Kumaré

The subject is a necessary truth and is right on time. The reason the rating is low is because someone gave the movie 2 stars based on personal disagreements rather than on the film's quality. There is no way this is a 2 star movie. I think it deals with a very important subject and there are fake gurus out there, and it just shows humanity's deep need for spirituality, as well as their profound gullibility. I have written a book about shamans and it sort of deals with the same side of the story. My book is called shamans and healers, if you are interested. In short, the movie is definitely worth seeing, and is more gutsy than I would be able to pull off. Good film.

I just saw this movie, and I encourage you to see it if you're drawn to the subject at all. The premise sounds mean-spirited, and one would expect the movie to be all about poking fun at the gullible followers of the fake guru, but it's not like that. Surprisingly, the director (who plays Kumare) does not come off as a jerk who's looking down on the followers he's managed to rope in. He seems surprised, as the audience is, that it's so easy to be accepted as a fake guru, and there is a lot of humor surrounding that. But I thought the jokes were aimed at Kumare more often than his followers, many of whom come across as likable and even accomplished. In a way, the real stars of this movie are the followers, because it's their sincerity that makes the film something other than what it started out to be.

The highly provocative film Kumare had its world premiere this week at Austin's SXSW Film Festival. The film was very well-received and created a lot of buzz, because of how it was made. Everyone was saying you must see Kumare and not surprisingly it won the Audience Award for Best Documentary.

Kumare is fascinating, because it is somewhere between a documentary and a reality TV show. In the film Director Vikram Gandhi moves to Phoenix, AZ where he pretends to be a wise Indian guru and begins to recruit followers to his yoga sessions. He develops a group of followers and keeps the game going for months. Even though he is making it up, he finds that there are many people desperation for spiritual guidance that are easily convinced and willing to follow him. The film raises lots of questions about spirituality, human gullibility, and the role of spiritual leaders. He certainly shows how easy it is for those with ill intentions to build a cult-like following. The film crew took no money and Kumare attempted to teach a message of self-empowerment to his followers since he always intended to reveal himself to them. The content of the documentary was entertaining, provocative, and humorous. From an artistic point-of-view, the young documentary filmmakers should be commended for raising important questions about human nature and religion.

However, many in the audience seem deeply troubled by their methods of impersonating a guru and lying to people about whom they were and what their intentions. At times, the humor of the film was based on mocking the followers for how easily they were deceived by bogus chants and practices. It was also clear that many people told Kumare intimate details of their lives. While it seems that many of the participants benefited from his teachings of self-empowerment, some were clearly very angry at how they were deceived. While they didn't take money, they were using to advance their careers. There is something deeply exploitative in the way that they were deceived. Kumare raises a lot of interesting ethical questions that should be explored by those who are making documentary films. To put it simply, were the dishonest means that they used to achieve a worthwhile and interesting end appropriate?

So much irony in some of these comments here. Much to the contrary of what Kumare preaches, we seem to be quick at judging (more like guessing) others and their intentions, but never quite have the time to look into ourselves.

Yes what he did wasn't the nicest thing and the initial goal he had in mind certainly wasn't to help anyone find himself. What I see is a somewhat brilliant young man looking for himself and searching for answers after being disappointed with all the fake gurus and superstition.

He gradually finds out that Kumare is in fact his ideal self and that he is slowly becoming the real Kumare. He finds a deep connection with people as Kumare that Vikram has never experienced. He finds himself and sees the importance of helping others find themselves too.

I didn't watch the movie with the intention to judge him. I watched it hoping to learn something from it, and I did. Watch it with an open mind, and it will touch your heart.

It's all about what you take from this movie that matters and makes all the difference.