THE GURU
US, 2002, 94 minutes, Colour.
Heather Graham, Marisa Tomei, Jimi Mistry, Michael Mc Kean, Dash Mihok, Christine Baransky.
Directed by Daisy von Scherler Mayer.
A cheerful bit of nonsense in the Crocodile Dundee tradition but with the Bollywood treatment. Jimi Mistri (from East is East) is Ramu, a dance instructor in India. But his movie dreams compel him to go to New York to become a star. Instead, he finds himself a waiter who unwittingly auditions for porn movies. (Michael Mc Kean is expertly satiric as the director.) Since his life is always unpredictable, he finds himself stepping in for a guru, the worse for drink, at a swanky party (managed by Christine Baranski who is also very funny as the snobbish hostess).
Before you can say swami, Ramu is all the rage, dispensing advice, consulted by wealthy women. Actually, he gets all his wisdom from his porn costar, played with a sweet naivete by Heather Graham. He is also entangled with his hostess's daughter, Marisa Tomei. How can it all end?
There is a lot of fish out of water comedy as Indian culture meets New York. There is a great deal of satire at the expense of New Age trendies as well as of the 'adult' film industry. The climax, as in so many recent films, is a wedding which ends in a shambles - even though everybody lives happily ever after. If you want to see a song from Grease done Bollywood style, this is your film.
1. An entertaining sex comedy? The capitalising of interest in Bollywood?
2. The Indian setting, the atmosphere of the Indian city? The contrast with New York City, the cityscapes? The world of apartments and poverty? The world of affluence? The world of the chattering classes? The world of the gurus? How well did the film combine these?
3. The musical score, the Indian tone, the songs? The songs and quotations from Grease, the Bollywood treatment of the song from Grease?
4. The popular framework of the film – the stranger going to New York City, being taken in by the city, falling in love, being honest, the happy ending?
5. The focus on Ramu, his family in India, their ambitions for him to marry, his dance classes, his watching the Bollywood films, going out as a boy to watch Grease? His decision to go to America? High hopes? Meeting Vijay and his friends? The reality of their lives, sharing the apartment? His going to work in the café, his being taunted, putting the Chicken Tikka Masala over the client’s head, his being sacked? His wanting to be an actor, answering the advertisement, not realising that it was a pornography company? The audition and his missing the ambiguities? His song and dance routine? His being hired, going on the set, meeting Sharonna? His awkwardness? His friendship with Sharonna, meeting her boyfriend? The discussions, her giving him advice, the common sense – which could be interpreted as wisdom?
6. Ramu and his going to the birthday function for Lexi? Treatment by the staff? The drunken guru? His having to take his place, his innocuous statements, his ambiguous statements, leading them in song? His being a great hit? Lexi and her falling for him, taking him home, the sexual encounter? Her thinking that he was a sex guru?
7. Ramu and his having to maintain his status, his relationship with Lexi, her taking him everywhere, meeting the celebrities, the collage of giving them advice, even Lexi’s mother? His being at a loss, translating Sharonna’s words? His becoming a celebrity, in the media? Sharonna’s discovery of the truth, her being hurt?
8. Sharonna, her background, Catholic, the parish priest, her parents? Engagement to Rusty? Her performance, getting the money, saving for her marriage, for the cake, showing Ramu the cake and his ambitions to buy it for her? The bonds between the two? Frank discussions, falling in love without realising it? Her fear of Rusty finding out the truth? The meal, people approaching her as the porn star? The priest and his reaction? Her being upset?
9. Vijay and Ramu’s friends, their jobs, sex talk, lonely men in New York? Capitalising on Ramu’s success? Going to the shops, the clothes, the cars, the women? Their enjoying their life? Wanting Ramu to support them?
10. Lexi, rich young girl, her parents, the party, giving her everything she wanted? Her seeking her inner self? The sexual relationship with Ramu? Thinking it would lead to wisdom? Her chaperoning him, promoting him? At the television show – and the revelation of the truth? His speaking to her, giving her the turban – and the possibility of her becoming a guru?
11. The sketch of her parents, her society mother, the deadpan remarks, her husband, the sexual relationship – and their being influenced by the guru?
12. The phone call from Alaska, it being Rusty at the church, Ramu’s answer? Leaving the television station? The inane questions? He and Vijay rushing to the church?
13. The ending – like the Hollywood movies as he said? His previously imagining Sharonna as a Bollywood dancer – and the song from Grease? At the church, arriving at the same time as the boyfriend? The marriage ceremony, the hold-up, his declaration of love, Rusty and his boyfriend? The happy ending – and the car flying into the sky?
14. A fable, satirising the world of fads and New Age, satirising the pornography industry, especially with the crass attitudes of the director, the innocuous behaviour of his staff? The scenes, the island, the Roman epic? The business world and the promotion of gurus? Sex comedy? All fitting together with a certain cheerful naivety?
