Hindus demand film and book to counter `Love Guru' misrepresentation
10 Jul 2008, 1409 Hrs

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Washington, July 10 (ANI): Leading Hindus have called for movie executives at Paramount Pictures to release film and booklet about the religion with the DVD of `The Love Guru'.

Leading U.S. Hindu scholar Rajan Zed challenged the comedy's star Mike Myers and producers over the film, claiming the movie was "morally offensive".

But his requests for them to screen the film for Hindu leaders before its release last month (Jun08) were ignored, prompting Zed to urge anyone who held religion dear to boycott the movie, about a comical guru, played by Myers.

The film has since been a flop at the box office, and Zed has threatened another negative media campaign against the film and its producers when the DVD is released later this year (08) - unless executives agree to help promote Hinduism.

In a letter to Viacom founder Sumner Redstone and Paramount chairman Brad Grey, Zed and another leading Hindu, Bhavna Shinde, write, "To undo some of the damage done to the community by Paramount Pictures and Viacom through this movie, Paramount Pictures should produce a brief video about Hinduism and its tenets, and enclose it with `The Love Guru' DVD.

"They should also, in consultation with Hindu leader Rajan Zed, publish a small booklet about Hinduism and its tenets and attach a disclaimer at the beginning of The Love Guru DVD to counter the gross misrepresentations in the film." (ANI)