Guru's soundtrack is typical Rahman




In this reviewer's humble opinion, there is a fine line between having your own sound and being repetitive.

A R Rahman is one of the few music directors in Bollywood -- or for that matter anywhere -- who can tread that line with  lan.

And the soundtrack of Guru -- Mani Ratnam's upcoming film which features a Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai, Madhavan, Mithun Chakraborty and Mallika Sherawat -- has A R Rahman written all over it in all caps.

As you listen through the soundtrack, you get the feeling that some songs you don't like too much might grow on you. And you also get the feeling that once you see the film, you might want to revisit the soundtrack.

Guru is generating buzz for a number of reasons. It is rumoured to be inspired by the villager to tycoon story of Dhirubhai Ambani. And the movie sees Rahman reunite with Ratnam, a duo that has given us memorable soundtracks like Roja.

The album of Guru kicks off with Barso Re, a peppy rain song sung by Shreya Ghosal and Uday Mazumdar. It is sparse, Rahman style, and injected with intelligent loops and percussion staccatos. But it does not tug at your heart-strings.

Which cannot be said about Tere Bina. This is Rahman at what he does best: ballads. The heart-warming song also bears testimony to the fact that the composer has evolved from a shy singer to a confident vocalist, never mind that his voice is not what most experts will go ga ga over. Tere Bina -- marked as a tribute to Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan -- is one of the two best songs of Guru.

Next up is Ek Lo Ek Muft, a bhang number sung by none other than Bappi Lahiri. His accent almost disguised, Bappida seems to be enjoying the song, which sounds like a tribal chant at times. So-so, is the verdict.

Then comes Ms Sherawat's belly dance moment. Mayya, with its sensual sibilance and speaker-phone vocals, is very Middle Eastern. The singer's accent is a bit of a put off but I don't think anyone will be bothering about her accent with Ms Sherawat's accentuated curves hugging the screen.

Track number five is Ay Hairathe, sung nicely by Hariharan and Alka Yagnik. The smooth transition from what is almost a ghazal to a Scottish highland interlude and back demonstrates the composer's ease with both Western and Eastern music.

Up next is the techno-beat-meets-Udit Narayan's-voice offering called Baazi Laga. A tad pedestrian, but you never know with the right moves on screen.

The finale is the goose-flesh moment, undoubtedly the best song of the seven-number soundtrack, Jaage Hain. The orchestra rises and the strings swell to conjure up visions of a great beyond. A song full of cinematic promise.

The bottom line: If you want an album to play at a party, give Guru a miss. If you want to ponder over life's deeper questions and listen to music that tugs at your heart, buy it just for Tere Bina and Jaage Hain


Last edited by sur on 07 Dec 2006 00:25; edited 2 times in total




____________
"I am a dreamer,I collect all the smiles from My yesterday,
Neatly pack them into words and hide them in my heart,
I call them "MEMORIES" Music has no boundary.

Exclusive! A R Rahman on SRK, Guru and music

Here's the first part of an extensive interview.

A R Rahman is a man of few words. But once he warms up, he can keep talking.
When we asked for an interview, he emailed just one line: Sure. I will call you. He did not specify a time or day. Given his passion for working in the night, I knew that meant I should expect a phone call from Chennai any time during the day hours in New York.

And as promised he called just two days after confirming that the interview will happen.

It was about noon in New York. For nearly an hour, he talked about a lot of things including how Shah Rukh Khan had become a 'bakra' and how he was 'blackmailed' by 'Mani sir' to sing the Tere Bina number in Guru.

Exclusive! A R Rahman on SRK, Guru and music


On working with Shah Rukh Khan
I decided not to compose the music for his film, Om Shanti Om because I was refused the publishing rights of the film. But we could surely work in future. There should be no hard feelings in this business. Shah Rukh is warm-hearted and a smart producer but he was misled in this case.

