Scott Carney Investigates

27. How a Fake Guru founded a Real Cult | An Interview with the Filmmaker VIkram

Sep 23, 2023

Filmmaker Vikram Gandhi impersonates a fake guru to expose the fake spirituality of the American wellness movement. Followers start believing he is god. The guest discusses the obsession with gurus in Hollywood and the power of placebos in the spiritual realm. They also reflect on their career after the documentary Kumare and the impact of the writer strike in Hollywood.

52:52

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Episode guests

Vikram

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

The documentary Kumare exposes the absurdity of the American wellness movement by creating a fake guru and highlights the potential pitfalls of romanticizing Eastern spirituality without fully understanding its complexities and diverse belief systems.

The experiment with Kumare challenges the notion that spiritual experiences must be based on something authentic and explores the power of belief, the placebo effect, and individuals' ability to find meaning and connection in their spiritual journeys despite deception or manipulation.

Deep dives

Creating Kumare: The Journey of a Fraudulent Guru

The podcast episode explores the background and creation of Kumare, a character created by the filmmaker Vikram Gandhi. Kumare, an Indian-American filmmaker, decided to immerse himself in the world of spirituality and become a fake guru to expose the absurdity of the spiritual world in America. Through the character of Kumare, Gandhi explores the concepts of authenticity, spirituality, and the placebo effect. The documentary Kumare, based on this experiment, gained attention and sparked discussions about the nature of spiritual experiences and the role of gurus in society.

Introduction

2min

The Illusion of Enlightenment: Unveiling the Guru Culture

31min

Exploring Habitus, Placebo Effects, and the Limits of Guru Wisdom

5min

Reflections on OSHA and Hollywood

7min

The Impact of the Writer Strike on Hollywood and the Future of TV

4min

Predicting the Future of Scripted TV and Discussing Current Projects

4min

The filmmaker Vikram Gandhi wanted to expose the fake spirituality of the American wellness movement by impersonating the Hindu priests he grew up around. He invented a fake yoga, intoned Sanskrit chants that were translated from the marketing materials of Nike Sneakers, the US Army and G.I. Joe and told people to trust their intuition. What he didn't expect was that some of his followers started to believe that he really WAS god. #guru #cult #breathwork Watch Kumaré on Amazon:
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Scott Carney Investigates Podcast

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