Hindus urge retailers to drop “The Love Guru”

Hindus urge world DVD retailers not to carry “The Love Guru”

Hindus have urged various retailers worldwide, including Wal-Mart, not to carry DVD of Hollywood movie “The Love Guru” when it is released next month, because it lampoons Hinduism.

Advancing the cause spearheaded by well-known Indo-American leader Rajan Zed; Bhavna Shinde, representing Hindu Janjagruti Samiti and Sanatan Sanstha, in a communiqué to several retailers and others, said, “‘The Love Guru’, starring Mike Myers, ridicules Hinduism, its concepts and terminology. Hindu groups and other religious people the world over, led by acclaimed Hindu leader Rajan Zed have been protesting it since March. They have later, boycotted this movie, resulting in its blatant failure at the box office. This film has hurt the feelings of the Hindu community worldwide…we request you to understand the pain of worldwide Hindus and other spiritual people. We request you to refuse to handle/sell/rent the DVDs of ‘The Love Guru’.”

Besides Wal-Mart, other organizations contacted by Hindus include Amazon.com, Netflix, Blockbuster, Best Buys, Circuit City, Hollywood Video, Barnes & Noble, National Entertainment Buyers Group, Tesco UK, EzyDVD (Australia), Zip (Canada), Entertainment Merchants Association, Reliance (India), etc.

Amazon.com gives the release date of 86-minute “The Love Guru” DVD as September 16, 2008, where it is available for pre-order at a reduced price of $18.99 (listed price $34.99), and where a customer review points out: “…will most certainly go down in history [as one of the worst movies ever made]”

Meanwhile, according to reports, “The Love Guru” is yet to be submitted for certification in India. Hindu groups assert that it appears to violate various “guidelines for certification” of Central Board of Film Certification of India, the body responsible for certifying films suitable for public exhibition in the country. It opened in USA and Canada on June 20 and many non-Hindu groups have also supported the protesting Hindus against this film.

Rajan Zed, who is president of Universal Society of Hinduism, has stated that cinema is a forceful medium and it can create stereotypes in the minds of some audiences. So it should handle faith related subjects very carefully.

ENDS

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