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Feb. 19, 2003
The Guru has plenty of chi
In classic Bollywood (Indian film) style, The Guru explodes onto the screen in a burst of dance, song, and all-around pizzazz. And in classic Hollywood style, The Guru fails to provoke even the remotest semblance of romantic humor or insight, falling back on used and abused genre clichés for its love story segments. But the film has so many other redeeming qualities in terms of social commentary and overall entertainment value that perhaps the formulaic and idealistic romance can be forgiven. Perhaps.
And The Guru hints that the typicality of the romance is intentional, playing into the film’s other under-the-table western movie critiques, yet
satire needs to be much more clearly defined to avoid falling into the very category it is parodying. Still, The Guru is a fabulous ride through excitement, adventure, and the American dream.
Premised upon Indian man Ramu Gupta (Jimi Mistry) coming to America in order to achieve the stardom and success he believes his previously immigrated brother has already attained, the film follows his trek through the streets of New York and some of Hollywood’s darker corners.
Once Ramu arrives, he finds his money-grubbing cousin Vijay (Emil Marwa is nothing more than a taxi cab driver— which, Vijay is quick to inform Ramu, is all that any Indian man can hope to become in the gilded streets of America (well, that and a 7-11 employee). But Ramu is a believer in the Dream. And it seems his hopes are thoroughly justified when he gets his first movie role… only to discover the role is in a low-quality porn flick.
Fleeing the scene and his own sexual inabilities with lovely adult film starlet Sharonna (Heather Graham, looking far too classy for the part), Ramu resigns himself somewhat to his rather dismal fate. Working in a wealthy family’s kitchen, however, is where he finds that elusive silver screen glory.
After the family’s hired guru dies unexpectedly just before he must perform for their dinner party, Ramu is shoved into the guru’s shimmery outfit faster than he can even begin a protest. Surprise! Ramu is a resounding success and the family daughter falls for his class act with all the zeal of ages spent pent-up in material living.
She becomes his manager of sorts, garnering him all kinds of new guru jobs across L.A.’s wealthiest malcontents. Ramu, knowing that his sexual advice is what defines his “guru" character, heads back to the only place he knows to find such knowledge in abundance: Sharonna. Only Sharonna doesn’t want her advice shared with the entire public, so Ramu receives her tutelage under the pretense that he is interested in the business and needs her guidance to retrieve his “mojo."
Meanwhile, Sharona is promoting a fairly heavy deception herself, on her husband-to-be Rusty, saying that she is a simple Catholic schoolgirl. Wait, but could it be that Ramu and Sharonna might find themselves more than a little smitten? Of course, and it’s patently evident from their first meeting.
Interspersed musical numbers bring flair and excitement to the slightly dull love story and highlight the interesting Indian star in America plotline. Ramu and friends are constantly commenting on the racial stereotypes that are undeniably present in virtually every American, most notably the wealthy elite. The Guru brings to our attention the dormant classism and prejudice within American society through humorous interludes and offhand comments, slightly barbed underneath their comedic surface.
The film is a fabulous construct designed to inoffensively surface the narrow-mindedness and typecasting that exists somewhere within all of us. Just spare us the cheesy fairytale romance, please.
And The Guru hints that the typicality of the romance is intentional, playing into the film’s other under-the-table western movie critiques, yet
Official movie poster
Premised upon Indian man Ramu Gupta (Jimi Mistry) coming to America in order to achieve the stardom and success he believes his previously immigrated brother has already attained, the film follows his trek through the streets of New York and some of Hollywood’s darker corners.
Once Ramu arrives, he finds his money-grubbing cousin Vijay (Emil Marwa is nothing more than a taxi cab driver— which, Vijay is quick to inform Ramu, is all that any Indian man can hope to become in the gilded streets of America (well, that and a 7-11 employee). But Ramu is a believer in the Dream. And it seems his hopes are thoroughly justified when he gets his first movie role… only to discover the role is in a low-quality porn flick.
Fleeing the scene and his own sexual inabilities with lovely adult film starlet Sharonna (Heather Graham, looking far too classy for the part), Ramu resigns himself somewhat to his rather dismal fate. Working in a wealthy family’s kitchen, however, is where he finds that elusive silver screen glory.
After the family’s hired guru dies unexpectedly just before he must perform for their dinner party, Ramu is shoved into the guru’s shimmery outfit faster than he can even begin a protest. Surprise! Ramu is a resounding success and the family daughter falls for his class act with all the zeal of ages spent pent-up in material living.
She becomes his manager of sorts, garnering him all kinds of new guru jobs across L.A.’s wealthiest malcontents. Ramu, knowing that his sexual advice is what defines his “guru" character, heads back to the only place he knows to find such knowledge in abundance: Sharonna. Only Sharonna doesn’t want her advice shared with the entire public, so Ramu receives her tutelage under the pretense that he is interested in the business and needs her guidance to retrieve his “mojo."
Meanwhile, Sharona is promoting a fairly heavy deception herself, on her husband-to-be Rusty, saying that she is a simple Catholic schoolgirl. Wait, but could it be that Ramu and Sharonna might find themselves more than a little smitten? Of course, and it’s patently evident from their first meeting.
Interspersed musical numbers bring flair and excitement to the slightly dull love story and highlight the interesting Indian star in America plotline. Ramu and friends are constantly commenting on the racial stereotypes that are undeniably present in virtually every American, most notably the wealthy elite. The Guru brings to our attention the dormant classism and prejudice within American society through humorous interludes and offhand comments, slightly barbed underneath their comedic surface.
The film is a fabulous construct designed to inoffensively surface the narrow-mindedness and typecasting that exists somewhere within all of us. Just spare us the cheesy fairytale romance, please.
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