The concept of music publishing is new in India and his advisors did not understand what it meant. They made him a bakra with their wrong advice.

As a composer, it is important for me to own some rights to the music, so that I could use it any way I want 20 years from now. For me, owning these rights is more important than owning property. Anything can happen to property but music rights will not collapse.

This is not an uncommon thing in the West. But in India, some producers have begun understanding the concept. Aamir Khan is giving me the music publishing rights to his next film. Rajnikant's daughter, who is producing a Tamil film called Hara, is going to do it too.

On his own label

I want to publish not only my non-film compositions but also the songs of legends like Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan saab. So many singers, including Sonu Nigam, have learned from him. He is my guru too. There are so many gems of his that are unpublished. Even people who are acquainted with Hindustani music are not aware of this music. I want to do it. There is no commercial consideration in this venture. Over the years, I have composed music for films that are not big in the traditional way. Films like MF Husain's Meenaxi or Shyam Benegal's films.

Exclusive! A R Rahman on SRK, Guru and music


On Bappi Lahiri singing the song Ek Lo Ek Muft in Guru
The tune for this song had been ready more than three months ago and I wanted Abhishek Bachchan to sing it. But he was abroad and by the time he would return to India, I was going abroad. So there was a dilemma. I felt it was a special song and wanted it to sound fresh.

Just then, I happened to watch some award function on television, and there was Bappida singing a song and getting a lot of applause. I contacted him in Kolkata the next day, and he was in Chennai in a day or two.

It is amazing that he could record the entire song, which is quite wordy and long, in less than two hours and then he went back to Kolkata. The song has been picturised very well on Abhishek and Aishwarya Rai. It is going to be even more popular after the film's release.

On singers Chinmayee, Shreya Ghoshal and Madhushree

Chinmayee sang a beautiful song for me in another Mani Ratnam film, Kannathil Muthamittal, called Deiva Tande Poove. It became very popular. She has won many awards in Tamil Nadu including state awards. I was surprised to see how she could change her voice for this film (She joins Rahman in Tere Bina, one of the most haunting numbers in Guru). There is more strength in her voice than I had thought and it is huskier too. I love singers who are capable of surprising the composers.

When I first heard Shreya a few years ago, I liked her voice but I thought it was a bit shrill. Now, it is full bodied. Apart from singing Barso Re in Guru, she has also sung other numbers for me, like in the Tamil film Jillunu Oru Kathal. The music became very popular and the film did well in cities.

As for Madhushree, she is growing in strength from film to film. She is one of those few singers who are capable of taking a good composition to the next level and make a big difference.



Exclusive! A R Rahman on SRK, Guru and music

On the Mayya Mayya number
I was on hajj and I heard a man saying mayya, mayya, mayya. I heard music at once. Later, I realised he was selling water and saying the word in Arabic. So I told myself that one day I would record a song mixing Arabic, Turkish and Indian music. That is how the song was born.

The singer Maryem Toller lives in Toronto and sings in a band. I think she is from Yemen. I was working there last year on the stage musical The Lord of the Rings, and got her to record her part of the song there. I added music to it in Chennai.

Maryem's voice is also heard at the start of Rang De Basanti.

____________
"I am a dreamer,I collect all the smiles from My yesterday,
Neatly pack them into words and hide them in my heart,
I call them "MEMORIES" Music has no boundary.

When Mani Ratnam blackmailed Rahman

In the first part of an exclusive interview with A R Rahman, the maestro spoke about how Shah Rukh Khan was made a 'bakra,' and how he made Bappi Lahiri sing in Guru.
In the second and last part, Rahman talks more about Mani Ratnam's Guru, and his other projects.

On dedicating the song Tere Bina to Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan

When I began working on the soundtrack of Guru, I happened to listen to one of Nusrat saab's softest songs called Sajna Tera Bina. It is simple and heart stirring. There is great beauty in it. I was inspired by it and started composing Tere Bina about eight months ago.

