The New York Times
MOVIE REVIEW | 'GURU'
Polyester and Power at Play for a Mogul and His India
By ANDY WEBSTER Published: January 15, 2007
You might think it would be difficult to fashion an entertaining account of the life of a polyester manufacturer, even a fictitious one. But the Tamil director Mani Ratnam, known for intelligent political dramas, has done so with "Guru," an epic paean to can-do spirit and Mumbai capitalism.
Guru is the nickname of Gurukant Desai (played by the busy Bollywood star Abhishek Bachchan, lately in "Dhoom 2" and "Umrao Jaan"), who leaves his home in rural Gujarat state for work, but later returns determined, he says more than once, not to work for the white man. On his way to becoming a business mogul, he deals in textiles, establishes the Shakti Corporation and builds factories, fueled by (another refrain) his aversion to the word "no." He also tussles with meddlesome relatives, a press lord (Mithun Chakraborty) and of course the government. Fortunately he has his devoted wife, Sujata (the stunning Aishwarya Rai, here hardheaded and practical), to lend support. Given a rich, multidimensional role, Mr. Bachchan ably seizes on its abundant opportunities.
Mr. Ratnam's experience shows in his gorgeous compositions and fluency with pacing and effects; the inevitable, though unobtrusive, musical sequences display a similar command. His convictions are evident when Guru is accused by the authorities of corruption.
Defending himself, Guru exalts India's rising influence: "You call us the third world; why can't we be the first world?" He adds, "Shall we tell the world that we are coming?" The soundtrack responds with martial rhythms signaling a national dynamo barreling forward.
GURU
Opened on Friday nationwide.
Written (in Hindi, with English subtitles) and directed by Mani Ratnam; director of photography, Rajiv Menon; edited by Sreekar Prasad; music by A. R. Rahman; choreography by Saroj Khan and Brinda; production designer, Sameer Chanda; produced by Mr. Ratnam and G. Srinivasan; released by Adlabs Films. In Manhattan at the ImaginAsian Theater, 239 East 59th Street. Running time: 166 minutes. This film is not rated.
WITH: Abhishek Bachchan (Gurukant Desai), Aishwarya Rai (Sujata), Vidya Balan (Meenu), R. Madhavan (Shyam Saxena), Mallika Sherawat (Jhumpa) and Mithun Chakraborty (Nanaji).
-- My humanity is in feeling we are all voices of the same poverty. - Jorge Louis Borges