Mani Ratnam’s Guru- Movie Review:

I have shared the same post for the website: bollywood.celebden.com

Last evening I was in the theatre lounge, with the tickets for the 7:30 show for GURU, trying to anticipate what would the movie be like. But by the time I entered the hall my head was blank and ready for the experience. Now, it’s highly exercising to empty your brain from the reviews that were prolifically written on the movie. Not that I was completely successful to forget them but surely I had no prejudiced view towards any aspect of the film. And the feeling that I had while stepping out of the hall was that of a pleasant experience with no great frustration of having seeing something really unpardonable and with no great admiration (which would have made me go gaga about the movie) towards the movie. What was there was a genuine appreciation of the efforts seen on screen and a critical bend that would probably not crucify but point out the defects in the movie. Overall it was an experience worth having, in fact a must have experience for ‘good cinema’ lovers.

Storyline and Plot: Storyline, as everyone knows, is the fictional version of a real life story inspired by Dhirubhai Ambani’s life. Some say that the inspiration, which was called sketchy by the director himself, was quite apparent. But I feel that the movie has got all the elements (which are part of every good plot, so why the comparison) that a protagonist needs to be a hero- A rival to confront, a press or a court to answer, a mob to favor or be against, a dutiful and strong wife, well-wishers who never question and a strong trait of character that brings the person to the status of a hero. The plot has only one great difference from that of a ‘Tragic Hero’ and that is… Mani’s Gurukant Desai is a ‘Bollywood Hero’ who never fails, but never the less a well portrayed one.

The screenplay is not a well crafted one and the plot doesn’t have a graph. The movie doesn’t pick up pace anywhere but still maintains not loose the one with which it started. But still the audiences are cued because the storyline is Guru himself, his gestures, words and action. The movie is solely on Gurukant Desai’s shoulder and the interest is retained because Guru remains a mystery to the audience- they leave the hall with a feel of not having known Guru completely and that’s the reason why the end doesn’t come as a culmination of the movie. The movie could as well have a sequel!

Casting and Characters: Mani Ratnam’s cast always surprises and Guru is no different. He chose the most unpopular ‘jodi’ for chemistry on screen and transformed it into a ‘Roja’ level chemistry. Of course it is hats off to the director.

The person whom you see as the protagonist is the character Gurukant Desai and not Abhishek. Good effort by Abhishek and surely his best and unique performance till date. This man has finally proved that he has got the voice, stature and attitude to carry of a character and not just a role! And he very well reminds of Amitabh Bachchan’s antics occasionally (Of course it comes naturally to a son)!

Mithun Chakraborthy, no mention about his performance as I do not consider myself even eligible to comment upon his performance. Only thing I can say is that I lived the character as he glided through his performance with so much ease. Aishwarya stands tall and distinct even when Guru steals the show. She is a director’s actor for sure. Same is the case is with R Madhavan. He makes his character completely comfortable before the towering Guru. Vidya Balan is completely unnecessary to the film. May be the director brought her to bring out the softer side of Guru but frankly, Guru doesn’t need such a character to show his softer side! Utter waste of a good actor. Arjan Bajwa (Arzaan Contractor) comes as a boom and disappears into thin air even before his character is defined properly. Same is the case with Aryan Babbar (Jignesh bhai). Roshan Seth (Judge) is very impressive.

Technical aspects: Again no mention about the sumptuous visual treat given by Rajiv Menon, surely reality looks beautiful but so beautiful…I could never comprehend that! The camera takes Guru’s view in the first half of the movie and then distances from the character as a third person eyeing on Guru. And that’s why the shaky shots in the beginning of the movie and finally the camera matures and becomes steady towards the end. Excellent transition that at major junctures- 1) when the young lad ‘Guru’ grows up and 2) towards the end when the figure of Guru initially looks morphed to the background and later gains depth to show the crowd.

Dialogues- Amitabh Bachchan’s famous one liners are still intact in everyone’s memory and from now on Abhishek would enjoy a similar popularity with Guru. Vijay Krishna Acharya has definitely made Guru speak sense.

Music- Apart from Mayya Mayya, Ai Hairathe, Barso re and Jage hain, the other songs are completely unwanted and they disturb the flow. Back ground score is not for the story or the scenes that follow but it works as Guru’s temperament and even goes sinister when the situation is of disappointment.

Director’s part: a few observations for the director’s part

• Vidya Balan’s cast was unnecessary

• The huge importance given to characters portrayed by Madhavan, Mithunda, Arjaan Bajwa and Aryan Babbar fades with no particular purpose.
• The smooch scene between Madhavan and Viday had no beauty, which is very unlikely of Mani Ratnam.
• There is no graph in the pace of the movie. The screen play could have been tighter.
• Chemistry between the characters seem very natural and are portrayed well. Brave casting.
• Not his best movie

The movie is a hit not because of its script but because of the treatment. The characters stand out and the Gurukant Desai looks real. The anticipation that runs through the movie is not that of how the movie will end but rather how Guru will react or defend himself in such crisis. That’s why the audience will come out of the theatre wanting to have more of Guru as they are left curious about the character even after the movie ends. Every frame of the movie gives a soothing effect and the background score blends very well with the character of Guru and his actions.