Originally, the song was about 25 minutes long. You know I often write six or seven mukhdas and then there are many variations. I also recorded the song Ay Hairathe for the film but Mani sir felt it was too heavy to be at the start of the film. He thought of using Tere Bina.

Suddenly, the song got a life of its own. But there was one hurdle (chuckles). I had recorded it in the voice of Qadir Khan and he did an excellent job. But Mani sir wanted me to sing it. I said, Qadir will get hurt, and I did not want to hurt him. But there was no way of getting out. It became something like: Either you sing it or it won't be there.

So it was a blackmail?

But in a good way (chuckles). I also told Mani sir that I was fasting then and didn't have the energy to sing it. He said he would wait. (The song as it is has some of Murtaza Khan and Qadir's voices in the Dham Dara Dham Dara part at the beginning. Chinmayee joins Rahman later in the song.)

On Aye Hairathe

I was listening to the music of Amir Khusroo and his song Yeh Sharbati Ashiqui. I loved it. But most of the song was in Persian and that was going to cause us a problem. So Gulzar saab wrote the lyrics inspired by Amir Khusroo. I would say it is one of the best songs that have come out with my association with Gulzar.

On making Hariharan sing in Aye Hairathe

It was very important that he sang the song. It is the kind of song Mohammad Rafi would have sung four or five decades ago. It is a traditional kind of melody with lots of feelings but Hariharan makes it sound modern. He has done an astounding job. The song has a lot of masti in it. You feel it especially when Alka (Yagnik) joins in. It is a romantic and fun song. It is the most popular song in the album after Tere Bina.

I am surprised universally people are going to listen to Tere Bina after listening to all songs in the album. Such a thing (like most people returning to one song) does not happen often.





____________
"I am a dreamer,I collect all the smiles from My yesterday,
Neatly pack them into words and hide them in my heart,
I call them "MEMORIES" Music has no boundary.

____________
"I am a dreamer,I collect all the smiles from My yesterday,
Neatly pack them into words and hide them in my heart,
I call them "MEMORIES" Music has no boundary.

Dum dara dum tribute to Fateh Ali Khan

By MIO Team
Dec 05, 2006, 12:58

Music director A R Rahman paid a special tribute to late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan for whom he had high regards. And as usual he decided to do it in style. This ace music composer while composing the music for Mani Ratnam’s next film ‘Guru’ dedicated a song from the film to another great musician Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. This special offering is the Sufi love song, which turned out to be ‘Dum dara dum dara’. With the arrival of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s tenth anniversary next year, this is a special tribute coming from a maestro for another maestro. A cherishable deed indeed by A R Rahman!

____________
"I am a dreamer,I collect all the smiles from My yesterday,
Neatly pack them into words and hide them in my heart,
I call them "MEMORIES" Music has no boundary.

Yes, Guru soundtarck is typical Rehman and after long time we get to listen such soundtrack. Very nice and soothing music. It takes you the post independence era. Will listen to the more tracks of this movie for sure.

Thanks once again.

sur wrote: [View Post]

Dum dara dum tribute to Fateh Ali Khan
By MIO Team
Dec 05, 2006, 12:58

Music director A R Rahman paid a special tribute to late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan for whom he had high regards. And as usual he decided to do it in style. This ace music composer while composing the music for Mani Ratnam’s next film ‘Guru’ dedicated a song from the film to another great musician Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. This special offering is the Sufi love song, which turned out to be ‘Dum dara dum dara’. With the arrival of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s tenth anniversary next year, this is a special tribute coming from a maestro for another maestro. A cherishable deed indeed by A R Rahman!

