Review of Kumaré (2012) by Steven C — 14 May 2013

"In Kumare, Vikram Gandhi sets out to prove how faulty the idea of a guru is, and seeks to illustrate his point by becoming one himself. What ensues is an undeniably interesting documentary that examines the new age phenomenon and why people gravitate toward supposed teachers when, in reality, all the necessary changes comes from within.

I appreciated the experiment itself, with Vikram doing a strong job embodying a guru, but in a way in which deception is minimized. The way Vikram set about his experiment was to have his 'followers' project on to him as much as possible, which gave the documentary a certain validity to it.

As a film, Kumare never ceases to be entertaining. There are a number of moments of intended and unintentional humor, and the subjects' reactions are often priceless. As a commentary on the whole new age movement, Kumare is also successful, having some insightful things to say. I do wish he had been more expansive in his examination, however, as he seemed a bit too dismissive of some of the more cult-like aspects of the groups he visited. Had he spent more time on the psychology of both the groups, gurus, and follows in general, as well as the tactics employed, Kumare would have had more of an impact.

As it stands, a short, albeit interesting, and enjoyable special interest documentary.".

-Jeffrey M.