Guru teaches long forgotten principles of economic freedom

I liked Guru, more than most others I think. It’s definitely not Mani Ratnam’s best, but as I keep saying, it is ideologically important.

It’s a very “free market” film, and demolishes Nehru’s “profit is a bad word” logic completely. Excellent instances of how the law is bad, how it is impossible to start one’s business and how being corrupt is not much of a choice but a necessity when laws restrain economic freedom. And the fight between Goenka and Dhirubhai has been romantically captured. An appropriate time to highlight Indian entrepreneurs, don’t you think?

I don’t think the critics had this take, they have completely rubbished the film and aren’t entirely off the mark. Aishwariya is only for decoration and a little wooden, the songs, though wonderful, are actually a hindrance in the narrative, and some of the side plots could have been avoided.

Mithun is a surprise, Madhavan is great as always, and Vidhya Balan is also charming. AB is good (not great), there are moments when you are reminded of AB Sr (especially when AB Jr looks out of the window at Marine Drive, very reminiscent of AB Sr doing the same in Deewar, after he takes over the office). I really like Ae Hairathe perhaps because it doesn’t feature completely in the movie and just plays in parts without interrupting the narrative.(I believe it is dedicated to Nusrat….even better).

So the film is not great as a Mani Ratnam film per se, but if you look at it as a giant endorsement of free markets and entrepreneurs (or India’s aam aadmi), in mainstream cinema, which is hard to come by, it strikes the right note. Almost no one romanticises the struggle to make money and pursue self interest. Sad.

Oh, I almost forgot, it is beautifully shot, you will be reminded of Tu hi Re type cinematography in the songs etc, Menon is great!