A Great Biopic!. Review on Guru (2007)

Think big, think fast and think ahead - these words have such power that they can possibly force anybody to dream - and not only dream, but also turn them into reality!

These were the words of Gurukant Desai, a young dreamer, a visionary from Idhar village, Gujarat. Guru, a man who dared to dream. He was a man who hated the word "NO". A man who would do anything to be successful and be that on his own terms.

Starting his life in Idhar, a small village in Gujarat - then moving on to Turkey to distribute petrol cans for Shell and finally becoming the first and the most powerful entrepreneurs of the country. Establishing the biggest company in India. And in the bargain, also emerging as the most controversial man of corporate India.

The story has an uncanny resemblance to the life and times of Reliance founder - Dhirubhai Ambani.

So when Mani Ratnam decides to make him the subject of his new film, the expectations soar like Reliance share prices - primarily because the maker has in past dealt with a few biopics and this could have taken the series of films on to the next level.

There is a disclaimer at the start of the movie that the charatcters are fictional(well! it's just the names, that's it!)

Anyways - the movie chronologically lays open the rise of the man called Gurukant Desai aka Dhirubhai Ambani and also the meteoric rise of Shakti Trading Corp aka Reliance. The script examines every business move made by the protagonist to enhance his business and also the repurcussions, legal turmoils, media battle and of course the enquiry commission.

Share market manipulations, excise and customs frauds, corrupting the top brass, PR and all the other games played by Dhirubhai have been cleverly explained and examined by this Mani Ratnam movie.

But at the end of it all, Gurukant Desai's speech at the enquiry commission makes you realize that the man was not the only one to be blamed. He was a true capitalist, a businessman. He did what every businessman would do. After all business exists for only one motive - Profit. And for that very reason Guru should be lauded. Gurukant Desai / Dhirubhai Ambani paid handsome returns to their investors.

It would be gross injustice to call Guru a show of any one person. This is a team film and that is what filmmaking is all about. A perfect film is made when all the elements synergise to work towards a common goal.

Guru belongs to Mani Ratnam for a fabulous screenplay and an outstanding direction and also shot compositions and executions. Rajiv Menon deserves distinction marks for lenswork that is just out of the ordinary. Gulzar and Rahman show theri mastery over their respective craft. Rahman once again proves that when it comes to elevating the impact of a scene with background score, he is second to none.

Performances are to put in one word - beyond words! Abhishek is extraordinary. Aishwarya is dignified and lifelike. Mithunda, Madhavan and Vidya Balan do justce to their roles.

Way to go Mani Sir! We expect more of this from you. Continue to give us great and classic cinema.

The greatest biopic ever witnessed on Indian screen alongwith "Iruvar and Nayakan"