I cannot remember after how many years I actually looked forward to a ‘first-day show’ of a Hindi movie and to my satisfaction I came out of the hall unrepentant.

‘Guru’- is a story of a boy from Idhar village of Gujrat who dared to dream big and also toiled his heart out to realize them, not only for him but for an entire nation of hopefuls. Gurukant Desai ( Abhishek Bachhan ) leaves home to work for a leading oil company in Turkey where he comes to feel that the only way he can  preserve pride in his nationality is by starting an industry of his own. Capital becomes an impediment in the path of his grand plans but he agrees to marry for dowry, coming back to his home. The girl in question ( Aishwarya Rai ) remains unaware of the transaction and post-marriage leaves for Bombay where Guru takes his first steps in ‘business’. Giving them constant company goes Guru’s brother-in-law who is also Guru’s fifty-percent partner in business.

Events unfold with a steady pace of story-telling as Guru finds industrial-regulations too suffocating for growth. He faces every hurdle with a rustic smile and shrewd strategy.

Every move he takes is calculated and very quickly he gains prominence in the Indian Industrial pie-chart. His exponential growth ruffles many feathers, including a leading Parsi business family, he finally sidesteps. On the other side of this unimpeded narrative of progress and profit rages a battle of a different colour. Manik Dasgupta ( Mithun Chakravarty ), a newspaper-baron whose initial help gave Guru a head start resents the fast plunging standards of morality and corruption that Guru propagates to attain his aim. A drama-laden tussle of principles ensues where Mithun is helped by a fire-brand reporter (R. Madhavan). Here a romantic angle is introduced to add flavour to the film in the form of the multiple-sclerosis ridden grand-daughter of Mithun ( Vidya Balan ) and Madhavan. The relationship between the two families amidst the ambience of a raging war is fascinating and well depicted.

The era of license-Raj finally traps Guru in a stifling position where he is made to reconsider his ways. Still, he faces indignations and challenges with strong determination and strength. Though rendered infirm by a sudden fit and paralyzed by parts yet, he delivers an inspired defense in front of the investigating committee constituted to penalise his irregularities. Roshan Seth as the chief of the committee features after a long hiatus from meaningful cinema and does justice to his part. In a speech which lambastes the suffocating licensing pattern Guru comes up triumphs and re-establishes his place of pride and power. The ending of the film which shows Guru addressing a sea of his loyal stock-holders in a stadium truly  leave a lingering taste of victory in the mouth and mind of the viewers.

Mani Ratnam has delivered a beautiful film with meaning and purpose (after Yuva) in Guru. The screenplay and cinematography is spectacular. The picturesque locales in black and white are a treat for the eyes. Also ample care has been taken to present a flawless picture of the yester-years ( especially of Bombay, with trams and Buicks).

 Abhishek does justice to his role and gives a stellar performance worthy of accolades, even from critics. He seems to reserve his best for Mani as previously seen, as the unforgettable Lallan in Yuva.

The portrayal of Dhirubhai Ambani via the medium of this film is unmistakable yet muted in certain sections. The controversial aspects have been carefully handled with pain-staking research and insight. Junior Bachhan’s evolution as a further matured actor is clear in the nuanced perfection that he brings into the film. With Guru he has again proved that when left to good hands (Mani Ratnam in this case) he can play any difficult character to its minutest detail with aplomb.

  Aishwarya does justice to her role as the strong pillar of support for the talismanic Guru and in certain scenes her acting draws applause, stealing the limelight from Abhishek for a fleeting moment. The idea behind using Vidya Balan and Madhavan misses the rationale by a whisker as they are left unused and wasted. Mithun brings in the suaveness of a seasoned actor through his difficult role, torn between tenets and trauma, conviction and conflict.

‘Guru’ on the whole is a neatly packaged film which deserves a look-in by all film buffs. While providing an entertainer, rich with rhetorical, cheer-attracting dialogues it also does what a film is supposed to do in fulfilling its ultimate purpose. It makes the viewer think for a while after the curtains are drawn down and the lights are switched on.

I for one am ready to bet my money that this film is going to get the cash registers on a tinkling over-drive at the box office.

GO   WATCH   IT.