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Deepak Chopra Endorses The Love Guru
Right on the heels of some heated protest to Mike Myers The Love Guru by some Hindu groups, Deepak Chopra has stepped up to try and put out the fires.
he says that the protests are unwarranted. He discusses previous films and their impacts, the importance of comedy in faith, and his own involvement with the film. “As viewers will find out when the movie is released this summer, no one is more thoroughly skewered in it than I am — you could even say that I am made to seem preposterous. If I don’t take offense and some Hindus do, that doesn’t make me superior or more mature or even innately tolerant. I just know the difference between a belly laugh and a diatribe.”
John wrote yesterday about this conflict suggesting the difference between a movie that spoofs a culture or a movie that spoofs one rediculous individual from that culture.
My first instinct was that the studios enlisted this respected Indian to offer up an ambassador to throw out the “we didn’t piss him off, so relax” and that he was involved in this film, so his opinions about it could have an impact on its success. But then I looked closer to find that this guy is simply a cameo or minor role where he plays himself and he admits that they take some pretty cheap shots at him. And he thought it was funny.
So as much as I still think this movie will be a stinker, I honestly don’t think the cultural offenses are as drastic as the protesters are implying.
A little good news related to a highly unanticipated film. I am a big Myers fan (hes a good Canadian boy!) and would be disappointed if he was intentionally hurtful with his comedy. He has spoofed other cultures before. It’s practically his trademark. But he has always been a class act.
From what I understand Deepak wasn’t brought in to calm the Hindu masses. He was asked to be in the movie by Myers himself because they are friends.
In fact, there is a show on the Sundance channel called “Iconoclasts” which pairs movie stars (and other influential folk) with people they look up to. Myers and Deepak had an entire episode. I don’t know if myers considers himself a part of the Hindu faith but by watching that Ep. of Iconoclasts he certainly has a big interest in it’s teachings.
Oh great, a raving lunatic endorses the movie … another reason not to watch it :)
Movies like “The Party [1968]” by Peter Sellers made fun of Indians and their mannerisms. “The Party” was very tastefully done and as such even Indians love to watch that.
If producers have made this movie exactly like “The Party [1968]” it would have a great hit all over the world including in India.
You do not have to be a Hindu to say that “The Love Guru” movie is infantile. Anyone with a little sense of decency will find this movie sickening. Almost all reviews about this movie is negative.
I saw this movie [ 88 minutes ]. At least two scenes in the movie will make you sick in your stomach. One of them, is students studying in a “gurukula” [Hindu religious school] fighting with Guru’s urine. That is disgusting even for those who love all types of comedy.
I cannot believe a world renowned spiritualist & Best Selling author like Dr. Deepak Chopra has come out in defense of this movie.
Let me give him the benefit of the doubt. May be he was totally unaware of the extend of vulgarity in the movie, until it was released.
Having a urine fight is right in the middle of this type of humour. And you called it infantile but you wont find an argument here.
Myers target audience has been for the simple and cheap laughs pretty much his entire career. And for the most part it works.
If this was released before Austin Powers it would likely have been a hit, but unfortunately this type of humour has a limited shelf life and its been done to death.
Chopra defended this movie AFTER reading the script, so he was well aware of its contents. The style of humour may not be appealing to you, but nothing in it was a deliberate attack against the Hindu religion.