“Love Guru” Feeling the Hate
“Mike Myers (pictured, with Jessica Alba) must be wishing he had played it safe and turned his talents to a fourth episode of Austin Powers after religious leaders once again expressed concern and outrage ahead of this summer’s ‘The Love Guru.’ Myers’ performance in the upcoming comedy as an American raised overseas by gurus who plots to return to his country as a self-help expert has caused a furor months before its release.” So says Britain’s Guardian newspaper. Hindu leaders had previously expressed anxiety over the film’s depiction of the faith and have once again attacked its tone and content based on the trailer. They claim it lampoons the religion and uses Hindu terms frivolously.
“I watched the trailer for the movie Love Guru and was shocked that any respectable movie producer would so blatantly ridicule a great world religion, a culture, spiritual path and sincere way of life, portraying it as farce,” spiritual leader Swami Pooja Saraswati said.
Hindu and Indo-American leader Rajan Zed has called on Paramount Pictures to make changes to the storyline before the film’s release in the US on June 20. It is scheduled to open in Britain on August 1 and also stars Jessica Alba, Ben Kingsley and Justin Timberlake.
Nevada-based Methodist pastor Reverend John J Auer backed Zed’s proposal when he said: “Neither Mr Zed nor I has any interest in censorship … However, it is crucial that every faith tradition be given the chance to be heard in response to any portrayal in popular culture of elements of that tradition that might be easily misrepresented and/or misunderstood.”
A Paramount Pictures spokesperson said the studio fully intended to screen the film for Zed and other Hindu leaders once it was ready.
