Guide

Recently I happened to watch the movie Guide and truly it left and indelible impression on me. The movie was released way back in 1965 and I remember watching it on TV when I was a child, but I realize now how little I could really understand the real sense of the movie at that time. Just like those hundreds of songs which I used to sing in my school assembly hardly contemplating on what they meant, they all sounded so larger than life so out of the world to me, but may be I never knew the real outside world back then. Its only today that I am just beginning to really absorb what those songs in school really meant in the truest sense and its only today that I am just beginning to understand the movie Guide. So here goes goes my review of this 1965 classic by Vijay Anand (director) and RK Narayan (writer of the novel Guide).

Raju (Dev Anand) is tour guide who takes visitors, Indian and foreign, to historic sites around Udaipur and tells them stories--some true, some embellished. One day a wealthy archaeologist Marco comes to Udaipur, with his wife Rosie (Waheeda Rehman).The couple aren't having a good marital life as the husband is more interested in dead caves more than his wife.Moreover Rosie had an irresistible passion for dancing which was completely unacceptable for Marco.Things get worse in Udaipur as Rosie discovers Marco enjoying the company of a native girl. Raju induces Rosie to retaliate and then induces dreams in her eyes.Rosie leaves Marco.

Later Rosie becomes a phenomenon in the nation and abroad,the two of(Raju and Rosie) them churn a lot of money. However owing to circumstances Raju forges Rosie's sign in a document sent by Marco and ends up in the jail.When he is released from the prison, he decides to forget his past and move on in his life.

Now the story takes a philosophical turn and the happy go lucky guide wanders off after the jail sentence disenchanted with his life. He reaches a desolate village and with his knowledge and wit finds himself as a swami of the ignorant people. They put full faith in him and turn to him in any crisis. Then the village faces a famine and the villagers have such immense faith in him that they ask him to go on a fast to please the Gods. He pleads that he can't do that and also tells the truth about himself but the faith of the villagers forces him to take a fast. He abstains from eating and drinking anything till it rains and sets the stage for his death but he has desires ant he doesn't want to die. He tries to run away from the village but the faith of the people pulls him back. Then comes the struggle between his conscience and his outer self, this is the best part of the film and this is what makes it a classic. It is then when he realizes the real God within himself. Watching this movie was truly spiritual experience even for an agnostic person like me.

Like some of the funky Hollywood movies like Pulp Fiction, Memento, The Usual Suspects and The Zero Effect this movie is not shown in the correct chronological order. We first see Raju as he is getting out of jail and we first see Rosy as she begins her search for him. The story then unfolds in flashbacks from both his and Rosy's perspectives, keeping the audience spellbound throughout, truly the genius of Vijay Anand deserves all the credit for this. No doubts this movie is used as a textbook for directing films in many academies.

The songs of the movie are brilliant and they synergies with its story. Only the genius of S.D. Burman could create "Din Dhal Jaaye", "Tere Mere Sapne", and "Piya Tose Naina Laage Re", "Kya se Kya ho gaya" , "Gata Rahe Mera Dil" - all for the same film! It is rumored that R.D. Burman composed some of the songs (especially "Aaj Phir Jeene Ki") as his father had taken ill at some critical point during the making of the film.

The Guide has most Indian geeky philosophies like 'Atma' (soul), Parmatma (supreme soul of perfect consciousness), Tapasya (austerity), Moksha (liberation). Also RK Narayan looks for answers to nothing less that the deepest and toughest questions of life through Guide. Like what are we really searching for? Just fame, fortune, love? Or is it altruism, God, or something even bigger than that?

The gist of the movie is that true Religion is not talk, or doctrines, or theories, nor is it sectarianism. It is in the relation between Soul and God. Religion does not consist in erecting temples, mosques or building churches, or attending public worship. It is not to be found in books, or in words, or in lectures, or in organizations. True Religion lies in realization. We must realize God, feel God, see God, talk to God. "True Salvation lies within ".

In the end I will sum up with a beautiful piece of lyrics from the song "wahan kaun hai tera ?" penned by the legendary Shailendra.
"Kehte hai Gyani.... Duniyaa Hai Faani (fake)....
Paani pe likhi likhayiii....
Hai Sabki Dekhi Hai Sabki Jaani...
Haath Kisike na aayi....
Kuch tera na mera Musafir..... jayega kahan ?"