Meet, um, Kumaré – Filmmaker Vikram Gandhi punk’d fashion for the sake of a mockumentary in the vein of Borat. The faux guru’s film, Kumaré, is about to be released on June 20th. The New York Times just reported that the man who initially set out to make a documentary on yoga created the Kumaré character as he began to question the credibility of gurus. His character ultimately punk’d fashion and I was there.
I spotted him at New York Fashion Week last September (for a post on modern men) as he spilled out of Lincoln Center following a late afternoon fashion show. I thought it was weird that he took this stance that felt like a deliberate pose here, then seemed resistant when he spotted me taking a shot. There wasn’t a flurry of photogs there and nobody seemed as interested in getting a shot of this barefoot character with a trident. A trident! Here’s an excerpt from the New York Times where he talks about pulling one over on fashion.
I went to New York Fashion Week [as Kumaré]. Of course everyone at Lincoln Center was going, “I’m sorry, what is this? [Circles hand and points at imaginary clothing.] This is amazing.” And I’m barefoot, carrying a trident.
Gandhi’s production company is Disposable – and I’m pretty sure I took a meeting with Vikram and his production partners during one of my TV exec gigs. He seemed pretty likable then, but we’ll see how he fares June 20th forward, after his movie is released. I’m sure his spiritual Arizona ‘followers’, some weeping over his healing powers in the trailer, are going to be plenty pissed.
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That’s really kind of hilarious and ironic; you must have sensed you had a former connection to him via the other coast!
I must have, Janet! If I hadn’t told someone on my team about “Vikram” and the meeting, I don’t think I would’ve made the connection years later. A friend tells me it’s a great movie.