled by a slew of strong performances. Abhishek Bachchan owns
the movie, forcing audiences to sit up straight as it begins and making us
laugh and applaud as he carries on.

Bachchan forces himself under the skin of the character, and from gait to
accent, proves constantly credible. He's impressive in every frame, as he
ebulliently takes over an alien room by hopping onto a chair, or when he's
trying to be ever so slightly slimy, polishing his spectacles and showing
off his smarminess. He thrusts his chest out in jubilation, manages a paunch
to rival his pregnant wife's, and can really, really hold his own (while
channeling some of his dad's glorious anger) during a soliloquy.

[image: A still from Guru]And then there's his lady. Aishwarya Rai starts
off cold, breaking into song a few minutes after Ms Sherawat has wowed the
crowds, and despite her newfound penchant for very low-cut *cholis*, she
doesn't quite get you going. Until she reaches a railway station, as
abandoned as in *Dil Se*, reads a Dear Jane letter from a spineless lover,
and grits her teeth. This one's a fiery character, solid of resolve and
while she melts irresistibly for her husband, is not likely to take nonsense
from anyone else.

Ash is disarmingly natural in the film, holding her own even in scenes where
she's crippled by a lack of dialogue. There is a spontaneous freedom to her,
and this is arguably her finest performance, visible especially when she
takes over the film's climax.

Mithunda may be a revelation to Bollywood audien

[arr] Hindi version review by Indiaglitz..

[Thulasi Ram]

http://www.indiaglitz.com/channels/hindi/review/8223.html

its quite different from the review that the tamil version had..

[arr] Sify reviews GURU....worldclass!!!!!!!!!!!!

[krishna prasad]

  Watch Guru for Abhishek`s world-class act Movie 
GuruDirector 
Mani RatnamCast 
Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai, Mallika SherawatPost Your Review  
-->Meet India's most powerful man, screams the headlines. 
You want to believe the statement primarily because the man at the helm of 
affairs is none other than Mani Ratnam, one of the finest talents India has 
produced. Irrespective of how his films are received by the paying public, you 
cannot deny the fact that a Mani Ratnam film is special.

So when Guru, Mani's new film, makes claims such as the one mentioned above, 
the viewer saunters into the cineplex with real big expectations.

Mani's impressive repertoire includes a few bio-pics and now Guru is a welcome 
addition to the club. This time around, the supremely talented storyteller 
narrates the story of a man who rises from zilch and becomes the premier 
industrialist of the country through sheer hard work, determination, passion 
and grit. 

   Editor's ChoiceAs a story, Guru is tremendously inspiring 
and makes you feel all the more confident to encounter challenges and hurdles 
that may crop up in a journey called life. But by no means is Guru a 
documentary, as a section of the film industry/media would want us to believe. 
Sure, Guru chronicles several vital facets of an industrialist's life, but the 
marriage of enlightenment and entertainment is brilliantly executed here.

With Guru, Mani proves that he's indeed the Guru when it comes to narrating 
stories. Note the poignant moments in the narrative -- Guru's thorny 
relationship with his father [Rajendra Gupta], his relationship with a 
newspaper publisher [Mithun Chakraborty], Guru's brother-in-law Jignesh [Arya 
Babbar] staging a walkout and creating a rift between Guru and his wife Sujata 
[Aishwarya Rai], the confrontation between the journalist [Madhavan] and Guru 
at the publisher's residence, Guru's emotional moment in the hospital when his 
trusted aide [Manoj Joshi] attempts suicide and of course, the finale.

The graph of Guru escalates gradually and reaches its crescendo in the 
concluding reels. Guru's monologue in a packed courtroom -- where an enquiry 
commission is looking into the complaints against Guru's companies -- gives you 
goose bumps. The simpleton from a village in Gujarat roars like never before 
and the impact it creates cannot be described in mere words. All you want to 
say is, it's the most fitting finale for a fabulous film!

Mani's choice of the protagonist -- Abhishek Bachchan -- is equally worthy. You 
ought to be enormously talented to understand the nuances of the character and 
Abhishek deserves the highest praise for reliving a complex role. You smile 
when he smiles, you cry when he cries… you relive every single emotion that the 
character experiences. Only goes to show that the actor involves you at every 
step with a stupendous performance.

In a nutshell, Guru packs in a solid punch in those 2.45 hours. The year 2007 
may have just begun, but one can confidently state that this Mani Ratnam film 
will rank prominently amongst the bests of the year when we go into a flashback 
mode later this year. Put your hands together for one of the most courageous 
attempts on the Hindi screen. Guru is a film not to be missed!

In a small village of Idar in Gujarat, a young man dreams of making it big some 
day. His father [Rajendra Gupta], the headmaster of the village school, tells 
him that dreams never come true. But Gurukant Desai [Abhishek Bachchan] dares 
to dream!

Set in 1951, Guru tells the story of a ruthlessly ambitious villager who moves 
to Turkey first and Mumbai later with his wife Sujata [Aishwarya Rai] and 
brother-in-law Jignesh [Arya Babbar] to fulfill his dreams.

In Mumbai, truth dawns upon Guru that the business world is a closed community 
ruled by a handful of rich and influential people who don't believe in giving 
opportunities to new players. Despite barriers, he starts a company called 
Shakti Trading and climbs the ladder of success at a furious pace.

Manik Dasgupta aka Nanaji [Mithun Chakraborty], who publishes a newspaper 
Swatantra, treats Guru as his son. But when he learns that Guru's means to make 
it big are not right, he along with the Editor of his newspaper, Shyam 
[Madhavan], decide to expose Guru's unjust ways.

Even though Guru is a bio-pic, the serpentine twists and turns in the 
screenplay are the mainstay of the enterprise. You may have heard of a few 
incidents, but the life sketch of the leading industrialist makes for an 
interesting celluloid experience.

>From the writing point of view, while Guru holds your attention at most times, 
>there are a few loose ends, though negligible, that you cannot overlook. The 
>tiff between Guru and his bro-in-law Jignesh is one of those tracks. What 
>actually brings about a rift between the two and why doesn't Jignesh reappear 
>anywhere in the 

[arr] Guru Movie Review..please leave your comments

[VijayNarain]

Finally, really saw Guru!!
Here's my review:
www.vjarrfan.blogspot.com
Please leave ur comments:)

LONG LIVE ARR

LONG LIVE ARR_MANI COMBO :D

[arr] Watched Guru today...

[RaKhaMaNiA]

Hey guys, I watched Guru here in Kuala Lumpur KLCC 2day. Well,our 
boss made his impact again in the background score...Eh hairathe song 
ll come in storyline and it same goes to baazi laga...Tere BIna was 
picturised well and Jaage Hain is the song that ll lift u up in the 
movieit was marvellous Maniratnam as usual potrayed the movie 
well and realistically Another plus point is Abishek's acting 
skill, i think he ll go on 2 win Best Actor award this year for this 
movie he acted very well and aishwarya's on screen chemistry with 
him is fantastic as well A must watch movie for allHope it 
will be a blockbuster.. Go n watch it asap guys _RAKHAMANIA_

[arr] CNN-IBN gives 4/5 for GURU

[Thulasi Ram]

http://www.ibnlive.com/news/masands-verdict-thumbs-up-for-guru/31056-8.html

*Cast:* Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai, Mithun Chakraborty, R Madhavan,
Vidya Balan

*Direction:* Mani Ratnam


From start to finish, from opening credits to end roll, director Mani

Ratnam's new film *Guru* is a more-or-less accurate documentation of late
industrialist and Reliance Industries founder Dhirubhai Ambani's life.

