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Guru

Director: Mani Ratnam
Starring: Mithun Chakraborty , Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai
Length: 166min.


This film is a first for many as we finally have the chance to see a Bollywood film on the big screen. Further hopes for this film are raised as it has the distinction of being the first Bollywood film with its world premiere in Canada.

Far from a Bollywood expert I’m more of an appreciative dabbler. While the legendary Mani Ratnam’s Guru had potential, for an epic bordering on three hours there simply isn’t enough to care about.

At first I hoped something was lost in translation as the subtitles were occasionally frustrating with more than a couple conversations going by without a single hint at what they were saying. Not to mention a complete lack of subtitles for the fantastic musical numbers.

But no, the scattered plot moved with the rhythm of shoes in a dryer. There were two dance scenes in the first fifteen minutes and while Aishwarya Rai is gorgeous eye candy, it offered little more.

Also curious was the entire theme of the film where a peasant boy grows into India’s largest tycoon. The thing is though, he’s a crook who bribes and steals and runs a business much like Enron. Yet when being held accountable he makes the point that you can’t do business without being a crook. And they all live happily ever after with a clear message that encourages white collar crime. There is better Bollywood out there and I look forward to seeing more of it on the local big screen.

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