GuruBhai - A Documentary

I saw Gurubhai yesterday. Luckily my habit of not reading reviews or stories earlier about the movie helped me not to makeup any mindset. I was surprised to see it was a documentary movie based entirely on Dhirubhai, the great. Looking at the trailer where Aish dances made me feel she represented some place in South India. I guess the dance was pictured somewhere in Pondichery and fall might be Jog falls in Karnataka. Google also says that this waterfall might be 'Athirapally, near Kochi'. I haven't seen any of these beautiful places :-( so cannot confirm the true location . But really
I never imagined Aish to portray a Gujju girl.

Talking about the movie; Mani Ratnam has pictured the movie nicely. Aish again looked good in first half when she had somewhat bubbly role. She didn't justify the character when character grows in age and needs to showcase more mature emotions and support. Abhishek has done roles in past where he portrays his rise in corporate world and suits them. Madhavan and Vidya balan though, not given strong characters, made their presence felt in the movie. Overall, all artist did justice but the movie is not full entertainer. Someone who is not interested in corporate world or cannot relate to story, will feel lost.

Luckily, I had read Business Maharajas by Gita Piramal back in India. So I was kind of aware of Ambani's story, running a business in license raj, wading import and export duties. Its doesn't need great intelligence to know that this movie is on Dhirubhai Ambani even if the director denies it. On searching more I realised that there is a biography on Ambani titled The Polyester Prince: The Rise of Dhirubhai Ambani by Hamish McDonald. This book is banned in India - thanks to Ambani families influence.


Now let me make an attempt to find similarities in Movie and life of Dhirubhai. Dhirubhai was from small Gujrati community and started his career by going to Aden and working for Shell. In our movie Gurubhai goes to Turkey and starts as some oil can distributor. Both characters, real one and reel one, learned basics of business by quoting prices on rice, spices. Dhirubhai and Gurubhai set their dreams on Polyester. In eighties when India had license raj both had to find their ways to do business. Goenka of Indian express was mainstream paper trying to publish all wrong doings of Reliance. Goenka and Dhirubhai had known each personally as Mithun and Gurubhai knew each other. But as Mithun has portrayed the character of truthful editor, Goenka was same at that time.


To end the blogging, I never felt in the movie a desire to leave the theatre. It was nicely paced and I enjoyed 2.5hrs in the theatre.

Lovely dialogue sequence which made me smile at unexpected second half.
Gurubhai ( Talking to sharat on his reporting against Guru) - What do you think you are doing
Reporter - I think I am cooking, you can eat too. I cook good :-) hahahhehihiehuu..totally unexpected reply.