Entrepreneurial Lessons that Abhishek Bachchan Taught Me as Guru Bhai

Your first-hand experiences will always teach you something, but I feel that movies with some punching dialogues have an equal backing when it comes to gaining inspiration- “Guru” is one such movie. Among the many roles played by Abhishek Bachchan in his career- he played the role of Gurukant Desai in Mani Ratnam’s film, ‘Guru’ a fired up entrepreneur. The protagonist of the movie, Gurukant Desai is a man from Idar, Gujarat who follows his dream to become a serial entrepreneur. Being dynamic, resilient and self-motivator, there are many quick lessons which can be learnt from Guru Bhai:(1)           Believe in your Dreams:

-        Guru Bhai wanted to start his own business but his father opposed the idea as the path of entrepreneurship isn’t easy. Yet, despite all the odds, he followed his dreams, worked hard and fulfilled them. The movie starts with a speech which Guru Bhai gives in a huge auditorium full of share holders of his company, “Mera bapu kehta tha, sapne mat dekho, sapne kabhi sach nahi hote, par maine dekha aur kya hamara sapna sach hua?” – And he receives huge round of applause and affirmation. The reality lies between just dreaming and thinking that dreams don’t matter. The reality lies in making your dreams come true through hard work.

(2)           Confidence:

-        Sometimes even the best of the ideas don’t work because people lack confidence to implement them, in such cases, Guru Bhai provides some real encouragement. In one of the scenes where Guru Bhai enters the “kapda” market for the first time, Mathura Das one of the leaders there tells him that he won’t be able to work in the market as he is “sikhau”. Guru Bhai takes even de-motivation in an optimistic way and says – “Thik aapke baaju mein khade rehke dhandha karunga aur aap jaise pachaas hazaar ki chutti kar dunga!” Seeing his confidence, for a moment, even Mathura Das goes numb. It is important to beat the fear and go ahead and do it.

(3)           Ask and You will Receive:

-        When Guru Bhai is not given a licence to work in the market by an established entrepreneur, Farzan Contractor, instead of giving up his dreams, he goes to a journalist, complains about the injustice and makes sure to get the licence from Contractor. The idea of “Maangoge toh milega” has been nicely explained in the movie.

(4)           Be the Boss of Words:

-        Guru Bhai speaks with a kind of panache which gives one goose-bumps. It is like speaking in a way that strikes a chord. While addressing the annual meeting of Shakti Corporation, his company, Guru Bhai aggressively says – “Shakti Parivar ko Gurukant Desai ka namaskaar...!” By treating the share holders as a family he tries to establish an emotional connection with them. We never know but sometimes, our one single statement can change the lives of people around us. Therefore, make sure to make your words work!

(5)           Be Futuristic:

-        Guru Bhai was an opportunist. He planned ventures which were much ahead of time and in the process, he even observed the mechanics of market with a sharp eye in order to confirm his instincts. Having an idea about your future plans will always help you in keeping things clear and in embracing success.

Apart from the above, I feel that one should always try to build a convincing personality like Guru Bhai which radiates energy, which supports one’s ideas, one’s aura should be such that – “Bas naam hi kaafi hai!” In light of the things, just like Guru Bhai says in one of the scenes, “Idar ke nidar hai hum!”- be headstrong, dynamic and above all courageous. We can change the world even as just students!

-Mohita Adhvaryu