IndiaPost.com - Paramount to screen ‘The Love Guru’ for Hindu leaders

NEW YORK: Following reservations raised by Hindu Americans over the stereotyped portrayal of Hindus in the new movie "The Love Guru", Paramount Pictures — in an unprecedented move for a big time Hollywood studio — has agreed to screen the movie for Hindu leaders before releasing it nationwide. In a communiqué to Indo-American leader Rajan Zed who is the president of Universal Society of Hinduism (USH); Jessica Rovins, Senior Vice President National Publicity of Paramount Pictures, wrote: "The Love Guru - which is still in post-production - is a satire created in the same spirit as Austin Powers. Along with Mike Myers, the film stars Jessica Alba, Verne Troyer, Justin Timberlake, Romany Malco, Deepak Chopra and Manu Narayan (who comes from a Hindu background).

It is our full intention to screen the film for Rajan Zed and other Hindu leaders in the US once we have a finished print." Rovins is publicist on this film. Rovins, in a telephonic conversation with Zed said the movie is a comedy and "the purpose is to entertain and we are not making this movie to offend anybody." Rovins said that after consultations with various people involved with the film, including Mike Myers (the star, co-producer and co-writer), Paramount would issue a statement on Zed’s concerns about the film. Meanwhile, pre-release clearance of "The Love Guru" by Hindu representatives has been gaining ground.

Lila D. Sharma, President of India Heritage Panel, in a statement issued at Chandigarh (India), asked its makers to "secure clean chit from Hindu leaders before its June release". "Hollywood is trying to make money by laughing at our holy men and in the process creating a stereotype," Sharma added. USH has earlier said that from the information available about the movie, it appeared to be lampooning Hinduism and Hindus and using Hindu terms frivolously. Its president Rajan Zed has been demanding that it be shown to Hindu representatives prior to its public release.

"The Love Guru"; a comedy starring Mike Myers (of Austin Powers fame, who is also the co-writer and co-producer), Jessica Alba, Justin Timberlake, Ben Kingsley; and directed by Marco Schnabel; is set to release on June 20 next. The film is not yet rated. "His Karma is huge" is its tagline. In it Myers, an American, raised in an ashram in India, moves back to US as Guru Pitka to seek fame and fortune in the world of self-help and spirituality.

Universal Society of Hinduism aims at providing worldwide Hindu identity, enhancing understanding of Hinduism, and fostering interreligious dialogue. Universal Society of Hinduism has earlier said that from the information available about the movie, it appeared to be lampooning Hinduism and Hindus and using Hindu terms frivolously.

Mike Myers returns to the big screen with this new satirical summer comedy which will be released by Paramount Pictures across North America on June 20. Myers is joined by Manu Narayan, star of the Broadway musical ‘Bombay Dreams,’ along with supporting roles by Ben Kingsley and Deepak Chopra. In the movie, Pitka (Mike Myers in his first original character since Austin Powers) is an American who was left at the gates of an ashram in India as a child and raised by gurus. He moves back to the US to seek fame and fortune in the world of self-help and spirituality.