Guru

Guru is one and only Malayalam film submitted by India for the Academy Award for the Best Foreign Language Film. Set in the backdrop of a village whose residents are from different communities , the film tells the story of birth,spread and aftermath of communal violence and how a spark is blown up into a huge fire by elements having vested interests. Also it is a real eye opener for someone who blindly follows violent ideologies.

Reghuraman is a typical common young man who is enraged by the attack on his father by some communal elements in an otherwise peaceful village. The violence spreads across the state and he had to flee and take refuge in an ashram which is run by a spiritual leader. Though he had to live in a false identity in the ashram , he happens to come across some residents of the same ashram who are hurt by the communal violence like him and they decide to take revenge for their suffering. But before his wish materializes , he is shown how grave a sin he is going to commit by one of the spiritual leaders of the Ashram. In the process he made to undergo visions in which he reaches an unknown land where he is the only person who has eyesight. Everyone else is blind and they live in a virtual world where they believe that there is no such thing as vision and it is a false story made by evil forces to lure the human beings. He is looked upon as evil when he tries to convey the idea of eyesight to the blind inhabitants of the valley. He undergoes many sufferings before he comes back to reality where he realizes the real plight of GURU(master or spiritual leader) in a world of blind people(blind with communal hatred) and decides to keep aloof from the path of violence.

Guru can be considered as one of the best shot Malayalam movies as well as technically sound one.A notable feature is the background score by Ilayaraja. The use of actual Hollywood sets for filming the virtual world is one of the highlights of the film.

The title Guru itself reveals much about the film. Guru,meaning teacher,is the one who guides ,helps, a mortal to open the doors to self realization and immortal bliss. The metaphysical connotations in the film along with its good story, amazing visuals,melodious music and superb acting from lead actors make the film a wonderful cinematic experience. What happens to us when we are deficient of one sense is portrayed beautifully ; the film poses another question-ARE WE DEFICIENT OF ANOTHER SENSE THAT IS STILL UNKNOWN TO US a sixth sense. A brain in a vat phenomenon. Any one can enjoy the film as it has multiple layers... first layer is a fantasy (appealing even to a child)second a romance drama,third a thriller,fourth a musical love story , fifth a documentary on communal violence and sixth a visual approach to higher metaphysical questions and existence . Find out what you feel..... This film will surely rock your brains.

Perhaps one of the very few brilliant Malayalam movies that was made during the 90's. The movie uses simple and powerful metaphors to convey the message that is still relevant. I think this movie has industries best in every respective fields. Cinematography and Production Design in this film is one of the key attractions.

A movie that still holds importance in our current world where people are killed for religious misconceptions. The metaphorical descriptions of our superstitions and ignorance showed in this movie are so excellent that it offers an insight into general human imbecility. The movie is severely underrated in spite of Mohanlal sir's incomparable acting performance.

Guru (1997) : Brief Review -

If any film has ever used Fantasy theories for eye-opening lecture on socially important topic in the world cinema, then Guru is that film. Usually, Fantasy genre is used only for entertainment or to tell some humanly important subjects like love, compassion, sacrifice etc. I remember watching some German and Swedish Fantasy flicks from 1920s decade and how it changed the definition of this genre. The films which used afterlife formulas to teach importance of being Alive and how not to waste this gifted life and for 20s it was way ahead of time. Even Hollywood has some great films made in the same genre but i like I said the motives were different. Those children orientated fun films with some jinx, curse stuff attached and then simple life lessons at the end, that's all. But i don't think any film has ever used this Fantasy theme for highly sensitive topic like religious fights or to some extent terrorism. Guru is one such film and it's by far the most hard-hitting film ever produced in this genre. Situations turn a man who believes in secularism into an extremist. He plots to bomb a monastery where the survivors of a riot take refuge but then benevolence of Guru takes him to some Fantasy World where he learns or better say teaches about Humanity. Mohanlal is excellent as Raghuraman, especially in the second half. The entire supporting unit is just terrific. The art designing and costumes here are very effective considering the kind of imaginative world they have created. Guru is one of the finest example of how wide and rich a writer's imagination can take him to break the silence on socially important topic. A big and memorable achievement for director Rajiv Anchal. Not just Malayalam industry but to all the cinema industries across the globe. A Maverick Classic which even puts Hollywood at its feet. Let Guru spread light into eyes of Filmmakers all over the world on how to expand Fantasy Drama Genre.

RATING - 8/10*

By - #samthebestest.