Guru (2007)
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An ambitious man from a small village navigates the complexities of industrial growth and systemic corruption to build a massive corporate empire.
The story
In 1951, in the village of Idar, Gujarat, ambitious young man Gurukant "Guru" Desai dreams of financial success despite his pragmatic father. Determined to make his fortune, Guru travels to Turkey, enters the spice trade, and later joins Burmah Shell. After declining a major promotion, he returns to India to establish his own business. He partners with a childhood friend and marries the friend's sister to secure capital. Moving to Bombay, Guru establishes a textile trading business. As his ambition grows, he faces the challenges of the "License Raj," navigating a landscape of bureaucracy and competition to expand his burgeoning enterprise into a significant industrial presence.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1951, Gurukant "Guru" Desai leaves his home in Gujarat to seek fortune, eventually establishing a textile business in Bombay with his friend Jignesh. To secure capital, Guru marries Jignesh's sister, Sujata. While their marriage begins for financial reasons, they develop a deep bond. As Guru's company, Shakti Corporation, grows, he faces opposition from his mentor, Manik "Nanaji" Dasgupta, who tries to expose his use of bribes and illegal tactics to bypass the "License Raj." Amidst a legal battle and a media campaign led by reporter Shyam Saxena, Guru suffers a stroke that leaves him partially paralyzed. In 1980, a disabled Guru faces a government tribunal on 29 fraud charges. He argues that the corrupt bureaucracy left him no choice but to use illegal means to survive. The tribunal clears him of 27 charges, and he is allowed to continue his work. He concludes by addressing his shareholders in a stadium, declaring his success and urging the expansion of their empire globally.
- First release year
- 2007
- Runtime (minutes)
- 162
- Production countries
- India
- Original languages
- Hindi
- Directors
- Mani Ratnam
- Writers
- Mani Ratnam · screenplay; Vijay Krishna Acharya · Hindi dialogues
- Cast and characters
- Abhishek Bachchan · Gurukant "Guru" Desai; Aishwarya Rai · Sujata "Suju" Desai; Mithun Chakraborty · Nanaji Manik Dasgupta; R. Madhavan · Shyam Saxena; Vidya Balan · Meenakshi "Meenu" Saxena
- Genres
- drama
- Themes
- ambition; success; corporate growth; corruption
- Tone and mood
- epic; serious
- Setting
- India, from 1951 to 1980
- Premise and plot tags
- rags to riches; biographical fiction
- Reception
- The film received positive reviews, with praise for the lead performance and the scale of the narrative.
- Awards and nominations
- Best Music Director · Filmfare Awards · 53rd · win; Best Background Score · Filmfare Awards · 53rd · win; Best Music Director · IIFA awards · 9th · win; Best Background Score · IIFA awards · 9th · win
- Production trivia
- The film was rumored to be a biopic of Dhirubhai Ambani, but the director clarified it was fiction.; It was the first Indian film to have a mainstream international premiere in Canada.; The soundtrack was the year's twelfth highest-selling album in India.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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