Sarath.docx

DEPARTMENT OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES

MBA 2ST SEM (BATCH 2017-18)

“Movie Review” GURU

Submitted by

Sharath Shanker

Submitted on

27-03-2018

GURU

Guru is a 2007 Indian Hindi language drama film loosely based on the life of Dhirubhai Ambani, a business magnate who founded Reliance Industries. The film was co-written and directed by Mani Ratnam. It stars Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai, R. Madhavan, Vidya Balan, Arya Babbar, and Mithun Chakraborty in the leading roles. The film also has Mallika Sherawat in a guest appearance. The score and soundtrack for the film was composed by A. R. Rahman. The film was dubbed and released simultaneously in Tamil as Guru and in Telugu as Gurukanth. In the Tamil version of the film, the lead role (Abhishek Bachchan) was dubbed by Suriya. The film was released on 12 January 2007 with its première at the Elgin Theatre in Toronto, Canada, on Thursday 11 January 2007, making it the first Indian film to have a mainstream international première in Canada. The film was premiered in the Tous Les Cinemas du Monde (World Cinema) section of 2007 Cannes Film Festival

PLOT

The beginning of the film is set in 1951 in a small village of Idar in Sabarkantha district, northern Gujarat, where a young man named Gurukant "Guru" Desai (Abhishek Bachchan) dreams of making it big some day. His father (Rajendra Gupta), the headmaster of the village school, tells him not to dream and that dreams never come true. Gurukant decides to go to Turkey and enter the spice trade; later, he is promoted but refuses the job, as he wants to work for himself. Back in his village, he marries Sujata (Aishwarya Rai Bachchan), mainly because of the dowry she brings him. Along with Sujata and her brother Jignesh (Arya Babbar), Guru migrates to Bombay and starts trading in cloth. Gradually, he expands his business and sets up manufacturing units of his own, under the name "Shakti Corporation". Manik "Nanaji" Dasgupta (Mithun Chakraborty), who publishes a newspaper "Swatantra", treats Guru as his son. Guru likewise looks upon him as a father figure who gives him support during his early days of struggle in Bombay. He also develops a strong friendship with Meenu (Vidya Balan), granddaughter of Dasgupta. Meenu develops multiple sclerosis as she grows up, and begins using a wheelchair. As Gurukant Desai's business grows into one of the largest in India, he ruthlessly pursues success. He smuggles machine parts for his polyester mills, illegally creates goods, and manipulates stocks to make a higher profit. But when Manik Dasgupta learns that Guru's means of success are not always honest, he, along with a reporter of his newspaper, Shyam Saxena (Madhavan), decides to expose Guru's increasingly corrupt ways. The stress of his battle with the newspaper causes Guru to have a stroke, and he is paralysed on his right side. Meanwhile, Meenu, who is now married to Shyam, is slowly weakening from her illness, and eventually dies. In the end, Guru is brought before a private government inquiry on 16 October 1980 to defend himself against the charges pressed against him, but delivers a speech in front of the press the next day that forces the government to clear him of 27 of the 29 charges against him. He is charged with a fine of ₹6.3 million (equivalent to ₹100 million or US$1.6 million in 2016) and ₹96,000 (equivalent to ₹1.6 million or US$24,000 in 2016) for the respective 2 charges, which are proved and is allowed to return to his company.

