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.