By:
Subhash
K.
Jha,
IndiaFM
Tuesday,
December
19,
2006
Though
the
film
has
some
uncanny
resemblances
to
the
life
of
the
industrialist
Dhirubhai
Ambani,
Mani
Ratnam
insists
the
plot
in
his
latest
film
Guru
is
rooted
to
a
cinematic
reality.
"Hopefully
it'll
have
some
connect
with
real
life," he
says
amidst
hectic
sessions
of
background
music
with
A.R
Rahman.
Why
did
Mani
cast
Abhishek
in
a
role
that
required
a
huge
historical
and
chronological
journey?
Mani
can't
seem
to
get
enough
of
his
Yuva
lead.
"Abhishek
was
the
first
choice
for
Guru
and
I
am
very
happy
about
his
work.
I
think
he
is
growing
remarkably
as
an
actor.
If
you
shift
me
back
to
the
start
and
ask
me
who
you
will
cast
as
Guru
I
will
go
back
to
Abhishek."
This
is
also
the
second
time
that
Mani
has
worked
with
Aishwarya
Rai.
"I
was
quite
happy
with
what
Ash
did
in
Irruvar.
I
thought
she
was
quite
remarkable,
given
that
it
was
her
first
film
and
in
a
language
(Tamil)
that
she
did
not
know.
In
Guru
she
was
speaking
Hindi,
so
it
must
have
been
much
easier
on
her.
She
has
done
the
role
with
a
lot
of
dignity
and
poise.
She
remained
very
close
to
the
character
and
has
done
it
with
ease.
In
a
film
that
is
based
on
Guru
she
stands
tall
and
strong."
Mani
has
finished
the
film
in
record
time.
Why
the
rush?
Is
it
because
he
needed
to
get
into
your
Aamir-Kareena
starrer
Lajjo
right
away?
"No
rush
at
all!
I'm
just
doing
work
that
I
am
paid
to
do.
It
was
planned
as
a
single-schedule
film
and
we
finished
our
major
work
by
June-end.
Aamir-Kareena
film
has
now
been
rescheduled
to
the
second
half
of
2007."
Looking
back,
does
Mani
Ratnam
see
Yuva
as
an
experience
that
didn't
connect
as
much
with
the
audience
as
you
hoped
it
would?
He
refuses
to
find
excuses
for
the
film's
failure?
"There
is
always
room
to
try
something
new.
Be
it
in
content
or
form
or
look.
And
when
you
do
try
something
new
there
is
always
a
chance
that
that
it
may
not
connect
fully
with
the
audience.
That
is
a
risk
that
a
filmmaker
has
to
take.
If
you
take
the
credit
when
it
works
you
have
to
take
the
blame
when
a
film
does
not.
But
that
should
not
stop
you
from
growing
and
take
a
few
more
steps
ahead.
That's
where
Guru
has
taken
me."