Critical reception Guru has received extremely positive reviews from critics. Abhishek Bachchan received almost unanimous praise for his performance. The film has a rating of 90 percent at the review website Rotten Tomatoes. The New York Times said of the film "You might think it would be difficult to fashion an entertaining account of the life of a polyester manufacturer, even a fictitious one. But director Mani Ratnam has done so with "Guru,” an epic paean to can-do spirit and Mumbai capitalism." The New York Post gave it three out of four stars, and the Los Angeles Weekly called it the best Hindi film since Lagaan.[21] Richard Corliss of Time compared the film to Frank Capra’s It's a Wonderful Life and said that one of the main highlights of the film was its climax. This Guru is more like fine polyester. He further noted, "Ash's film eminence remains a mystery. No question she's pretty, but she's more an actress-model than a model actress. In Guru she's mainly ornamentation". The Hindustan Times reviewer gave it a three and half stars and noted " 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. 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. "[23] Critic Taran Adarsh from Bollywood Hungama gave a four star rating and claimed in his review that "Guru ranks as one of Mani Ratnam's finest efforts and one of the best to come out of Hindi cinema,"[24] and praised actors performances writing "Reserve all the awards for Abhishek. No two opinions on that! His performance in GURU is world class and without doubt. From a sharp teenager in Turkey to the biggest entrepreneur of the country, Abhishek handles the various shades this character demands with adroitness." Raja Sen from Rediff gave a three stars said that "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. 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". Daily News and Analysis reviewer gave a three star rating and cited " 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". Sify gave its verdict as "Very Good" and stated "Mani Ratnam’s Guru is undoubtedly a gutsy and outstanding film. Outstanding performance is extracted from everyone in the cast. “The Hindu cited that” ‘Guru’ is vintage Mani Ratnam. It encapsulates his characteristic canniness about human nature, specifically relationships. This is considered Abhishek Bachchan's role of a lifetime." Rajeev Masand of CNN-IBN gave four stars explaining "The beauty of Mani Ratnam's cinema is truly in its unpredictability. Few filmmakers can translate their personal vision onto screen the way Mani Ratnam can. So that's two thumbs up for Guru – it's a must-watch for all. Of the film's cast, Mithun Chakraborty playing the ruthless newspaper baron deserves mention for the dignity which he brings to the part, one that's clearly inspired by Indian Express founder Ramnath Goenka. The actor in this film, who truly blew my mind, is Aishwarya Rai. There is a silent grace, quiet nobility to her performance,which I have to admit I've never seen before. Of course the film belongs to Abhishek Bachchan, the protagonist, Guru himself. And in all honesty, Abhishek

rises to the challenge like never before. "The Sunday Times stated "It is certainly one of the best Bollywood movies you will see. Performances attract admiration: Bachchan does a De Niro, piling on the dosas to show the ageing and overweight Guru and he is, surprisingly, impressive. Rai sheds her usual doe-eyed expressions and is endearing as the supportive but fiery wife, who looks and dances like an angel. Chakraborty and Tamil superstar Madhavan shine equally brightly in underwritten supporting roles". BBC reviewer Jaspreet Pandohar gave it a three star rating and noted "Ratnam's absorbing screenplay ensures that Guru rises above the usual rags to riches story, by weaving in meaty subplots involving the protagonist's complex relationships with his loyal wife (Aishwarya Rai), friends and foes".

Guru (Mani Ratnam, 2007)

Loosely based on the life and times of Dhirubhai Ambani, Guru is probably the most obvious entry in this list. Gurukant Desai is an ambitious middle class boy, who gets married to a rich businessman's daughter, and uses the money he gets as dowry to set up his own cloth business in Mumbai. He pursues success ruthlessly; and smuggles machine parts for his polyester mills, illegally creates goods, and manipulates stocks to make higher profits. The controversial film follows how he uses his skills and ambition to drive this business to creates one of the richest companies in the country.

The film is reflective of a man's desire for ambition and success, and how times have changed from the period immediately after the country's independence to the present we live in. As an entrepreneur, Guru is ruthless, manipulative and cunning, but at the same time, he encourages us to believe in our dreams. While the film's protagonist may not teach us about business ethics, it does teach us to be persevering, ambitious and commitment. We all got inspired by the movie GURU. But there are certain lessons for managers to learn. First of all, if you have an idea, a dream (in lay man’s term), work hard to make that dream a reality. And to achieve your goal you need to be confident. Never give up before trying, like Guru Bhai in the movie that get the licence to work by complaining against the contractor. It is necessary to beat the fear and work on your dream. Connect with the people you work with and make sure your word counts. Foresightedness is something which you can develop over time when you plan for future. And that’s how you embrace success!