Maniratnam is considered one of the top directors in India. His films are money spinners. He is a clever manipulator. None of his films have originality. He cleverly adopts the story lines, scenes, even lighting and shot angles from numerous hits outside India. He may be the big box office hit giver to the film Industry in India. But he lacks honesty in film making. Guru is a pathetic attempt to palgarise the Hollywood film Aviator. It reminds you of even Citzen Kane or .. the list goes on. Through Guru's protogonist Maniratnam tries to insist that ends justify the means. The film can be seen for the excellent cinematography of Rajiv Menon. Otherwise it is a film as always with Maniratnam's other films ,pretends to deal with social and intellectual issues and fails. Maniratnam is a clever technician but not a maker of good, original cinema.