The Guru (2002)

Director:

Daisy von Scherler Mayer

Writer (WGA):

Tracey Jackson (written by)

Release Date:

14 February 2003 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

When he talks, women listen

Plot:

Hindu Janjher Gupta lives in Hyderabad, India, and was in love with a young Muslim girl, however, his...

Plot Keywords:

Dominatrix | Dance Teacher | Fake Guru | Fireman | Guru

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Jimi Mistry	...	Ramu Gupta
Heather Graham	...	Sharonna
Marisa Tomei	...	Lexi
Michael McKean	...	Dwain
Dash Mihok	...	Rusty McGee
Emil Marwa	...	Vijay Rao
Christine Baranski	...	Chantal
Ronald Guttman	...	Edwin, Lexi's Dad
Malachy McCourt	...	Father Flannigan
Ajay Naidu	...	Sanjay
Anita Gillette	...	Mrs. McGee
Pat McNamara	...	Mr. McGee
Dwight Ewell	...	Peaches
Parul Shah	...	Indian Princess in Movie
Omar Rahim	...	Indian Prince in Movie

Also Known As:

Gourou et les femmes, Le (France)
The Guru of Sex (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong sexual content including dialogue, and for language.

Runtime:

94 min

Country:

UK | France | USA

Language:

English | Hindi

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS | DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Iceland:L | Portugal:M/12 | Argentina:18 | Australia:M | Finland:K-7 | France:U | Germany:6 | Netherlands:12 | Singapore:M18 | Singapore:NC-16 (cut) | South Korea:18 | Sweden:7 | Switzerland:10 (canton of the Grisons) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:R | Malaysia:(Banned) | Philippines:R-18

Filming Locations:

Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

During the early stages of writing the script, the writer wanted the character of Kitty to be Martha Stewart or Madonna. They would have played themselves had one of them been cast.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Ramu plays Swami Bu at the party, he has a garland on. The red sections move up and down between shots.

Quotes:

Ramu Gupta: Is the Mercedes in the shop or something?
Vijay: Or something.

Movie Connections:

Spoofs Good Will Hunting (1997)

Soundtrack:

Read My Mind

Extremely enjoyable fluff

An homage to Bollywood, "Grease" and possibly Dr. Ruth, "The Guru" could be listed prominently in a cinematic encyclopedia under the heading of 'cute cute cute'.

As a child, Ramu is seen enjoying john Travolta and Olivia Newton-John singing "You're the One That I Want", which began his love of dance, music and Americana. He moves to the US as an adult to live with his cousin but the streets are not paved with the proverbial gold be had envisioned and when his career as a waiter is short-lived, he answers a want-ad requesting an actor. Much to his discomfort, the movie turns out to be pornography and he is, uh, unable to fulfill the requirements but he does become friends with his co-star, Sharona. She is sympathetic to his plight and begins giving him sexual advice so that he can become a full-fledged porn star. But he takes this advice and becomes a sexual guru who eventually charms Upper East Side socialites, most notable Lexi, and Sharona feels betrayed.

Needless to say, its all okay at the end, and so will you be, if you just enjoy it for what it is. I like the movie far too much to point out the logistic problems, but they are there.

I loved the musical numbers, all the actors are very well-cast, and some of it is hilarious. I liked Daisy's "Party Girl" a lot and after seeing this, I'll make sure to check out her other movies. 8/10.