All key incidents and several significant characters from Ambani's
rags-to-riches life-story are recreated in Ratnam's film, with the
occasional cinematic liberties thrown in.

*Guru* is after all, the story of an ambitious, middle-class man who had big
dreams, a man who would stop at nothing to realise his dreams, a man often
accused of using morally questionable means to achieve his goals.

*Guru* is the story of a man who believed not only in personal growth and
personal success, but in empowering the very people who contributed to his
success. A man who understood that the growth of an enterprise, a company, a
corporation must reflect not only in its owner's personal growth and
success, but in the growth and success of its every shareholder.

You see, the similarities to Ambani's life are far too many to be simply
dismissed as coincidences. And yet Mani Ratnam insists *Guru* is no biopic
of Dhirubhai Ambani. Then again, poor Mani Ratnam is probably just
protecting himself and his film.

Remember what happened years ago when word spread that a character in his
film *Bombay* was inspired by Bal Thackeray?

As is the case with most Mani Ratnam films that are centred around seemingly
larger themes - *Roja*, *Bombay*, *Dil Se*, *Kannathil Mutthamital*, *
Alaiypayuthe* - *Guru* too, is on one level a love story.

And here, in the case of Gurubhai Desai and his unflinchingly supportive
wife Sujata, played by Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai respectively,
it's a beautiful, intimate, playful, passionate love story.

I mean, think about it, who else but Mani Ratnam could film a bedroom scene
playfully? A grown couple in bed, husband gets frisky, next thing you know
they're smacking each other mischievously, and what a moment it makes for.

Now I know I'm stating the obvious when I say that nobody shoots songs the
way Mani Ratnam does, but really it's once again true in *Guru*. Whether its
Mallika Sherawat's item song set in Turkey, or Aishwarya's introduction
number, every song is part of the narrative and is used specifically to
continue the story.

But if there's one song that sticks out like a sore thumb, then it's that
celebration number in the second half, right after the couple have become
parents. It's a song that doesn't fit into the narrative and only slackens
the film's pace because it's so purposeless.

The beauty of Mani Ratnam's cinema is truly in its unpredictability. How he
infuses humour or just creates wonderful moments out of the most ordinary
situations. Look at that confrontation scene right before intermission.

[arr] Guru Movie Review

[Prabhu]

Hi friends,

I just came back after watching GURU. Go watch the movie!
Here is my review without spoilers.

http://prabhukrish.net/2007/01/13/guru-hindi-movie-review/


--
-Prabhu

http://prabhukrish.net
http://bangalore.metblogs.com
http://chennai.metblogs.com

[arr] now running reviews GURU..must watch

[krishna prasad]

By Deep Ganatra GURU has many things to make you excited. 
1. It is directed by the Guru of direction, Mani Ratnam. 
2. Music is by the Guru of music industry, A R Rahman. 
3. It is rumored to be based on the life of the business Guru, Dhirubhai 
Ambani. 

The movie is about life of Gurukant Desai (Abhishek Bachchan), a dreamer, who 
lives in a small village and believes in dreaming high. The movie shows how 
GURU becomes India's top businessman from a small time worker in Turkey. You 
will find many similarities between the character GURU and Dhirubhai Ambani, be 
it paralysis attack or being constantly in the news with various allegations. 

The movie is shown in 3 phases, Phase 1, the young Guru who leaves India for 
Turkey to earn more. Phase 2, the young matured Guru, who leaves his job in 
Turkey and comes back to India to start his own business. And Phase 3, a middle 
aged businessman, who is top businessman in India and does not believe in 
looking back.

>From the beginning itself the movie does not let you move for a single minute, 
>the music, the cinematography, the direction and finally the acting. 
>Everything is just on the right place and very well balanced. I think this 
>movie will be a milestone for Abhishek Bachchan as his acting abilities have 
>been explored very well. This will be the best role of his career so far. 
>Aishwarya Rai played the role of a very simple innocent girl from a small 
>village. And she played it very well. But the movie totally belongs to 
>Abhishek Bachchan.

The cinematography is really impressive; the locals of the village are shot 
very beautifully. The waterfalls, the grass fields just make you feel like 
being there.

Let me sum up the movie.

Story: Inspiring. It tells the story of a village boy who dares to dream and 
how he realizes his dream, the director has handled the subject brilliantly. 

Music: When it is A R Rahman, it has to be top class. I personally liked all of 
the songs. Especially Tere Bina is very impressive.

Acting: Abhishek Bachchan deserves an award - Excellent acting. Aishwarya Rai 
was also very good. The acting was just too natural. I had a fear that they 
might not fit well in Gujarati characters but I am really happy that they 
proved me wrong. Other characters too did their job well. It was good to see 
Mithun Chakraborty in a decent role after a long time. R Madhavan looked a lot 
slimmer than his earlier avatar. Vidya Balan had a very short role but she was 
good at it.

So, overall I would give this movie 4 stars out of 5. It is a must watch.

Predicto Meter: It should do very good business all over.

  



-
 Here’s a new way to find what you're looking for - Yahoo! Answers 

[arr] GURU First bloom

[logesh kum-arr]

Hi Amigos ,

I had been waiting for this day for long time ...Had booked the tickets ,
checking every day when the window will be open for online booking in
sathyam ..finally i got the tickets ...
Well Guru had created so much hype ...

Maniratnam
Rajeev menon (after bombay , wonderful camera work)
Very own Rahman


well i jus wanted to be a film critic  for this film ...to observe
as any normal crowd wud watch ..( I had to forget that this was one of Mani
Rahman combo)
had to clear my pre conceptions ...
As i went into the sathyam cinema settled down ..
then started the song straightly ...mayya mayya  good picturization

then the crew names started to appear on the screen

Guru title comes ...
photography , direction lyrics ..
then Music ...Suddenly there was loud noises and whizzles,   it was Rahman
who made  the  crowd to go wild.

The movie gets going with the tint of old films , or rather different look
which is really nice work by rajeevmenon
long time since we see some good camera work  ..

beautiful locations ..man i wud watch the film again for the tint and old
mumbai locations ..

story is simple , though very powerful great message from
manirathnam..or may be same as Abdul kalam
go for ur dreams, or what ur heart says rather following the foot steps of
the normal crowd ...
I dont want to break the story line here , left for u guys to check it ,
dont read the reviews watch for ur self
u will feel better watching the movie , a motivational movie ..says when you
follow ur dreams ,
u wud face ups and downs in life but wait till the darkness pass ...there
you go , you will see your dream come true ...

