Guru is a 2007 hit Bollywood drama that follows the story of Gurukant Desai and his journey from rags to riches and eventually to corruption. 

Guru is a fictional character whose story seems to closely parallel the real life story of the late Indian millionaire Dhirubhai Ambani. The film dives into the struggles he faced as a young businessman from a relatively simple village background with nothing but the shirt on his back. 

Though he initially struggles, through hard work and only slightly questionable means, Gurukant has some early successes and makes a decent sum of money selling polyester cloth. From this point on, Gurukant’s corrupt behavior and immense ego take over, and the movie shifts its focus to his battle with the media.

Every single moment in this movie makes sense because the plot and characters are so well constructed. It makes complete sense that Gurukant would disregard rules and morality for money, because he has seen what living without money does to someone. It makes sense that Gurukant is fought only by those who he was once close with, because of course anyone else wouldn’t care enough to forsake profits to stop his immoral behavior. It makes sense that the only moral constraints followed in the movie are those of close familial bonds and business, because this is Gurukant’s movie, and for Gurukant that is all that matters. 

The movie is effective in telling the story of a group of people hell-bent on doing what they feel is best, and it impressively turns what could have been a typical family drama into something genuinely worth watching. For these reasons, I give Guru 5/5 stars for its plot.

Before watching this movie, it might be important for Bollywood beginners to keep some things in mind. First and foremost, the movie is set in India during the late 1950’s. Scenes that discuss dowry allude to a practice followed by some poor villages at the time, like the one Gurukant is shown growing up in. 

The early scenes of the movie depict a population suffering from poverty, and these scenes are not at all representative of India as a whole now or then. 

Secondly, some of the dialogue is strangely translated in Netflix’s closed captions release, and so, as a result, some jokes sprinkled in throughout the movie don’t come across clearly. 

Third, and finally, the movie portrays an India that has only recently recovered from British Raj, a system of government much like apartheid that was instituted by Britain. For this reason, the topic of independence from the British is occasionally mentioned, and a theme of pride in independent success underscores much of the movie.

Another thing to note is the large number of song and dance breaks spread throughout the film, a trope of Bollywood films. The movie has seven songs in total, so be prepared to hear plenty of loud drums and good beats. All in all, the movie requires a decent understanding of the history of 1950’s India, and for this reason I would give the movie 2.5/5 stars for beginner friendliness.

The casting and acting are both fantastic. Abhishek Bachchan, son of the famous actor Amitabh Bachchan, plays Gurukant and expertly conveys the complexity of Gurukant’s roles as a public figure, businessman and private citizen. 

Mithun Chakraborty skillfully plays Nanaji, Gurukant’s father figure, early supporter, and most aggressive media opponent. Vidya Balan, a famous Indian actress, effectively plays Meenu, Gurukant’s sick and still positive sister-like friend who is caught in the middle of Gurukant’s and Nanaji’s very public dispute. 

Even less significant characters, such as Gurukant’s biological father and step-mother, played by Rajendra Gupta and Sarita Joshi, respectively, effectively add to the quality of the movie and its tension for the short time they appear on screen. For all of these reasons, I give Guru 5/5 stars for casting and acting.

The cast of Guru often breaks into song and dance when a significant prelude to a point of tension or change in the plot is reached, something characteristic of a Bollywood movie, and each break provides an important transition to the next part of the film. 

The cast of Guru often break into song and dance just before a significant plot point is to occur, something characteristic of a Bollywood movie in the 2007-2008 era, and each one of these breaks helps to form a bridge that connects useful established information with what is to come.

Guru has a total of eight songs in it, my favorite being the fast-paced Baazi Laga. While songs can be a fun way to push a movie forwards, Guru suffers from slow song syndrome, a condition where a movie’s songs are so slow and long that they become boring and negatively impact the viewing experience. On average, the songs of Guru span roughly five minutes and thirty seconds of play time and maintain a slow feel for dramatic effect. For these reasons they can be difficult to sit through, and can occasionally feel like a forced addition that could have been cut out.

The movie does have some good fast-paced songs in it, but even those struggle due to their extremely long play time. Overall, I give Guru 2.4/5 stars for its song and dance numbers.

Overall, Guru is a film worth watching. It’s content and casting outshine any flaws, and it has a unique capacity to make audiences sympathize with situations far beyond the scope or context of their lives. 

The movie can feel slow at times, and it can be intimidating for beginners, but even with no context it is a fantastic watch. With all the stats averaged out, I give Guru 3.725/5 stars for beginner friendliness and overall quality.