No sign of release of 'Love Guru' in India; Hindus protesting!

Bhadrapad Paurnima

By Rajan Zed

While some groups in India are all geared up for protest as soon as the Hollywood movie "The Love Guru" shows up, but there are no signs of its theatrical release in India, although it is based on various Indian themes.

Starting with USA and Canada on June 20, "The Love Guru" has been released in many countries and has been classified/rated in many others with set dates for release. But it is reportedly yet to be submitted for certification with Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), the body responsible for certifying films suitable for public exhibition in India.

Hindu Janajagruti Samiti and Sanatan Sanstha have announced to "intensify its protest movement once the release date of ‘The Love Guru’ for India is announced, because it clearly denigrates Hinduism and its sacred concepts."

Other groups like Hindu Alliance of India, Shri Ramayan Pracharini Sabha, and India Heritage Panel, who have already expressed their resentment against the movie in the past, are also waiting and watching for the release. According to reports, a Hindu group has given a memorandum against the movie to Goa Chief Minister and movie theater owners and one major theater owner even declared that he would not screen it.

According to acclaimed Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, this movie appears to violate various CBFC "guidelines for certification". He listed the apparently challenged CBFC guidelines in this movie as: " such dual meaning words as obviously cater to baser instincts are not allowed"; "visuals or words contemptuous of racial, religious or other groups are not presented"; "human sensibilities are not offended by vulgarity, obscenity or depravity".

Zed, who is the president of Universal Society of Hinduism, stresses that the Cinematograph Act lays down that a film has to be certified keeping "morality" in mind, besides other things. CBFC objectives of film certification are given as… "the medium of film remains responsible and sensitive to the values and standards of society", "the medium of film provides clean and healthy entertainment"…

India has about 13,000 cinema halls and according to CBFC website, "Every three months an audience as large as India’s entire population (about 1.13 billion) flock to the cinema halls."

Rajan Zed, well known Indo-American leader, spearheaded the protest movement against "The Love Guru" beginning in March saying it appears to be lampooning Hinduism, and has received support from various Hindu and non-Hindu organizations and leaders.