BGM is great , i really like the bgms where gurukanth desai , gets up and
start waliking with confidence
now music is the part which conveys what he is up to a better life
waiting ...
music is apt ...dosent require those doom machale kinda songs ...need
decent music  which can keep the movie alive
and bring the emotions, I believe rahman has done it aptly , i want to  wait
to see other praise for the sound of music ...

once again a great movie from mani's team .
this  is not a streotyped movie ... a film for guys who demand a movie of
great standards


Good work Mani , rahman, Rajeev ..team
I wud say my money was worth it .

Time will say it all



Kind regards
Logesh A


















--
best regrards
Logesh A

[arr] GURU - A LifeTime Movie with new songs

[Rajesh Wadhwa]

GURU - A movie of a LifeTime

just watched first day first show of GURU,
simply MAGICAL.

Mani Ratnam direction is not less than any big Hollywood director,
story and script is also very much strong.

I don't say much about songs as Rahman rocked again with Jaage Hain 
der tak . . . . One more song also played in background for Vidya 
Balaan's character, a slow song titled 'shauk hai'.

Movie has very strong BGM by maestro Rahman which takes movie to 
magical hieghts.

Abhishek has done LifeTime performance in the role.

In my opinion, this movie lies in the category of 'The Aviator'.
Movie must get National Award for Best - Film, Director, Actor, Music 
Director, Lyricist, etc.

It must be India's Official entry to Oscars for year 2007.

I know my expectations and dreams are high but 'maine sapna dekha hai'

A Rahman fan,
Rajesh Wadhwa
>>WadhwaTimes

[arr] Fantastic Reviews of GURU!!!!

[coolayem]

Hi Everyone..

Check out the awesome reviews of GURU.Seems like our GOD has done it 
again.If initial reviews are to go by GURU is sure to set the cash 
registers ringing.Kudos to the Mani-ARR Combo.

http://www.indiaglitz.com/channels/hindi/review/8223.html

http://www.indiaglitz.com/channels/tamil/review/8954.html

http://indiafm.com/movies/review/12838/index.html

[arr] MAKING OF GURU videos

[Thulasi Ram]

http://www.ibnlive.com/videos/30582/watch-the-making-of-guru.html

[arr] Rajiv Masand on Guru (IBNLive.com)

[Vikram Kumar]

http://www.ibnlive.com/news/masands-verdict-thumbs-up-for-guru/top/31056-8.html

As for the music, what can one say about A R Rahman's score that hasn't been
said before, except that he seems to reserve his most
versatile best for Mani Ratnam

Rating 4/5

Its celebration time ...

--
Regards,

Vikram

http://www.vikramkumar.org

[arr] Amitabh on GURU

[Thulasi Ram]

*Amitabh Bachchan on "Guru"*
*"Yes, I saw Guru last night and I've asked to see it again today and I
shall want to see it a 100 times over. It is Mani's best. And I speak as a
viewer, not as a father. I have held myself back on many an occasion from
commenting on my son's work, but this time I shall not. To hell with
niceties and restraint. Abhishek is incredible! I have been choked with
emotion ever since I have emerged from the theatre and still am. This is a
role of a lifetime for him and he has given a performance of a lifetime.
It's a role any actor worth his salt would die for and it's a performance
that any actor worth his salt will envy. This is the truth, because it comes
from within. For someone so young to have performed the way he has, is a
revelation. It is the culmination of his strife to prove himself in the face
of continuing odds and innuendos. And it is ironic, so ironic, that this is
what Guru is all about. The determination, the will and the strength of a
common man to succeed in the face of unending obstacles and his courage of
conviction, to emerge victorious. You've never been like this before! My
father wrote in his biography 'When a father loses to his son, it is his
greatest victory!' I've lost to my son! And I'm the happiest father alive!
As for working with Mani, I called him last night after the showing and told
him, 'Now that you have made my son's life, could you make mine as well,
please?' I don't wish to foresee anything for myself in 2007 now. I have
already foreseen what I want to see, last night!"*
 http://bollywood.celebden.com/?p=932

[arr] GURU: REVIEW

[Aditya YVS]

jus saw the film today,
Easily the best performance by a hindi actor in ages.Direction and
techincally a masterpiece.Especiall camera work and the way camera
moves...wen ppl sit on the swing.MUSIC IS OUTSTANDING. But story is not
truely inspirational. yet at the end of it feels reasonable to say " guru ko
phansi to nahi de sakte hai naa" so i forgive him for these few minor
errors.But i felt dilse and yuva were much better in terms of story and
pace,especially climax and how mani takes it there.
This is one film where rahman has given more to the screen than mani has
given.but for rahmans music thsi movie wud have been just another
movie.Ourmasters most evocative background in recent time.

[arr] RDB nominated for bafta

[Karthik. Venkataraman]

http://www.ndtvmovies.com/newstory.asp?section=Movies&slug=%3Ci%
3ERang+De%3C%2Fi%3E+nominated+for+BAFTA+awards&id=5879

[arr] Re: Shauk Hai Song as BGM - Guru

[Dinesh]

hey hi...could u like upload it in some website for us to get it
too  thanks !! :)

[arr] Guru Tamil Audio Released .... Wut about in Malaysia??

[Dinesh]

hey guys while Guru movie released and getting fantastic reviews!!
the tamil version of the audio is released 2 days back. here is my
small views after 10 times of listenin to it... im eagerly waiting to
buy its CD here in Malaysia, if anyone already bought it...plz mention
it here...im desperate to listen the songs in my own CD :)

Paisa Paisa sounds so weird... esp with simple lyrics with powerful
music Karthik & Madhushree did thier part great...

Jodi Jodi is simply amazing WOW the music suits tamil so
well!! and SPB did a fantastic job
lyrics was fun & yella yella yella yella sounded very rusty folk kind

Aaruyire has only 1 minus point... some parts by ARR the singer didint
sound rite & sweet... he sounded awefully sweet in Nuvve Lekha,the
telugu version ...other than that...the lyrics,chinmaye & the Dum mare
Dum mare chant is mesmerising just like the hindi 1... but overall the
original version scores the best!

Ye Manburu Mangaiye is simply amazing... breathtaking Srinivas did
an excellent job...im not missing hariharan here... sujatha did a good
job as well lyrics was bombastic!! very much in par with the
original version

Ore Kana has no minus poitns at all its sounded perfect & normal

Mayya Mayya Chinmayi shows she can sing item number songs as well,
but went overboard with her Arabic accent in some places...lyrics was
fine . the hindi version is much better...

Nanare no minus points in this too... sounded perfect & jus as great
as the hindi version... thanks to Sherya Ghosal & VM's lyrics

[arr] Re: Shauk Hai Song as BGM - Guru

[Balamurugan Ramakrishnan]

thanks rakesh...

the file plays on quicktime 7.1. its a free download.

my God the song is beautiful...i wanna hear it in big screen

thanks again rakesh!

