At a time when Tamil cinema seems to be growing out of the formula madness, arrives Cinema Paradise's Guru Sishyan (Teacher-Student), the name taken from the yesteryear Rajnikanth entertainer.
Thankfully, the resemblance ends there. Director Shakthi Chidambaram has never made any bones about the fact that his movies are meant for a certain kind of audience only; this one's no different.
The scene is Rajapalayam, and you have Guru aka Gurumurthy (Sathyarj, showing his age a bit), the money-lender who strikes fear in every heart. His assistants entertain a healthy fear of him, even while plotting to overthrow him -- most notably, Raj Kapoor (who addresses his boss Kaalu, a direct hit at the industry's Thala), who spies his chance to make away with his boss's collections, and hires Eeti (Sundar C).
The latter promptly manages to indulge in a fight sequence that throws him into the spotlight! He's the newest, most trust-worthy aid to Guru. Together, the two turn the town on its head, bashing up enemies, making collections at aruvaal-point, and so forth. (They also take pot-shots at actors Ajith and Vijay, when they can.)
But things aren't always smooth. There's a mysterious woman Mahalakshmi (Saranya), who pops at random places, trying to get a factory on lease or even setup a flower-shop and the sight of whom Guru can't stand. Mahalakshmi is meekness personified, but Guru vows to bring her to the streets, a command that Eeti takes it upon himself to fulfill.
But what's a respectable potboiler without a twist (even if you see it coming miles away?)
The problem is, there's nothing in the least respectable about the movie. You can enjoy a well-paced potpourri that at least tries to entertain everyone, but there's little to the credit of a film that seriously tests the boundaries of vulgarity and makes you squirm in your seat with embarrassment. Item numbers (Shakeela and Kiran Rathod inclusive) pepper the movie throughout.
Ah yes, the heroine. Gayathri (Shruthi, aka Hema Malini aka Namitha's replacement) is an excuse for a female lead but there's precious little she can do when she's asked to reveal badly tanned arms, legs and a disproportional body. She's made to participate in bathroom humour, and looks unhappy in dresses that don't fit.
You can understand a Sundar C, appearing in three, four, five avatars, filling the screen (courtesy special effects), speaking in his trademark slang and bashing up goons (after all, he's never done anything else). But what possessed an actor like Sathyaraj to take up a role like this? His comic timing is perfect and his silly spoof with Saranya, aping his own yesteryear hit, Kadalora Kavithaigal is neat but otherwise, he looks like he's caught between irritation and dismay, at his role. Being a good actor, he performs his part with ease but he definitely doesn't need a cringe-worthy role like this one.
And then there's Santhanam. This able successor to Goundamani has already made a name for himself but here, he simply carries on where he left off in Silambattam -- lewd jokes, dialogues dripping with double entendre and vulgar displays that do no credit to him (not that he cares). The entire episode that has him dressed as a woman, sparring with a tiger is idiotic, to say the least.
As for the story... er, what? None of the technicians, or Dhina's music, makes a mark.
It's a pity that a director like Shakthi Chidambaram, who can tell a tale well when he chooses to, needs do films like these. Guru Sishyan certainly deserves its A Certificate. Of course, it will earn rich dividends among its target audience; titillation has its followers. But if you're a discerning movie enthusiast, stay away.
Rediff Rating: 