Tera Bina Lyric


(dum Dara Dum Dara Mast Mast Dara - 2

Dum Dara Dum Dum

Oh Hum Dum Bin Tere Kyaa Jeenaa) - 2




Tere Bina Beswaadi Beswaadi Ratiyaan, Oh Sajna - 2

Rookhi Re Oh Rookhi Re, Kaatore Kaate Katena

Tere Bina Beswaadi Beswaadi Ratiyaan, Oh Sajna - 2

(dum Dara Dum Dara Mast Mast Dara - 2

Dum Dara Dum Dum

Oh Hum Dum Bin Tere Kyaa Jeenaa) - 2



Naa Jaa Chaakri Kaa Maare

Naa Jaa Souten Pukaare


Saawan Aeyega Toh Poochegaa

Naa Jaa Re

Pheeki Pheeki Beswaadhi

Yeh Ratiyaan

Kaatore Kate Naa Kate Naa

Ab Tere Binaa Sajnaa Sajnaa

Kaate Kate Naa

Katenaa Katenaa Tere Binaa

Tere Binaa Beswaadi Beswaadi


Ratiyaan, Oh Sajnaa Oh

(dum Dara Dum Dara Mast Mast Dara - 2

Dum Dara Dum Dum

Oh Hum Dum Bin Tere Kyaa Jeenaa) - 2



Tere Binaa Chaand Kaa Sonaa Khotaa Re

Peeli Peeli Dhool Undaawe Jhootaa Re

Tere Binaa Sonaa Peetal

Tere Sang Keekar Peepal


Aaja Katenaa Ratiyaan

Dum Daraa Dum Daraa Mast Mast Daraa - 2

Dum Daraa Dum Dum

Oh Hum Dum Bin Tere Kya Jeena

Tere Binaa Beswaadi Beswaadi

Ratiyaan, Oh Sajnaa Oh

Rukhiri Re Rukhire Kaatore Katenaa

(dum Daraa Dum Daraa Mast Mast Daraa - 2

Dum Daraa Dum Dum





____________
"I am a dreamer,I collect all the smiles from My yesterday,
Neatly pack them into words and hide them in my heart,
I call them "MEMORIES" Music has no boundary.

Barso Re Lyric


Naa Re Naa Re, Naa Re Naa Re

Naa Re Naa Re, Naa Re Naa Re

Barso Re, Megha Megha Barso Re

Megha Megha Barso Re, Megha Barso


Meetha Hai Kosaa Hai, Baarish Ka Bosa Hai

Kosaa Hai, Kosaa Hai, Barrishon Ka Bosa Hai

Jal Jal Jal Jal Jal Jal Jal Thal Jal Thal

Chal Chal Chal Chal Chal Chal Chal Chal

Chal Chal Behta Chal

Geeli Geeli Geeli Ha, Ha Ha Ha Ha

Geeli Geeli Maati, Geeli Maati Ke

Chal Gharonge Bimaayenge Re

Hari Bhari Ambi Ambi Ki Daali


Mil Ke Joole Jhulaayenge Re Oh

Dhan Baiju Gai Ne, Hal Jote Sabne

Bailon Ki Ganti Baji, Aur Taal Lage Bharne

Re Tair Ki Chali Main Toh Paar Chali

Paar Wale Parle Kinaar Chali Re Megha

Naa Re Naa Re, Naa Re Naa Re

Naa Re Naa Re, Naa Re Naa Re

Tu Tu Turu, Tu Tu Turu, Tu Tu Turu

Kaali Kaali Raaten, Kaali Raaton Mein


Yeh Badarvaa Baras Jaayega

Gali Gali Mujh Ko, Megha Doondega

Aur Garaj Ke Palat Jaayega

Ghar Aangaan Angana, Aur Paani Ka Jharna

Bhool Na Jaana Mujhe, Poochenge Varna

Re Beh Ke Chali, Main Toh Beh Ke Chali

Re Kehthi Chali, Main Toh Keh Ke Chali

Re Megha

Naa Re Naa Re, Naa Re Naa Re


Naa Re Naa Re, Naa Re Naa Re





____________
"I am a dreamer,I collect all the smiles from My yesterday,
Neatly pack them into words and hide them in my heart,
I call them "MEMORIES" Music has no boundary.