Balamurugan Ramakrishnan




--- In arrahmanfans@yahoogroups.com, rakesh gowda <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> 
wrote:
>
> Guys,
> 
> Saw Guru yesterday and I found it to be a good Muvi,
> but not upto the hype.
> 
> There was this song "Shauk Hai" by Saumya Rao which is
> played as the BGM around 3-4 times, it comes up as a
> BGM for Imp scenes on Vidya Balan. Its such a
> BEAUTIFUL song, Its soo unfortunate that such gr8
> songs are not a part of the soundtack !!! dono why
> such thing happen again and again. 
> 
> I tried to record this thry my Sony W810i cell, but
> its in a .amr format, shud b able to play in real
> player i guess, I have attached the file. 
> 
> Let me know if anyone is able to play it properly.
> 
> Rgds
> Rakesh Gowda  
> 
> 
>  
> 
_
___
> Don't get soaked.  Take a quick peak at the forecast
> with the Yahoo! Search weather shortcut.
> http://tools.search.yahoo.com/shortcuts/#loc_weather
>

[arr] Re: Shauk Hai Song as BGM - Guru

[tanyaagha]

yes can you upload it on another website, please, thanks.



--- In arrahmanfans@yahoogroups.com, "Balamurugan Ramakrishnan" 
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> thanks rakesh...
> 
> the file plays on quicktime 7.1. its a free download.
> 
> my God the song is beautiful...i wanna hear it in big 
screen
> 
> thanks again rakesh!
> 
> Balamurugan Ramakrishnan
> 
> 
> 
> 
> --- In arrahmanfans@yahoogroups.com, rakesh gowda  
> wrote:
> >
> > Guys,
> > 
> > Saw Guru yesterday and I found it to be a good Muvi,
> > but not upto the hype.
> > 
> > There was this song "Shauk Hai" by Saumya Rao which is
> > played as the BGM around 3-4 times, it comes up as a
> > BGM for Imp scenes on Vidya Balan. Its such a
> > BEAUTIFUL song, Its soo unfortunate that such gr8
> > songs are not a part of the soundtack !!! dono why
> > such thing happen again and again. 
> > 
> > I tried to record this thry my Sony W810i cell, but
> > its in a .amr format, shud b able to play in real
> > player i guess, I have attached the file. 
> > 
> > Let me know if anyone is able to play it properly.
> > 
> > Rgds
> > Rakesh Gowda  
> > 
> > 
> >  
> > 
> 
_
> ___
> > Don't get soaked.  Take a quick peak at the forecast
> > with the Yahoo! Search weather shortcut.
> > http://tools.search.yahoo.com/shortcuts/#loc_weather
> >
>

[arr] My thoughts on Guru

[sureshmechnit]

http://ursmusically.blogspot.com/2007/01/guru.html

[arr] AV Max Awards 2007

[Gopal Srinivasan]

Nominees

Category: Best Music

A.R.Rahman, Rang De Basanti

After composing for hordes of period films, AR Rahman returned to the present 
ay with his ultra
cool and hip score for Rang De Basanti. The soundtrack struck a chord with the 
audience big
time. Rang De Basanti is the unison of great lyrics, excellent music, fabulous 
orchestration
and very fine singing as was experienced in Rang De Basanti, Roobaroo, 
Paathshala, Khoon Chala.
It was high time Rahman delivered a hit.

Other nominees: Vishal (Omkara), Vishal-Shekhar (Taxi No. 9211), Pritam 
(Gangster), SEL (Don)

Category: Best Lyrics

Roobaroo, Prasoon Joshi

Having your way with words is an invaluable gift and the creative mind of 
Prasoon Joshi takes
the cake when it comes to expressing deep-rooted thoughts buoyantly. When the 
singer croons
'Abhi Abhi Hua Yakeen Ke Aag Hai Mujhme Kahin, Hui Subha Main Jal Gaya.. Suraj 
Ko Mein Nigal
Gaya", how cool is that!

Other nominees: Gulzar (Omkara), Javed Akhtar (KANK), Mir Ali Hussain (Dor), 
Sameer (Ankahee)

Category: Best Male Playback Singer

Naresh Iyer, Roobaroo

Being ruled out as the best singer from a competition did not prevent AR Rahman 
from assigning
Naresh Iyer to record the solo Roobaroo which also turned out to be one of the 
most loved
tracks of Rang De Basanti, a song that makes you smile. Reason for the song 
being infectious is
Naresh's vibrant rendition that sounds like a seasoned playback singer, despite 
it being his
first rendition

Other nominees: Atif (Ek Pal), Shafqat Amanat Ali (KANK), Sonu Nigam (KANK), 
Sukhvinder Singh
(Omkara)

Category: Best Female Playback Singer

Madhushree, Tu Bin

Madhushree has been recording less frequently than she deserves , nevertheless 
she does garner
songs that do justice to her talent. For the romantic Tu Bin bataayein, she 
treats the tender
notes of the composition as a fragile flower and keeps singing understated, 
letting the
beautiful composition grow on you.

Other nominees: Alisha Chinoy (Don), Rekha Bharadwaj (Omkara), Shreya Ghoshal 
(Lage Raho
Munnabhai), Sunidhi Chauhan (Omkara)

Category: Best Orchestration

A.R.Rahman, Rang De Basanti


Arguably, AR Rahman is one of the best in the department of orchestration. The 
bare minimum
arrangement in Luka Chhuppi, Tu Bin Bataye and Khoon Chala are the highlights 
of the score.
Particularly impressive piece of work is Luka Chuppi with the guitars (Rashid 
Ali and kabuli),
bass (keith Peters) and tabla (Prasad) fusion that ends in a crescendo along 
with the vocal
rapid sargam insertions. The zingy Roobaroo is Rahman's orchestration at its 
finest.

Other nominees: Salim Suleiman (Dor), Hitesh Sonik and Clinton cerejo (Omkara), 
Ram Sampath
(Sona), Vishal-Shekhar (Taxi No. 9211)


Category: Best Recording

S. Sivakumar, H. Sridhar, Aditya Modi, KJ Singh for Rang De Basanti

AR Rahman's recording engineers threw light on how a good sound recording also 
helps the score.
Tu Bin Bataye, Luka Chuppi and Roobaroo have a more spacious sound and the 
tabla and guitar
riffs are impressively recorded. The vocals' natural texture is audible in the 
songs of Rang De
Basanti.

Other nominees: Steve Fitzmaurice and Salman Khan (Omkara); Ram Sampath and 
Ashish Manchanda
(Sona), Ashish Saxena (Taxi No. 9211)

[arr] Re: Shauk Hai Song as BGM - Guru

[Balamurugan Ramakrishnan]

for quicktime

download it from www.apple.com

its simple, and its free
cheers

bala

ps - the link to the song by rakesh works people. please, use the 
link. 

