It is said that reality is more exciting than fiction. I agree. After watching Guru, I agree wholeheartedly. Films like Guru take you on a higher plane, without being too arty. It's the kind of film where the end is only incidental; it's the process in which you reach there that really matters.

Mani Ratnam is like the Australian team. Both generate a lot of hype; pundits declare that success is implicit. Yet the public, deep within its heart, wants them to make a mistake. It adds masala to life, innit? But both behave exactly as expected of them - they deliver a winning performance. Well, iss disappointment mein bhi kuch baat hai.

It was Mani Ratnam who utilised Abhishekh's potential in Yuva. Ever since, Abhishekh's career has taken the road north. In Guru, the ace director makes Abhishekh's acting since Yuva look mediocre. It's not about the dialogue delivery, or the body language. It's the eyes. So when Abhishekh delivers his dialogue - "Aap mujhse meri himmat nahin cheen sakte", it's not the fist, but the eyes that enrapture, making the character Gurukant Desai entirely believable. Guru's power comes not from his voice but with his smile, which makes him one with people and also distinguishes him as sahukar - someone to whom rules just don't apply.

If you still want proof of Mani Ratnam's directing prowess, have a look at Aishwarya Rai who shakes off her Ice-Queen tag. Aish's character, Sujatha, is the woman behind the successful man, and not merely the...

protagonist's prop - a malady that affects many Hindi films. Madhavan (who has left the Southy fat behind) and Vidya Balan deliver convincing performances in their short roles. But the surprise element here is Mithun Da - his acting takes you back to his National Award days.

But the film is squarely about Guru. You may feel the other characters have been neglected towards the end. But this film is about dreams. And about the man who didn't allow his rural origins, past failures, relations, or even the law to come in the way - Guru's brushes aside such trivialities with cynicism.

In the end, Mani Ratnam refuses to give his judgement. Each person is free to come to his/her own conclusions. The director slips only once - the climax is filmy and reminds you of Andha Kanoon's court room scene. Guru's lecture-baazi somewhat spoils the drama for the serious movie goer. Perhaps it was done to keep the junta happy. Dhirubhai, I am sure, would have been ok with it.