Ay Hairathe Lyric



(dam Dara Dam Dara, Chashm Chashme Naam - 2

Sun Mere Hum Dum

Hameshaa Ishq Mein Hi Jeenaa) - 2

(ay Hairathe Aashiqui Jagaa Math


Pairon Se Zameen Zameen Lagaa Math) - 2

Ey Hairathe Aashihqui - 3

Dam Dara Dam Dara, Chashm Chashme Naam - 2

Sun Mere Hum Dum

Hameshaa Ishq Mein Hi Jeenaa



Kyon Urdu Faarsi Bolate Ho - 2

Das Kehthe Ho Do Tolate Ho

Jhooton Ke Shehenshaah Bolo Naa


Kabhi Jhaankhon Meri Aankhen - 2

Sunaeye Ek Daastaan Jo Honton Se Kholanaa

Ey Hairathe Aashiqui Jagaa Math

Pairon Se Zameen Zameen Lagaa Math

Ey Hairathe Aashihqui - 3

Dam Dara Dam Dara - 5



Do Chaar Maheen Se Lamhon Mein - 2

Umron Ke Hisaab Bhi Hote Hain


Jinhen Dekhaa Nahin Kal Tak - 2

Kahin Bhi Ab Kok Mein Woh Chahre Bote Hain

(ey Hairathe Aashiqui Jagaa Math

Pairon Se Zameen Zameen Lagaa Math) - 2

Ey Hairathe Aashihqui - 3

(dam Dara Dam Dara, Chashm Chashme Naam - 2

Sun Mere Hum Dum

Hameshaa Ishq Mein Hi Jeenaa) - 2





____________
"I am a dreamer,I collect all the smiles from My yesterday,
Neatly pack them into words and hide them in my heart,
I call them "MEMORIES" Music has no boundary.

A.R. Rahman - The Musical Genius

Khalbali hai!

With three of his songs having made it to the Oscars short list, A R Rahman will turn a year older on a good note

Subhash K Jha


Bajate raho: A R Rahman

Although the Oscars eluded Lagaan's music in 2001, this year A R Rahman has enough and more reasons to celebrate. To begin with, three of his songs have made it to the Oscars short list of 56 songs.

Rahman says, "They've short-listed 56 songs, of which three, ‘Khalbali’ and ‘Lukka chuppi’ from Rang De Basanti and ‘Chan -chan’ from Water, are mine. I was expecting a list of 500-600 songs, I'm quite surprised. I think the way they look at our films and music abroad has completely changed now. There's a lot more respect for what we do.

They don't think of us as dancing around trees anymore."

Rahman chose the three songs for the Oscars on his own. He says, "I chose ‘Luka chuppi’ because of Lataji. She's the pride of the nation. …I don't know what the outcome would be. I think it's a big honour to be there. But to get to the last 56 songs is quite an honour. My agent in LA was sweet enough to take care of all the nitty-gritty."

Come January 6, and the Mozart of Madras, Rahman will turn 41.

Rahman agrees that he's entering the most important decade of his life. "So far, I've just been busy living life. From my childhood I was surrounded by grown-ups, I never got a chance to enjoy being a child. It took me a while to realise how young I was. By the time I realised that I was missing out on youthful activities I was no longer young. Now I'm re-living my childhood with three children. If I'm able to give them everything that I couldn't afford, they too are giving me back something vital," he says.

The composer shares his birthday with his son. "My son is going to turn fouron the same day. Yeah, he and I share the same birthday. …I don't know how that happened," he smiles.

And what sense has he made of the 40 years of his life? "My life has always been a journey. When I was in my 20s I went through the most turbulent time of my life. Now I spend as much time as possible with my children Khatija (11), Rahima (8) and Amin (4). My studio in Chennai is bang opposite my house, so they spend a lot of time with me. All they've to do is cross the road and they're with me," he says.

