Mani Ratnam’s films are always highly anticipated, and Guru was the first big release of 2007 that was awaited with high expectations. Not only did it come from a top-notch film-maker, it was also rumored to be a biopic of the founder of India’s largest corporation, Reliance Industries, Dhirubhai Ambani. It also boasted an intriguing line-up of stars -- Abhishek Bachchan Aishwarya Rai, Vidya Balan, Madhavan and Mithun Chakarborty. Though Mani Ratam asserted that the film was a purely fictional story inspired by several driven individuals who struggled for success and made their mark as pioneers and path-breakers, the film does not disappoint the viewers looking for a fictionalized biopic of the Ambani patriarch. The parallels to Dhirubhai’s life are too well defined for the viewers not to make the connection no matter how often Mani Ratnam reiterates that it could be the story of anyone who rose from rags to riches, be it Dhirubhai Ambani or Lakshmi Mittal!

But, let us give him the benefit of doubt and judge the film on its own merit, rather than assessing the veracity of the plot and characterization.

Guru traces the rise of Gurukant Desai, the rebel, teenaged son of a school teacher in a small village in Gujarat, who moves to Istanbul in search of a livelihood, and returns after 10 years, filled with dreams of starting his own business. He uses every opportunity that comes his way, including marrying a friend’s sister for the sake of the dowry that would give him the capital required to start his business. He moves to Mumbai to be a textile merchant, selling the revolutionary fabric -- polyester. To reach his goal, he breaks rules, twists the system, bribes politicians, smuggles machinery, avoids taxes, uses public interests – eventually creating a vast empire with himself – now known as Gurubhai -- at the helm. He emerges as India’s first textile magnate – the Polyester Mogul nonpareil! The only obstacles that come his way are a socialist newspaper baron, Manik Dasgupta and his idealistic star reporter, Shyam Saxena, who start a crusade to unveil Gurubhai’s irregularities in his meteoric rise to wealth. Arrested and brought before the court after a stroke that leaves him semi-paralyzed, he holds his own and emerges victorious as the Messiah of the Indian middle-class – the millions of people who have acquired wealth as his shareholders! His spirit remains indomitable, his success unparalleled, he has fulfilled the dream his father had warned him not to dream when he was a child! The movie leaves us with the message that if you want something badly enough, and are willing to work hard, it is within your reach!

Abhishek Bachchan has obviously put his heart and soul into this movie, changing his gait, accent, mannerisms, voice, gaining weight, to become Gurukant Desai. He ages from 20s to 60s, an ambitious man who is ruthless and opportunistic, yet not inhuman, dishonest, unethical, yet innately likable. At times Abhishek’s performance seems a little contrived, a boy trying hard get under the skin of this complex role, but the sincerity of his effort to portray this multidimensional character is commendable. This is probably his best role and strongest performance to date!

His real life bride-to-be Aishwarya Rai, playing the supportive reel-wife Sujata, is far more natural and spontaneous than she has been in her previous roles. She portrays Suajata’s spirit and determination and her affinity with her husband’s dreams well. Mithun Chakraborty is terrific as Nanaji, the strong idealist who stands up for his beliefs yet remains loving to those close to him, including Guru. Madhavan brings sincerity to his brief role of Shyam, the journalist with a mission. Vidya Balan is wasted in a small role as Nanaji’s grand-daughter suffering from multiple sclerosis, though she leaves an impact, especially as her disease intensifies, leaving her body wasted while her spirit is vibrantly alive. Mallika Sherawat’s brief appearance as a Turkish belly dancer, adds a touch of oomph to the movie. The rest of the supportive cast, mostly familiar faces from the small screen, are very good.

Cinematically, the film is everything Mani Ratnam represents, style and panache, a strong narrative, a sense of drama, and hard hitting social commentary! Rajiv Menon’s cinematography is amazing. The camera moves with ease from rural Gujarat to the splendor of Instanbul to the mean bylanes and chawls of Mumbai. A range of colors, from black and white to sepia tinted tones of the 1950s to the vibrant colors of contemporary India all etched in great detail. A.R. Rahman’s music is melodious, enhanced by Gulzar’s lyrics, but the lavish song-dance numbers are not only redundant to the narrative, they disrupt the flow of the compelling story. The only reason they seem to be grafted on to the film is to showcase Aishwarya Rai’s beauty and dancing skills! Added to this, the film is lengthy and drags on interminably to its less than impressive climax.

Other than the length, to me, the moral ambiguity of the ending is the weakest part of the film. The hero is presented as a gray character with questionable ethics. Instead of keeping it that way, Mani Ratnam sets out to whitewash him. When the press begins to expose Guru, they are perceived to be the bad guys and Gurubhai is the victim in a typically Bollywood style. The climax showing Guru’s victory over the judicial system with a Bachchan-Senior-like soliloquy and the ensuing sanctification bestowed to him by the masses, seems a justification of corporate crime, and an attempt to make a hero out of a capitalist who disguised all irregularities in the name of public good. Guru even compares himself to the Mahatma! Speaking of the film, Mani Ratnam says that he is not taking a stand, he is just telling the story of a man’s aspirations to achieve his dreams. Through his narrative, he remains truthful as he traces the twists and turns Guru takes to reach his goals, why does he decide to play it safe at the end? A celebration of entrepreneurship, enterprise and ambition is welcome. But why is the conflict between right and wrong faded out? One would not expect a director of his caliber to be in awe of either the Bachchans or the Ambanis!

However, flaws notwithstanding, Guru is a good film, not to be missed by lovers of Indian cinema. It is not a great film, but it is a well made and touches on a relevant subject – India’s expanding corporate sector and the ramifications of this growth on the values and thoughts that shape contemporary India.