Guru(2007)
Guru is a 2007 Indian Hindi-language drama film directed by Mani Ratnam. The film stars Abhishek Bachchan as Gurukant Desai, a poor village boy who rises to become a major industrialist. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan plays his supportive wife Sujata, while Mithun Chakraborty portrays a newspaper owner who investigates his business practices. The story follows Guru's journey from 1958 to the 1980s, showing how he builds a textile empire through a mix of hard work and questionable methods. The film critiques India's Licence Raj system, which made it difficult for poor entrepreneurs to succeed legally. Guru was produced by Madras Talkies and features music by A.R. Rahman. It received critical acclaim for its performances and storytelling, winning 18 awards. The film was released on January 12, 2007, and ran for 162 minutes.
Quick Facts
- Streaming on
- Netflix
- Theatrical Release
- 1 January 2007
- Director
- Mani Ratnam
- Language
- Hindi
- Runtime
- 2h 42m
- Rating
- 7.4/10
Storyline
A poor village boy named Gurukant Desai arrives in Bombay in 1958 with nothing but ambition. He dreams of building India's biggest company. But the Licence Raj system and powerful businessmen stand in his way. He must decide whether to play by the rules or break them to succeed.
“One man's dream to build an empire.”
Film Details
Parental Guide
Where to Watch
Vibe & Tags
Cast & Crew
Reunion Meter
Frequent partnerships reunited for Guru
Cast reunions in this film: Mani Ratnam & A. R. Rahman (20 films together), Aishwarya Rai Bachchan & A. R. Rahman (10 films together), Aishwarya Rai Bachchan & Abhishek Bachchan (6 films together), A. R. Rahman & Rajiv Menon (6 films together), Mani Ratnam & Aishwarya Rai Bachchan (5 films together), and R. Madhavan & A. R. Rahman (5 films together).
Trivia
- The film's climax scene was shot in a real stock exchange in Mumbai, with real traders as extras.
- Mani Ratnam originally planned to make the film in Tamil, but later decided to make it in Hindi.
- A.R. Rahman composed the music in just 10 days, which is unusually fast for him.
- The character of Gurukant Desai is loosely inspired by the life of Indian industrialist Dhirubhai Ambani.
- Abhishek Bachchan gained weight for the role to look older in the later parts of the film.
- The film's title 'Guru' was almost changed to avoid confusion with another film releasing around the same time.
- Mithun Chakraborty's role as Manik Das Gupta was written specifically for him after Mani Ratnam saw his earlier work.