Guide: Story of a common man how he does great work

Book/film review- 11

(Based on the novel with same name written by RK Narayanan.)

‘’Wahan Kaun Hai Tera Musafir Jayega Kahan.”

Screen grab from the film Guide

       The film ‘Guide’ starts with this song, which is sung by SD Burman, when Raju (Dev Anand) releases from the jail as he completes his prison term. He is on the way to his village remembering the past days. He remembers his mother how he asked him for breakfast, and some embracing moments, but in just a minute, he recalled the days communicating himself how the village slandered and made mockery of him when he was going to jail. 

       And, he turns his way to an another place, visits an unfamiliar spot. He lays on the turf of a temple for rest. The very early morning witnesses his meeting with a villager who is in thought of attempting suicide, but changes his mind after looking at Raju. 

Screen grab from the film Guide.

        The story grows with saint Raju who has now become a great preacher for the villagers. He has started living on the locals’ meal and has indulged himself in doing all stuff in welfare of the village. Raju is now in habit of doing all activities like saint. His dressing sense, speaking style, tone and living standard, all has been changed. 

        Once Raju was said ‘Railway Raju’ for running business at a railway station to sell useless newspapers and books. His schedule was hectic. He picked up old magazines and books from the garbage and sold these to the railway passengers with good margin. It was a profitable business for him that was sustained from his father.

        But, his passion was to be a guide. He was famous at the railway station as guide Raju. One day a wealthy and aging archaeologist comes to the city with his young wife Rosie and approached him for the exploration of a cave. He guides the archaeologist for the exploration and knows that his wife Rosie is not happy with him due to her passion of dancing. 

        One day, the archaeologist is busy at the cave and in loneliness his wife Rosie attempted suicide, Raju saved her. Sequence of events makes her a friend of him and he starts wandering her in the village. His reputation begins going down because Rosie is a dancer and he starts living with her. His mother leaves him questioning his relationship with her.

        But, Raju says nothing to her. He falls in love with her. By his effort, she becomes a popular dancer. Both earn lots of money. Life keeps going happily. 

         One day, she raises a question on him that why he is not earning. And, the relation between him and her goes worsening. He goes jail and after completing his term visits a village where he peaches to the villagers. 

         He learns lots of lessons and one of them is ‘no one becomes familiar without motive’. He gets salvation after keeping fast to receive precipitation for the well-being of villagers. In end, he holds nothing but becomes a great soul.