The war of words between MIKE MYERS and a U.S. Hindu leader, who is urging the public to boycott his latest comedy, just got personal after the actor told RAJAN ZED to watch the film before damning his portrayal of an oddball spiritual guru.
Hindu leader Zed has been leading a protest against The Love Guru for months after learning Myers mocks his religion in the film.
He tells WENN, "It appears the film lampoons Hinduism and Hindus and uses Hindu terms frivolously."
But Myers counters, "This guy has not seen the film. What he will find is that this is a mythical and completely made up system of teachings in the tradition of The Force in Star Wars and Fredonia in the Marx Brothers movies.
"The system of teachings in the film are completely made up, and therefore it's a non-controversial movie."
But Zed disagrees, and insists he has yet to see a preview of the film because promises made by studio bosses at Paramount Pictures to pre-screen the movie for him have failed to materialise.
He claims everything from the title of the film to tagline about karma and jokes about yoga in the film are "repugnant' To Hindus.
Zed says, "A guru is a highly revered spiritual teacher/master in Hinduism who helps remove the ignorance of the seeker and who leads one from darkness to light. The antics of Mike Myers' Guru Pitka in The Love Guru are a mockery of the esteemed institution of guru.
Indeed the occupation of Guru Pitka on MySpace.com, linked to the official site of the movie, is listed as `Guru/life guide/bikini inspector."
Zed also takes issue with the film's tagline, `His Karma is huge,' adding "Karma is again a very serious term at the core of Hinduism not to be taken frivolously in double meaning taglines."
The Hindu leader continues, "Hinduism is the oldest and third largest religion of the world... and it should not be taken lightly.
"Cinema is a powerful medium and it can create stereotypes in the minds of some audiences."
Zed is determined to fight for Hindu rights prior to the film's release on 20 June (08), and asks Paramount Pictures executives to "immediately make arrangements to organize an advance screening of The Love Guru movie" for himself and other Hindu leaders and be "positively responsive to the concerns of Hindu brothers regarding the content of the movie."
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