Guru
2007 · Directed by Mani Ratnam
Original language: Hindi
- drama
- romance
The story
A villager, Gurukant Desai, arrives in Bombay in 1958, and rises from its streets to become the biggest tycoon in India.
What it’s like
Warm, sun-struck colour and a sweeping, rhythmic score give this one the feel of a grand, unhurried epic, with the flavour of late-1950s Bombay rendered in dusty street light, crowded market lanes and the glossy, sprawling interiors of new-money boardrooms. Mani Ratnam frames his scenes with a confident mix of wide, flowing camera movements and close, intimate two-shots, so the rise of a determined villager feels both operatic and personal. The music carries much of the emotional weight, with lush songs that swell into celebration and then fall quiet over the quieter, reflective stretches. The pacing is steady and expansive, moving across decades in broad strokes and lingering when relationships shift. Its vibe is ambitious and romantic, with an undercurrent of ambition's costs. The arcs follow a driven man who wins fortune and influence and the people who stand beside him, weighing loyalty against ambition. Intensity is moderate: some conflict, public confrontations and a few tense scenes of business rivalry, with little on-screen gore and no graphic violence, though sexual content is limited to romance. It suits a weekend evening with a long-form film for viewers who enjoy sweeping drama, melodic music and the rhythms of a rags-to-riches story.
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