The Guru *** (1969, Rita Tushingham, Michael York, Utpal Dutt) – Classic Movie Review 9233

Director James Ivory’s 1969 comedy drama The Guru stars Michael York as English pop singer Tom Pickle, who goes to Bombay, India, to learn the sitar (this is the late Sixties) with maestro Ustad Zafar Khan (Utpal Dutt), and falls for the Indian way of life.

Merchant Ivory’s intriguing film is particularly good on the latter, and the producer and director ensure that their film looks beautiful through the reflected glory of the Indian settings. So it is only a thinness in the tale and sedateness in the telling that count against the movie.

However, as always with Merchant Ivory, the actors are given unusual chances to shine, and Rita Tushingham is particularly lively as Jenny, a wandering hippy.

Also in the cast are Aparna Sen, Barry Foster, Saeed Jaffrey, Zohra Sehgal and Madhur Jaffrey.

The story written for the screen and screenplay are by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala and James Ivory.

The Guru runs 112 minutes, is made by Twentieth Century Fox, Arcadia Films and Merchant Ivory Productions, is released by Twentieth Century Fox (1969) (US) (UK), is shot in colour by Subrata Mitra, is produced by Ismail Merchant and is scored by Ustad Vilayat Khan, with Production Design by Bansi Chandragupta.

Ustad Vilayat Khan is the musician on the sitar.

Ismail Merchant has a cameo as Master of Ceremonies.

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 9233

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