The Guru (2002)

User Rating:

5.5/10   

Director:

Daisy von Scherler Mayer

Writer (WGA):

Tracey Jackson (written by)

Release Date:

14 February 2003 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Fantasy | Music | Romance

Tagline:

When he talks, women listen

Plot:

Bored with Bollywood movies but fascinated with their Hollywood counterparts from his youth, Ram dreams to become a singer and actor in America...

Plot Keywords:

Waiter | Bollywood | Restaurant | India | 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:

Le gourou et les femmes (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:

Dolby Digital | SDDS | DTS

Certification:

Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | 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 Sharonna is teaching Ramu about moving one's body to music, Ramu's pendant jumps in and out of his shirt between shots.

Quotes:

Mira: Ramu is on TV!
Mrs. Gupta: What he is talking about?
Nana: Sexual intercourse.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Film Geek (2005)

Soundtrack:

Every Kinda People

Bollywood in Hollywood

In India, the dance teacher Ramu Gupta (Jimi Mistry) decides to move to New York to become a famous actor. He believes in the American Dream and wants the follow the example of his friend Vijay (Emil Marwa), who moved to USA and in accordance with his letters, has a Mercedez Benz and lives in a wonderful penthouse. When Ramu arrives in New York, he realizes that Vijay indeed is a complete loser, working as a cab driver and waiter in an Indian restaurant, and sharing a simple apartment with two other friends, one of them illegal. While looking for a job as an actor, the naive Ramu ends in a porn movie, and he meets the porn star Sharonna (Heather Graham), who teaches him some secrets to have a good performance in front of the camera and the shooting crew. Later, in the birthday party of Lexi (Marisa Tomei) in the wealthy house of her parents, he pretends to be a guru, and becomes very successful as the Guru of Sex, using the advice of Sharonna. This silly and delightful story is a great homage to Bollywood and a very good entertainment. Like in the Indian movies of Bollywood, there are lots of songs and numbers of dances, and the cast is very nice and enjoyable. Heather Graham and Marisa Tomei are beautiful as usual, and there are many funny scenes. It is impossible not liking such a sweet romantic comedy. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "O Guru do Sexo" ("The Guru of the Sex")