BHAVNA S Shinde, representative of Hindu Janjagruti Samiti and Sanatan Society for Scientific Spirituality in the Americans, has said that activists of these organisations will put protest fliers in temples, grocery stores, community centers etc, in America, Canada, Australia, Britain, Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah. Besides educating the communities in these countries about the movement, an online campaign will also be launched, she informed.

Shinde said that in India, attempts would be made to bring various Hindu organisations together and make a stand against this movie. Indian Central Board of Film Certification (Censor Board) and embassy of India in Washington DC would be contacted and protest demonstrations would also be held in India. Protests would go on till ’The Love Guru’ presenter Paramount Pictures makes necessary changes to the movie so that it would not hurt the feelings of the Hindu community worldwide, she added.

On the other hand, supporting Indo-American leader Rajan Zed’s drive, Hindu groups have recently been approaching film distributors associations, exhibitors groups, regulatory bodies, government ministries, theatre owners etc, in various parts of the world urging them not to distribute/screen ’The Love Guru’ till Paramount Pictures makes necessary changes to it.

“…If the trailer is an indicator of the content of the movie…then we feel that this movie is most likely to hurt the sentiments of seekers from various spiritual paths…it will hurt the religious sentiments of millions of Hindus worldwide, who hold the ’guru-disciple’ relationship as sacred…we are supporting Rajan Zed’s protest against the denigration…. Poking fun is one thing, but if it creates a sense of belittling other’s faith, then it is wrong,” Shinde stressed in this communiqué.

G Kendrick Macdowell, vice president of the National Association of Theatre Owners, the largest exhibition trade organisation in the world, replying to one such request wrote, “I am sympathetic to your concern as I have been to the ashrams in India and know a little bit about the guru-disciple relationship. I have not seen the trailer or the movie, but I can guess that it satirises ’gurus on the make’. I doubt I would find it funny. Nevertheless, we are not in a position to take action you recommend …we are a trade association, and we cannot interfere with the decisions of our members regarding what movies or trailers to play….”

Ilona Cheshire, press officer of the prestigious British Film Institute (BFI), wrote in her reply, "Please rest assured that the BFI will not be screening this title nor will be involved with a possible release of it." JL Green, chief assistant (Policy) to the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC), replying to the communiqué said, "The BBFC is sympathetic to your concerns. However, ’The Love Guru’ has not been submitted to the BBFC for classification….”

Meanwhile, furthering the drive pioneered by Zed, various organisations and leaders have been coming out and expressing concern about the possibility of the movie hurting the sentiments of Hindus worldwide and urging filmmakers to be more responsible when handling faith related subjects. According to Zed, from the information available about the movie, it appears to be lampooning Hinduism and Hindus and using Hindu terms frivolously. Various Hindu, Catholic, Presbyterian, Jewish, Native American, Methodist, Buddhist, youth, film, spiritual/religious, music, yoga, civil rights etc, leaders have already issued statements in support of this cause espoused by Zed.

A prominent Jewish Rabbi, Elizabeth W Beyer of Nevada (USA), has called for boycott of ’The Love Guru’ because it “…lampoons Hinduism, mocks ashram life and Hindu philosophy…. ” She further asks, “Who laughs at religious practices?”

Paramount Pictures, through its senior vice president, National Publicity, Jessica Rovins, has stated, “It is our full intention to screen the film for Zed and other Hindu leaders in America once we have a finished print.”

It may be recalled here that advance screenings of Mel Gibson’s 2004 movie ’The Passion of the Christ’ were held for clergy and others prior to its release.

’The Love Guru’ is 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 is directed by Marco Schnabel. The movie is set to release on June 20. In the movie, 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.

Hinduism, the oldest and third largest religion of the world, has about one billion followers. Moksha (liberation) is the ultimate goal of Hinduism.

Paramount Pictures Corporation is a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment.