The Guru - A Comedic Tale Of Fame

The Guru - In Cinemas Now

Love, deception, fame... and the porn flick that started it all

By Ann Pulbrook - 3rd December 2002 - Back to News

The Guru is the comedic tale of an Indian dance instructor who lands in New York to make his fame and fortune. Ramu Gupta (Jimi Mistry) is an innocent cast in a porn flick and finds that he is unable to perform. Fortunately, he is assisted through the ordeal by the advice of his attractive would-be co-star Sharonna (Heather Graham).

Soon Ramu, heavily influenced by Hollywood while growing up, is discovered and promoted by the rich New York social set through Lexi (Marisa Tomei), whom Ramu helps to discover her own truths. The movie marries elements of the Indian cinema known as Bollywood with Hollywood, to produce a highly watchable example of current Indian fashion that’s happening all over the world.

This movie has classic scenes of Ramu, Sharonna and Lexi combining the East with the West in spectacular song and dance numbers. Mistry doing a Tom Cruise, from the "old type of rock n roll" scene and Graham transposing Olivia Newton-John into a traditional Bollywood dance sequence, with sumptuous sets against grey and tired New York to demonstrate how two highly charged cinemas offer a freshness on the take of their hybridity. Dance is the philosophy Ramu promotes in this movie, with the "move to the beat of your own feet" motto he proclaims.

Ramu becomes famous touting the sexual philosophy he learns through Sharonna and becomes a commercial Guru as a result. Attractive to high New York society, this guise of Eastern enlightenment robs the porn star of her truths.

Deceptions need to be sorted, and love and romance make a come back in the palette of Indian and Western pop cultures by making it public on Sally Jessie Raphael.

The materialism, greed, deception and discovering of truths all are dealt with through feel good Hollywood humour and Bollywood celebration and style.

It is visually extremely funny, with the innocent, and the good intentioned characters bumbling to "follow the beat of their feet".

The ending is a bit weak, but the movie was designed to entertain, not enlighten. It manages to do this in a hip, comedic way, and the cast is a winning selection with performances from the extremely talented Jimi Mistry. Graham is an iconic example of Western beauty and entertainment, and Tomei portrays the mix of hybrid cultural and spirituality with an honorary poignance to work out her confusion, happiness and character’s own values. Also notable are Katherine Baranski as Lexi’s Mother and Michael McKean as the Ramord Producer.

Will we be getting more Hollywood takes on Bollywoood? Or is this a vehicle displaying Bollywood freshening up tired Hollywood themes? Either way, it is an excellent cast and comedy. Follow the beat, and I think you should enjoy this film, too.

Source: http://gippsland.com/

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