--- In arrahmanfans@yahoogroups.com, "tanyaagha" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> 
wrote:
>
> 
> yes can you upload it on another website, please, thanks.
> 
> 
> 
> --- In arrahmanfans@yahoogroups.com, "Balamurugan Ramakrishnan" 
>  wrote:
> >
> > thanks rakesh...
> > 
> > the file plays on quicktime 7.1. its a free download.
> > 
> > my God the song is beautiful...i wanna hear it in big 
> screen
> > 
> > thanks again rakesh!
> > 
> > Balamurugan Ramakrishnan
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > --- In arrahmanfans@yahoogroups.com, rakesh gowda  
> > wrote:
> > >
> > > Guys,
> > > 
> > > Saw Guru yesterday and I found it to be a good Muvi,
> > > but not upto the hype.
> > > 
> > > There was this song "Shauk Hai" by Saumya Rao which is
> > > played as the BGM around 3-4 times, it comes up as a
> > > BGM for Imp scenes on Vidya Balan. Its such a
> > > BEAUTIFUL song, Its soo unfortunate that such gr8
> > > songs are not a part of the soundtack !!! dono why
> > > such thing happen again and again. 
> > > 
> > > I tried to record this thry my Sony W810i cell, but
> > > its in a .amr format, shud b able to play in real
> > > player i guess, I have attached the file. 
> > > 
> > > Let me know if anyone is able to play it properly.
> > > 
> > > Rgds
> > > Rakesh Gowda  
> > > 
> > > 
> > >  
> > > 
> > 
> 
_
> > ___
> > > Don't get soaked.  Take a quick peak at the forecast
> > > with the Yahoo! Search weather shortcut.
> > > http://tools.search.yahoo.com/shortcuts/#loc_weather
> > >
> >
>

[arr] Businessofcinema.com reviews Guru

[Gopal Srinivasan]

Film Review: Guru

By Sanjay Ram
(12 January, 2007)

Film: Guru

Director: Mani Ratnam

Rating: 4/5

This is the week you are just glad to have the option of watching a movie that 
does not bore
you or kill you. Guru has released all over.
There is film and there is cinema, Guru is the latter. A cinema that has truly 
raised the bar
of what Bollywood cinemas should aim to be.

Guru set in the 50’s till the 90’s orbits around the life of Gurukant Desai 
(Abhishek Bachchan)
a middle class man with the dream of making it big in life, a dream of being 
better than the
best.

In the beginning Gurukant Desai approaches his father to tell him that he has 
decided to start
his own business in the textile industry. But with a refusal from his father he 
decides to go
ahead with his plan and thinks of an ingenious way to amass the money needed to 
set up his
business. He decides to marry Sujata (the flawless and gorgeous Aishwarya Rai), 
as she would
bring with her a dowry of Rs 25,000, which would be sufficient to make a small 
beginning.
Convincing her parents and Shakti, who is bummed because the love of her life 
decided to betray
her and leave her stranded (he must be crazy to leave her), Gurukant 
successfully marries her
and now has the money to start off his business.

With their bags packed, the newlyweds leave for Bombay (Mumbai) to start a new 
life and a new
business. On reaching and trying a thing or two to start his business Guru 
realizes that things
were not going to be easy. With his traders license application rejected, a sad 
Guru finds
himself wandering on Marine Drive cursing the union leader who rejected his 
application in
spite of promising to look into the matter and getting it approved.

At this point Mr. Das Gupta (Mithun Chakraborty) who is walking his dog 
overhears Guru;
impressed with him he gets Guru a trader’s license (still figuring how though). 
With the
license in place, Guru marks his beginning and begins to grow strong. So much 
so that he
manages to reopen the trade market by blackmailing and pressurizing the IAS 
officer who shuts
the trade market by declaring it as a place of gambling.

Sujata, who throughout essays her character remarkably reminding the viewers of 
her performance
in Iruvar (her debut movie), forms the backbone for Guru's success. With great 
profits Guru
sets up a textile factory (named after Sujata, now that’s true love), soon 
emerging as a high
roller in society with tremendous support from the public.

Sudden growth leads to a gradual fall... the same was true for Guru. Strong and 
undeterred by
his surroundings, he was the business king but as luck would have it his move 
of killing
competition by publicizing their negativity gets Mr Das Gupta angry.

Thereon the war of right against the wrong beings. Shyam (R Madhavan) is 
appointed to snoop
around and uncover the truth of Guru’s instant success. Guru, still undeterred, 
finds ways to
grow till things get out of hand and finds himself among a group of unhappy 
employees and share
holders.

With reports blown out of proportion in the newspapers, Guru succumbs to the 
negativity and is
paralyzed. Now in the hospital with nothing more than Sujata's support, Guru is 
slowly
recovering but the final blow occurs when he is summoned to the court and is 
set to be tried
for all his business malpractice.

Unable to speak, paralyzed and shaken all he has for defense is his will to 
succeed. On the day
of the hearing the panel of judges charge him with unfair trade practices, but 
with faith in
himself he stands up to them and confronts them with his version of the truth. 
In typical
‘filmi’ style he accuses them of holding back growth of a nation and blames 
them for the
extensive reliance on imported goods. With this over empowering speech, he 
gathers once again
the support of the public and the judges see him as not a thug but a hero. The 
final verdict
declares Guru free of all charges and orders him to pay a fine of a few lakh 
rupees.

What is remarkable is not only the story but also the way it has been narrated, 
the film is
stylistic and beautiful. Each frame is well constructed and well executed. For 
all those who
wrote off Abhishek and Aishwarya's pairing, it is time you eat your own words 
as they not only
share an amazing chemistry but also do complete justice to their characters. 
The only injustice
done was to Minu (Vidya Balan) who is of no significance to the movie but still 
manages to do a
remarkable job.

Here’s hoping that Mani Ratnam will continue to set the bar higher each time.

Film Review: Guru

By Sanjay Ram
(12 January, 2007)

Film: Guru

Director: Mani Ratnam

Rating: 4/5

This is the week you are just glad to have the option of watching a movie that 
does not bore
you or kill you. Guru has released all over.
There is film and there is cinema, Guru is the latter. A cinema that has truly 
raised the bar
of what Bollywood cinemas should aim to be.

Guru set in the 50’s till the 90’s 

[arr] "Do yourself a favour, don't miss Guru": Mumbai Mirror reviews Guru

[Gopal Srinivasan]

 A moving master-stroke!


Mayank Shekhar


FILM: GURU
DIRECTOR: Mani Ratnam
ACTORS: Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai, Mithun Chakroborty
Mirror Rating: * * * *

Vidya Balan plays a fatally ill, wheelchair-borne girl in this film. She is the 
daughter of an
idealistic newspaper owner (Chakroborty, meatiest character at the dusk of his 
career). The
'bhadralok' baron has fallen out with 'Guru' (Bachchan, in a turning-point role 
and
performance): a protégé he first promoted in pursuit of journalist truth; and 
someone he later
disowned, despising his Machiavellian ways of buying off the news-media.  

A young, passionate reporter (Madhavan), gunning after Guru's illegal 
commercial practices,
falls for Balan's crippled, young girl. The scene I speak of is where the two 
are alone, he
formally proposes to her on a twilit stormy sea-front, and she turns him down 
saying she
doesn't have that many days left to live. He says he wants all those days then.

In that terse exchange, you can tell the 'Madras Talkies maestro' Mani Ratnam's 
remarkable
magic with creating movie moments. The girl in question has much less 
screen-time or
significance, if any, to the overall screenplay. Neither is their three-scene 
love story imbued
with enough depth, history or consequence. Yet, for that minute, you sit, 
mildly moved.

I have cited an arbitrary instance; there are many more obvious flashes of 
brilliance: like
when Guru tells his close-friend he is willing to marry his sister (Rai; human, 
and fabulous)
to gain capital for his business, right before he visits their home; when he 
pulls his wife
onto the train to Bombay; as he celebrates the announcement of his first cloth 
mill…

And finally, with one side of his body inexplicably paralysed, in front of his 
shareholders,
when Guru delivers a parting speech to a government inquiry commission arguing 
how what's
illegal at a certain time may neither be an immoral or corrupt practice, nor 
wrong in the
larger scheme of public good.

It's a wonderfully succinct comment on the pampered, red-taped, bloated Indian 
state that for
years has existed to discourage, or at any rate act as a road-block to new 
private
entrepreneurship.

In a manner of sepia-tinged, golf-cap Hollywood retro, the film is set right 
after
independence, when the British were merely replaced by a lunatic License Raj. 
Despite the
government, areas like Information Technology may have boomed here in the past 
few years. The
situation is not too different still, for a self-made fortune-hunter, burdened 
under the litany
of permits and kickbacks to set up his own cottage-company in this country.

It's this subtle message, beside the film's marvelous topography (Rajeev 
Menon), simple
narrative, Rahman's lilting score that gladden your spirits. For the incredible 
material of
India's contemporary, corporate fairy-tale is at the hands of a right-minded 
commercial
filmmaker.

There may be shades of Mani's trademarked, earlier biopics (especially Nayakan) 
here. But by
every means conceivable for 'Bollywood mainstream', this is almost a detailed 
account of the
rise, fall and rise of the 'Polyester Prince' Dhirubhai Ambani. The makers 
don't appear
attempting to conceal the source too. You follow the brash, ambitious, earthy 
Gujarati lad
gate-crash, or sideline an elitist, English-speaking, public-school-educated 
club of 'old
money'. And you eventually finish with a success story and a stadium 
accommodating the largest
number of public share-holders for a company ever. We could perhaps type ' 
Dhirajlal Hirachand'
on the wikepedia and fill the gaps if any for the series of minutiae of the 
interim of about
two and half decades. Each of which gets a cursory mention, since there's 
little patience and
time-frame for the pinpointed specifics.

It's still not quite a fully funded hagiography though: the clash between Marx, 
materialism and
a dubious morality cannot be ignored right through this grey character's 
journey.

So far, history has judged the film's late real-life hero well. His 
cheerily-crafted,
exquisitely-exhilarating, pop-historical account, at no level, disappoints 
either. Do yourself
a favour, don't miss it! 

http://www.mumbaimirror.com/net/mmpaper.aspx?page=article§id=30&contentid=20070113023330218aab6f9c5

[arr] Re: Shauk Hai Song as BGM - Guru

[tanyaagha]

it doesnt work for everyone



--- In arrahmanfans@yahoogroups.com, "Balamurugan Ramakrishnan" 
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> for quicktime
> 
> download it from www.apple.com
> 
> its simple, and its free
> cheers
> 
> bala
> 
> ps - the link to the song by rakesh works people. please, use the 
> link. 
> 
> --- In arrahmanfans@yahoogroups.com, "tanyaagha"  
> wrote:
> >
> > 
> > yes can you upload it on another website, please, thanks.
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > --- In arrahmanfans@yahoogroups.com, "Balamurugan Ramakrishnan" 
> >  wrote:
> > >
> > > thanks rakesh...
> > > 
> > > the file plays on quicktime 7.1. its a free download.
> > > 
> > > my God the song is beautiful...i wanna hear it in big 
> > screen
> > > 
> > > thanks again rakesh!
> > > 
> > > Balamurugan Ramakrishnan
> > > 
> > > 
> > > 
> > > 
> > > --- In arrahmanfans@yahoogroups.com, rakesh gowda  
> > > wrote:
> > > >
> > > > Guys,
> > > > 
> > > > Saw Guru yesterday and I found it to be a good Muvi,
> > > > but not upto the hype.
> > > > 
> > > > There was this song "Shauk Hai" by Saumya Rao which is
> > > > played as the BGM around 3-4 times, it comes up as a
> > > > BGM for Imp scenes on Vidya Balan. Its such a
> > > > BEAUTIFUL song, Its soo unfortunate that such gr8
> > > > songs are not a part of the soundtack !!! dono why
> > > > such thing happen again and again. 
> > > > 
> > > > I tried to record this thry my Sony W810i cell, but
> > > > its in a .amr format, shud b able to play in real
> > > > player i guess, I have attached the file. 
> > > > 
> > > > Let me know if anyone is able to play it properly.
> > > > 
> > > > Rgds
> > > > Rakesh Gowda  
> > > > 
> > > > 
> > > >  
> > > > 
> > > 
> > 
> 
_
> > > ___
> > > > Don't get soaked.  Take a quick peak at the forecast
> > > > with the Yahoo! Search weather shortcut.
> > > > http://tools.search.yahoo.com/shortcuts/#loc_weather
> > > >
> > >
> >
>

Re: [arr] AV Max Awards 2007

[saraswathi suvarna]

hi gopalji

is this final list of AV MAX AWARDS

saras


 

Do you Yahoo!?
Everyone is raving about the all-new Yahoo! Mail beta.
http://new.mail.yahoo.com

[arr] DNA reviews Guru

[Gopal Srinivasan]

When form and style merge
 
Guru
Director: Mani Ratnam
Cast: Mithun Chakraborty, Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai, R Madhavan, Vidya 
Balan
Rating: * * *
 
 
 