____________
"I am a dreamer,I collect all the smiles from My yesterday,
Neatly pack them into words and hide them in my heart,
I call them "MEMORIES" Music has no boundary.

In a flash decision, Mani Ratnam has asked A R Rahman to beef up the Guru soundtrack with two more songs

Subhash K Jha

Two for the road: A R Rahman
After the release of the Guru soundtrack, A R Rahman has been asked by Mani Ratnam to compose two more songs for the film.

Mani Ratnam says, "The two songs are part of the background score. This happens with A R and me in most of our films. A song sometimes adds so much to an emotion, it seems to have a direct connect with the viewer. In our collaborations the music just keeps flowing in, all through the making of the film and even later. Now we have to find a way to get these tracks on to the CD."

Rahman says, "One of the new songs is sung by Soumya Rao. It will feature in the second half of the film, the other is in the nature of a thematic refrain …a chant. I guess Mani saw the need to enhance the musical output. Yes, the numbers are not on the CD. But I feel that should add to the expectancy level of the film."


Mani Ratnam

Rahman started the year with Rang De Basanti and concluded with Guru. "Both are totally different. RDB is more youth-oriented. Guru is more personality-oriented. RDB was a bigger challenge. It was a totally new sound and we worked really hard to get it right. In Guru, Mani Ratnam and I have a track record. This is our ninth film together. Where does Guru belong? You never know how the audience reacts to a score!"

Rahman is selecting movie scores very carefully in Bollywood. "Better that way after what has happened to some of my best scores in recent times," laughs Rahman. "Right now, I'm working on Ashutosh Gowariker's Jodha-Akbar," he says.

Last edited by sur on 16 Dec 2006 01:51; edited 2 times in total




____________
"I am a dreamer,I collect all the smiles from My yesterday,
Neatly pack them into words and hide them in my heart,
I call them "MEMORIES" Music has no boundary.

Soumya Rao - Shining in Tamil and Hindi too

Versatile Sowmya hits the right notes!

She is young, charming, an electrifying performer and a soothing singer! With over 200 songs for films in Hindi, Kannada, Telugu and Tamil, Sowmya Raoh has no more to prove her mettle as a playback singer with a dazzling career ahead.

Sowmya started her career singing for music directors like Ilayaraja, Deva, Vidyasagar and Hamsalekha in the South. Her first major hit was the song Greekuveerudu from the Telugu film Ninne Pelladatha starring Nagarjuna and Tabu. This song topped the charts for more than 20 consecutive weeks making Sowmya one of the hottest and the most 'in-demand' singer of the South Indian film industry.

After a set career in films down south, Sowmya moved on to Mumbai on the pursuance of composer Sandeep Chowta to pursue playback for Bollywood. She lent her voice for films like Jungle, Pyar Tune Kya Kiya (Roundhe), Company (Aankhon Mein Raho), Dum (Jeena), Bollywood Hollywood, Ek Aur Ek Gyarah (O Dushmana), Yeh Kya Ho Raha Hai, Boom and the very recent hit Laila Laila from the film Samay.

Alongside film singing Sowmya also pursued singing for music albums. She sang for Sony Music's album Mitti composed by Sandeep Chowta and Times Music's remix album Jalwa III composed by Leslie Lewis, the super hit song being Hai Re Hai Mera Ghungta. Sowmya recently sang the song Khoobsurat Hai Tu along for Times Music's Now That's Sandeep Chowta and also for Dance Fever with the song Yeh Hai Reshmi Zulfon Ka Andhera released by Saregama-HMV.

Sowmya loves to perform live on stage. She has been accompanying star singer Sonu Nigam in his shows for many months now, besides singing her own solo numbers. Sowmya is also looking forward to her songs in Inteqaam, Khosla Ka Ghosla and Dance Masti's forthcoming album.

