“Love Guru” Bawdy, Crude and Often Funny

Published June 20th, 2008

Hindu organizations have been e-mailing me for the past three moths, protesting the impending release of “The Love Guru,” starring Mike Myers.

“Love Guru” is bawdy, crude and juvenile, but it does not specifically target Hindus in its satire. Myers is spoofing the bigger picture of self-help profiteers, and he even gets Deepak Chopra into the act.

The Indian-born Chopra, 61, is a trained medical doctor as well as a leading author, thinker and entrepreneur who has lived in the USA since 1970.

Mike Myers’ Guru Pitka is no such thing. He is to spiritual gurus what Austin Powers is to secret agents: a total joke.
Because he is a joke we are allowed to laugh at the misadventures of Pitka, who was born in America bought found enlightenment in India from a cross-eyed, flatulent guru.

The plot hinges on the slim premise of Pitka being hired by Toronto Maples Leafs owner Jane Bullard. Jane is played by babelicious Jessica Alba, but everyone hates her because the Leafs have been on a 40-year losing steak. Pitka’s assignment is to motivate star player Darren Roanoke (Romany Malco) to win, but it’s a tall assignment because Darren’s wife has run off with Jacques Grande (Justin Timberlake), star player for the L.A. Kings.