When watching a film that has its origin or inspiration in a personality that 
has been as much
a part of the nation’s consciousness as Dhirubhai Ambani was, it is only 
natural that one
searches for connections and parallels through the film. And since everyone has 
an opinion
about the means with which he achieved his ends and fulfilled the dreams of 
lakhs of
shareholders even as he filled his family coffers, it is also natural that his 
getting away
with it should give rise to outrage in some.
But keeping away from all that, Guru is a film that enthralls you for most of 
its running time
as it traces the life of the uncannily forward seeing bumpkin from Gujarat who 
turns every
disadvantage into an advantage. With Guru, Abhishek Bachchan has finally learnt 
the nuances of
the grammar of cinema, in what will very likely be his defining film.
Chronicling a complex life can be difficult, what to keep, what to say, what to 
highlight? Mani
Ratnam gets it just right, keeping the essentials, adding events and drama as 
needed and yet
staying within the truth enough to keep the viewer riveted. Cinematically, this 
is definitely
one of his better films and a return to form after the confused Dil Se and 
Yuva. His recent
problem of venturing into territories unknown (North East in Dil Se and Kolkata 
in Yuva) and
then making a hash of the ambience is replaced by a clearer understanding of 
language and
social niceties in the Gujarat village the film takes off from. If only it 
rained as much in
Gujarat though.
Abhishek is the visionary from Gujarat who is a failure at organised studies 
but picks up the
mechanics of business when he spends seven years in Turkey apprenticing. He has 
always dreamt
big, he comes back to India determined to get into business. He marries 
Aishwarya Rai, a
friend’s elder sister so that he can use her dowry to start his own business, 
and sets about
flouting every ethic that exists as he quickly climbs up the ladder. On the way 
he meets a
ruthless newspaper tycoon, played by Mithun Chakraborty, who is as fond of him 
as a person as
he is critical of his means.
Mithun’s ace reporter Madhavan sets out to destroy Abhishek’s carefully built 
up web of deceit
and the two are unforgiving adversaries despite the fact that Madhavan marries 
Vidya Balan,
Mithun’s grand daughter and a good friend of Abhishek.
Whenever the script pitches Abhishek against either Mithun or Madhavan there 
are sparks.
Madhavan’s scenes with Vidya though are a major letdown often bringing the 
screenplay to a
grinding halt.
Chemistry between Abhishek and Aishwarya is often sizzling a far cry from their 
thanda vibes in
their earlier Umrao Jaan. Mani Ratnam has certainly brought out the best in 
both the actors.
Holding his own wonderfully, is Mithun Chakraborty, who, a countless B grade 
films later, still
has the edge. Mallika Sherawat in an item number burns up the screen.
AR Rahman’s music keeps the film pepped up in the slow moments and adds to the 
ambience
otherwise. Not that Mani Ratnam needs too much help as he keeps the film going 
along at an even
pace.. Its appeal though is likely to be restricted to an elitist crowd.
 

[arr] Khalid Mohammed reviews Guru for HT

[Gopal Srinivasan]

REVIEW: Good value for Mani

Khalid Mohamed

Mumbai, January 12, 2007


Guru
Cast: Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai
Direction: Mani Ratnam
Rating: ***1/2

Don’t care a fig, just think big. A boy from a Gujarat hamlet wants to do his 
own gig. Off he
goes to Turkey. And after some malarkey with a Mallika-e-Istanbul, lands a 
cushy job for which
he must wear a tie. Not done. So, Hamlet returns to the aridlands to bake his 
own apple pie. Do
or die.

That’s writer-director Mani Ratnam’s Guru – a more than obvious but 
unacknowledged biopic on
the rise, fall and rise of Dhirubhai Ambani. Wonderful. It’s quite a story 
salt-`n’-peppered
with romance, high drama and unbridled ambition, filmed with a reliance on 
research and
authenticity.

In fact, you’re hooked right off because no other living director today has 
more style, sass
and sizzle than Mani sir. The opening reels move from black-and-white (like the 
director’s
Dalapathy) to the earth colours of the rural stretches, the Istanbul streets 
and then finally
to the vibrancy of Bombay in the 1950s, adapting to the business-ops thrown up 
in independent
India.

Absolutely goal-oriented, Gurukant (Abhishek Bachchan) manipulates a 
dowry-cum-wedding with a
restless young woman (Aishwarya Rai). In the city of dreams with her, it’s 
toughgoing for the
wannabe textile tycoon -- till he finds a bemused patron in a newspaper baron 
(Mithun
Chakraborty). The adversary of the moment, a Parsi aristrocrat (Slick Hair, 
cool linen suits),
is squashed. No gift vouchers for guessing the allusions to real life 
personalities. Very easy.

Throughout, the camera pirouettes around Gurubhai, affording an intimate 
glimpse into the heart
and mind of a man who would be a visionary – never mind if he must adopt means 
that range from
the fair to the very foul. Tables turn when he is attacked by the very hands 
which once fed his
ego. In fact, the surrogate father-son relationship with the newspaper baron is 
edged with
irony. Even when they are at principles drawn, there is a residue of emotion 
and caring.

For a major part of its length, the rags-to-riches dramalogue, is impressive. 
Indeed, you’re
amazed by the attention lavished on period detail, the flashes of humour 
between Guru and his
wife in the bed chamber, the painstakingly created set designs and the 
mood-accentuating
background score.

Alas, a sense of ennui sets in towards the latter half when the script becomes 
much too
verbose. Yakety yak yak. Also, there is far too much dithering over the 
attraction between the
news baron’s physically challenged grand-daughter (Vidya Balan) and a 
muckraking Reporter Raju
(Madhavan). Balan and Madhavan, believe it or collapse, even go in for a Dhoom 
2-style liplock.
Mwaaah.

Gratifyingly, the dramatic intensity returns in the finale. Gurukant delivers a 
volatile
speechlet about the state of the nation. You’re shaken as well as 
stirred..albeit not without
questioning Ratnam’s message – as long as public welfare is on the agenda, it 
doesn’t matter if
you use bribes and cross legal limits. Really?

Be that as it may, Guru is certainly leagues ahead of the B- to Z-grade movies 
you’ve been
squirming through at the ‘plexes lately. Rajeev Menon’s international calibre 
cinematography,
the expert editing by Sreekar Prasad and AR Rahman’s excellent music score are 
the fringe
benefits.

The dialogue is a bit shaky though, like the hyperbolic equation with the 
sacrifices of Mahatma
Gandhi in the climax address to a stern-faced jury, headed by a chameleonic 
Roshan Seth no
less.

Of the cast, Vidya Balan is wasted. Madhavan is starch stiff. Mithun 
Chakraborty is passable.
Arya Babbar, as Gurukant’s brother-in-law is awkard, suddenly exiled by the 
screenplay midway
as if had overstayed his welcome.

On the other hand, Aishwarya Rai is marvellous, handling complex scenes with 
grace and empathy.
Above all, the enterprise belongs to Abhishek Bachchan. He is astonishingly 
nuanced and
unwaveringly forceful in his career-best performance after Yuva.

Ratnam and Bachchan Jr have given you a film that’s as close to life as say, 
business is to
politics. For the discerning viewer, satisfaction is guaranteed..and some more.

[arr] "Guru bhai Guru bhai ayechi.......It Rocks"

[Jaibabu Y.]

Hi All,

This is my first mail since I joined this group. I've been reading all the 
mails from this group about Mr. Rahman.

I just saw the Movie Guru, it was too good with great sense of nativity.and 
the background score was marvellous(its obvious...but I personally felt so 
excited while watching the movie)..

Anyway I felt this is a must watch movie.

--

Its  Simply Jai

 
 

[arr] The Indian Express reviews Guru

[Gopal Srinivasan]

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 wi

[arr] Guru opens to packed houses

[Gopal Srinivasan]

Guru opens to packed houses
Friday January 12 2007 23:11 IST
http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IEE20070112125019&Page=E&Title=Startrek&Topic=0&;

NEW DELHI: Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai starrer Bollywood flick Guru 
opened to packed
theatres across the country on Friday.

