It appears that the Hindu religion is up in arms over the new Paramount/Viacom movie The Love Guru.

Of course no-one has seen the finished product, there have been no screenings as of this writing, so this whole story sounds like a load of hot curry to me! What happened to the concept of just letting a movie be whatever it is? The Da Vinci Code got the entire Catholic church in a tiz, Mad Max, Mel Gibson’s Passion Of The Christ got everyone and their dog in a roil, oh and I am sure if I put my thinking cap on, I could find countless other examples.

Get a grip, is what I say. It’s just a movie. Movies are not real life, movies are something that is constructed. Often times they are provocative, controversy sells theater tickets.

Self proclaimed Hindu leader Rajan Zed is at the forefront of the battle with Paramount. Mr. Zed lives in Nevada, I had never really considered Nevada as a hot bed of Hinduism. I am sure I am not alone in associating Nevada with legalized brothels, and gambling, rather than a place of higher spiritualism.

Mr. Zed explains..

In view of apparent lampooning by the upcoming Hollywood movie “The Love Guru” and its presenter Paramount Pictures showing utter disregard to the protests, Hindus are considering launching worldwide boycott of products of Paramount and its parent Viacom if no immediate acceptable solution is reached.

I think this whole deal is rubbish. We of western extraction lampoon ourselves all the time. But as soon as we say something about someone else, we get these ridiculous responses.

In the unlikely event that you would want to read the diatribe from Mr. Zed I have hosted the Press Release here.

Simon Barrett

http://zzsimonb.blogspot.com