Having sung for composers like Ilayaraja, Sandeep Chowta, Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, Sajid-Wajid, Leslie Lewis and Anand-Milind, and with many more ambitious projects lined up for release, Sowmya Raoh is definitely a singer to keep a careful eye on!

She will surprise you with her range and versatility. That's a bet!

-Hindustan Times

____________
"I am a dreamer,I collect all the smiles from My yesterday,
Neatly pack them into words and hide them in my heart,
I call them "MEMORIES" Music has no boundary.

When Aishwarya Rai swam across a lake!

10th Dec 2006 16.00 IST
By Nikhil Kumar

The beautiful actress had to swim across a lake for a scene in Mani Ratnam’s movie Guru .

Ratnam believes in realistic depiction of characters in his movies. And instead of shooting at foreign locations, the talented filmmaker shoots his films in India, where their stories are set.




He shot ‘Guru’ in South India. And he made the movie’s heroine Aishwarya Rai ride a bicycle, walk through fields and even swim in a lake for her scenes in the movie. This is Ratnam’s way of bringing authenticity to the character.

Ash’s character Sujatha, a village girl, is introduced in a song, which was originally meant to show her riding a bicycle. Ash did ride the cycle but she hurt herself during the shoot.

As a result, Mani Ratnam made modifications in the song. Music director A R Rahman composed a new number called ‘Nanna Re’, a rain song. Instead of cycling, the song shows Ash walking through a village and swimming in a lake.

The actress actually stepped into a natural lake to shoot for the scene. She even swam a good distance across it.

In the film, Ash plays a woman who is married against her wishes to a man she does not love. As she goes to Bombay to live with her husband ( Abhishek Bachchan ), her animosity slowly turns into love.

The film tells the story of a man who comes from a village with a dream to make it big in the city. It is slated to release in January next year.

____________
"I am a dreamer,I collect all the smiles from My yesterday,
Neatly pack them into words and hide them in my heart,
I call them "MEMORIES" Music has no boundary.

____________
"I am a dreamer,I collect all the smiles from My yesterday,
Neatly pack them into words and hide them in my heart,
I call them "MEMORIES" Music has no boundary.

Except, because this is Bollywood, we've seen it all before. Rags to riches tales abound in the unreal song-and-dance world our stars jiggle around in, and we have seen protagonists come from nowhere to become superheroes, just like we've seen them fight 81 gangsters armed with their mother's blessings. Dare to dream, it announces proudly, but isn't that the moral of pretty much every masala Bollywood pikchur?

Then again, Guru is a Mani Ratnam film. Which automatically ensures restraint and realism in the film and an almost hushed reverence in the audience. The film stops a few inches short of being a biopic, but the director bestows his character, Guru Kant Desai, with enough depth to make him feel as flesh-and-blood as you or me. Sure, there are enough superficial similarities with real life business icons, but the film (sadly?) isn't about men who share a corporate logo uncannily similar to the hero, it's about Guru. Period. And he's quite the character.

Abhishek Bachchan plays the young Gujarati boy with stars in his eyes and an excessive urge to warm his pockets. After landing himself a job in Turkey (and cavorting with the supremely sexy Mallika Sherawat) he works his way up the corporate chain, before he decides he's got to go into business for himself. 'Bijness,' Guru'd say. Deciding to marry his closest friend's sister because of the dowry he can packet as his starting capital, our leading man strikes gold as he finds himself a dutiful, undeniably pretty wife in the bargain, played by Aishwarya Rai.

Then comes his rise, with lots of happenstance. Strangely, Mani chooses not to dwell too much on his climb itself, preferring to show us bits of success interspersed with A R Rahman's spectacular music -- which, in this case, almost always overwhelms the film around it. So while we have young Guru seeing through a game of cups-and-balls at a Turkish fair and Guru ingeniously winning himself a crucial trading membership on the golf course, the incidents come at a slow clip, minus revelations or insight, with most of the action lying in Guru's crisply-written dialogue, the hero speaking almost exclusively in punchlines.

And a rise so meteoric does indeed owe a tremendous debt to Miss Fortune. But the ambitious achievers, the ones out there trying to change the world around them while you're reading this review, aren't just lucky lads/lasses. They're the ones leaving absolutely no stone unturned, denying refusal and perpetually keeping eyes peeled for opportunity to exploit. So when a furious, sun burnt Guru glares at a big building at Mumbai's picturesque Marine Drive and happens to randomly run into the genial publisher of The Independent (Mithun Chakraborty) who happens to like people with a temper, the meeting is chance. The relationship that follows, is all Guru's doing.

Guru is fuelled by a slew of strong performances. Abhishek Bachchan owns the movie, forcing audiences to sit up straight as it begins and making us laugh and applaud as he carries on.

Bachchan forces himself under the skin of the character, and from gait to accent, proves constantly credible. He's impressive in every frame, as he ebulliently takes over an alien room by hopping onto a chair, or when he's trying to be ever so slightly slimy, polishing his spectacles and showing off his smarminess. He thrusts his chest out in jubilation, manages a paunch to rival his pregnant wife's, and can really, really hold his own (while channeling some of his dad's glorious anger) during a soliloquy.

And then there's his lady. Aishwarya Rai starts off cold, breaking into song a few minutes after Ms Sherawat has wowed the crowds, and despite her newfound penchant for very low-cut cholis, she doesn't quite get you going. Until she reaches a railway station, as abandoned as in Dil Se, reads a Dear Jane letter from a spineless lover, and grits her teeth. This one's a fiery character, solid of resolve and while she melts irresistibly for her husband, is not likely to take nonsense from anyone else.

Ash is disarmingly natural in the film, holding her own even in scenes where she's crippled by a lack of dialogue. There is a spontaneous freedom to her, and this is arguably her finest performance, visible especially when she takes over the film's climax.

Mithunda may be a revelation to Bollywood audiences unfamiliar with his art-house work, but Mani uses him very well in a role that justifies his top billing in the movie's credits. His character is strong but with weaknesses, great but almost tempted to give up the nobility. Mithun portrays this inner conflict with terrific moderation, and is largely responsible for the film reaching a crescendo in the first half.

As for the others, outside of a fine supporting cast culled from television, the lovely Vidya Balan is okay but somewhat wasted in a role that isn't as well-etched, and Madhavan proves, yet again, that he can mouth good-boy lines with extreme, believable sincerity. This one is truly a poster boy for India.

Sadly, the film hinges on greatness, but decides to play it safe.

Even as it builds up, with fabulous, infectious enthusiasm right up to the interval, it promises far more than the second half delivers. The film is about a gray character, about Guru Kant Desai (That's Gurubhai to you) who made questionable decisions, delved into illegality and made offers people couldn't refuse -- a man who never looked back in his overreaching urge to make more money. A character high on ambition, low on scruples and one who considers himself a messiah, albeit purely capitalistic.

Yet while there is much ground to explore this conflict (and the film lays down the ammo in the first half), most of it is oversimplified. While the film does call Guru 'a smuggler' and 'a swindler,' it does so in hushed tones. The newspapermen are painted with near villainous colours, seeming to persecute the almost-blameless hero. Mani looks so besotted with his hero that the film virtually calls his crimes insignificant and inevitable. There is a point near the end when Guru vociferously likens himself and his fight for more to Gandhi's freedom struggle, and our jaws drop till he instantly retracts the scandalous line.

This is irresponsible filmmaking coming from a director of such stature. It's disappointing seeing a non-biopic turn into such hagiography, and while it works completely -- save for a slightly winded second half -- as a masala film, it really had the potential to be Fantastic. It isn't.

____________
"I am a dreamer,I collect all the smiles from My yesterday,
Neatly pack them into words and hide them in my heart,
I call them "MEMORIES" Music has no boundary.