The storyline of the movie draws a parallel to the real-life rags-to-riches 
story of
billionaire Dhirubhai Ambani. However, the filmmakers of Guru insist it is a 
pure fiction.

The film is about a villager who rises to the pinnacle of the corporate world. 
On his journey
to the top, movie shows Gurukant, the lead character played by Abhishek 
Bachchan, establishing
a company in 1958 in the country's financial hub of Mumbai and displays a 
penchant for getting
things done without taking a 'no' for an answer.

Movie's protagonist Gurukant (Abhishek Bachchan) is shown as the son of a 
school teacher who
travels from a village in Gujarat to Mumbai. After much struggle Gurukant 
breaks into the
Indian corporate world, which until then remained an exclusive, elitist club of 
bluebloods.
Similar is the story of the deceased founder of the Reliance Group, Dhirubhai 
Ambani.

One of the promo lines of the film reads - "Think big. Think ahead. Think fast" 
- which matches
word-for-word the corporate motto of Ambani. Aishwarya plays Gurukant's 
(Abhishek) docile
village wife.

"Movie is fantastic, the first half is good, second part is okay. Aishwarya was 
good but
Abhishek is like genuine perfect," said Manjari, a movie buff in New Delhi. The 
music of the
movie has also been received well by the audience.

"Movie is very good, Abhishek Bachchan has performed very well. Songs are good 
and even the
music is good," said Radha, another movie buff. Bachchan junior turned out to 
be a winner in
the movie as audience appreciated his close to reality performance.

"Ya, he has put in quite a lot of effort in his work. Even Vidya Balan was very 
good. The movie
generally was very good," said Rishabh.

[arr] The Times of India reviews Guru

[Gopal Srinivasan]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/arrahmanfans/355562590/

[arr] my birthday gift on behalf of arr. ARR ASIANPAINTS PONGAL AD

[bhagavathi_mohan]

  my struggle for searching arr jingles is defintely paying me and 
also obviously for the group ..first through rahmania.net got the 
cinthol.com to get the cinthol ad starring arvindswamy but 
unfortunately no other company responded me so thought of searching 
adagencies and got this rahman ad which he did for ASIAN PAINTS so 
here it is


http://www.ogilvyindia.com/work/asianpaints.asp

[arr] Bloggers review Guru the movie 4

[Gopal Srinivasan]

http://quatrainman.blogspot.com/2007/01/guru-movie-in-summary-manis-magic.html

Guru' - a movie review
(a very first cut review)

Mani Ratnam's Guru was probably his Hindi equivalent of what Alaipayuthe was in 
Tamil - a
return to simpler story-telling after the adventures of Yuva and Iruvar. 
Alaipayuthe was a big
hit, fuelled by the popularity of the music, the 'youth quotient' of the story, 
and the
freshness of the lead pair. Guru, in contrast, has a much more subdued 
soundtrack appeal, a
more ponderous story line, and a pair whose main acting cheers have only come 
before in Ratnam
films.

Despite the mandatory Mani Ratnam opening disclaimer, Guru makes several clear 
references to
the life of Dhirubhai Ambani, not just in spirit, but also in details like 
Burmah Shell, the
paralysis, and the business domain. The story places Gurukant Desai as the 
canny and
enterprising protagonist, and doesn't quite show the shades of grey as one 
would expect. The
result is a film shrouded primarily in old-style Indian mainstream film colours 
- a clearly
defined protagonist with the occasional misdemeanours that you turn a blind eye 
too that the
story must end happily for. As a result, don't expect any significant surprises 
with the story.
Yet, the story is warmly told.

The plot tells of dynamic businessman Guru (Abhishek Bachchan), his wife Sujata 
(Aishwarya
Rai), his ambivalent relationship with friend/mentor/foe Manik 'Nanaji' 
Dasgupta (Mithun
Chakraborty), Nanaji's ward (I didn't quite understand their relationship) Minu 
(Vidya Balan),
the angry young journalist Shyam Saxena (R. Madhavan) and a host of small 
parts. Guru is
one-dimensional in the sense that all he worries about is getting to next buck. 
The tale takes
us through 30 years of his life in becoming India's top businessman. I read 
Gita Piramal's book
'Business Maharajahs', especially the section on Dhirubhai Ambani, a few months 
ago and
realised that though these men have extremely exciting lives on their corporate 
battlefields
(and none more interesting than Ambani's own), it is quite difficult to convey 
that excitement
to the reader. This is true of Guru as well.

The film's biggest problem is that it never hits any signficiant high notes for 
too long. The
rousing defence speech at the end is quite well-made, but comes in too late to 
save the ship.
The Vidya Balan angle seems very superfluous to proceedings and was perhaps 
placed to keep
Nanaji and Guru connected during their period of warfare. The reporter bit is a 
little wasted
too.

The other big contender for "oh no" moments are some of the song placements. 
For a while, Mani
Ratnam has struggled with songs, even though he defends the idea in almost all 
his interviews.
The songs crept back into Yuva (even Rahman admitted recently that they happened
apologetically), and in Guru, they appear too close to each other, aren't quite 
exploited, or
are plainly an unnecessary reflex from an age when 6 song situations were 
blocked out on
screen-time. 'Mayya Mayya' cleverly blends into the title sequence (a nice 
shuffling of paper).
'Barso Re' is supposed to be an introduction to the heroine's character, but a 
more definitive
underlining happens with her actions towards the end of the song, which 
rendered the song
unnecessary. Instead, it becomes a mere clone of 'chinna chinna' (Roja) or even 
'konjum
mainakkaLe' (Kandukondain...)(1) and an excuse to give Rai some pretty screen 
time. The
gorgeous 'Aye hairath-e-aashiqui' fades into the background only to appear 
sporadically. 'Baazi
Lagaa' is the aural equivalent of a blink-and-miss. 'Tere Bina' is wonderful to 
listen to, but
the choreography was looked like a series of out-takes. I wonder if that was 
intentional. I
liked the counterpoint of the situation for the song, but for a better use of 
that device,
refer Rang De Basanti. The film begins with the anthemic 'Jaage.n hai der tak', 
but its
relative absence in the rest of the film doesn't seem to justify its theme 
status. However,
Rahman does pull a surprise with the version with Guru's daughters singing it - 
a very
emotional chord is struck at that point. 'Yamo Yamo' is so late and useless 
that even Wodehouse
wouldn't be able to find an adequate simile. You need to sit down and have a 
think about the
songs, Mr. Ratnam. The usually innovative choreography of your films was 
insipid this time.

That's not to claim that there aren't any other moments of interest - a couple 
of nice editing
cuts, the domestic chemistry between Sujata and Guru (Mani Ratnam has 
traditionally been good
at portraying middle-class mores) and the attack on Nanaji. Mithun Chakraborty 
(in a respectful
touch, he is credited first) is very good in a role, the kind of which I'm sure 
no one's seen
him do in a long time. With all the dancing and flying, we tend to forget the 
wonderful
straightforward acting talent that he has selectively put on display. This will 
remove the rust
from those memories.