There's no denying the fact that the 2007 release Guru is one of the finest films of ace filmmaker Mani Ratnam's career. The biggie, which revolved around an ambitious man's inspiring journey, emerged as a big hit at the box office and received rave reviews from all corners. It established Abhishek Bachchan as a dependable performer, opening new avenues for him. On Wednesday, as Guru completes 15 years, here are five reasons to revisit the classic.
Abhishek at his best
AB Jr made his Bollywood debut in 2000 with Refugee and soon carved a niche for himself in the industry with films such as Dhoom, Sarkar and Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna. He, however, didn't get enough scope in these films. The Ram Gopal Varma-helmed flick, for example, was perceived to be more of an Amitabh Bachchan show as Big B played the Godfather-like character. With Guru, Abhishek finally gave fans a good look at his acting abilities as it was a showreel for him . Everything about his performance--right from the body language to the mature yet intense dialogue delivery-- was as right as rain. His punchline 'Naam tha nahi...', in particular, proved to be one of the film's biggest highlights.
'Aish' like never before
Guru was a memorable affair for Aishwarya Rai as it marked her first collaboration with Ratnam in nearly 10 years. The two had previously teamed up for the Tamil classic Iruvar, which marked her big screen debut. The Dil Se helmer brought out the best in her again as her chemistry with Abhishek, especially in the Tere Bina song, was a crackling as can be. It was, however, her performance on Barso Re , that left fans asking for more. Her graceful moves and reel innocence made it one of Guru's best sequences
Able supporting cast
Ratnam's films have always been synonymous with strong supporting characters. Nassar's Narayanan Pillai, for example, was one of the pillars of his 1995 classic Bombay, a romantic drama with socio-political undertones. Guru was no exception as it had an impressive supporting cast that included Madhavan, Vidya Balan and Mithun Chakraborty. 'Maddy' added life to the character of Shyam Saxena. His scenes with Vidya Balan, who played his seriously ill wife, came out quite well mainly because of the passionate chemistry between the two. It was, however, 'Mithun Da' who proved to be the surprise package as the added depth the character of 'Nanaji, who was like a father-figure to the protagonist. His tender yet strained reel equation with 'Guru Bhai' added a new layer to the already intriguing narrative.
Timeless soundtrack
A R Rahman has been Ratnam's default choice since Roja, which marked the future maestro's debut. The combination which had previously delivered classics such as Roja Kadhal, Uyire and Jiya Jale, exceeded expectations with Guru. The soundtrack had something in it for everyone. The romantic track Tere Bina catered to the class audiences. The racy dance number Maiyaa Maiyaa, on the other hand, appealed to the younger audiences because of its glamourous setting. Gulzar 's lyrics complemented ARR tunes. Phrases such as 'Baarish ka kosa' and 'besuadi zindagi' in particular became quite popular.
Wide reach
Guru was a pan-India phenomenon in the truest sense. The film, shot was dubbed into Tamil and Telugu, which helped it find wider patronage. The Tamil version in particular garnered a fair deal of attention as Suriya dubbed for AB Jr's character with finesse, retaining the original essence.