In The Love Guru, a comedy from Mike Myers that opens in the US this weekend, an Indian mystic goes there to dispense romantic advice to hapless Americans. The film, which draws heavily on stereotypes of India and its people, is described by Variety, the Hollywood trade paper, as “relentlessly juvenile”.

Indian characters are often figures of fun in US films. But with a groundbreaking deal in the works that would see an Indian media group finance a new film company with Steven Spielberg, Hollywood may have to start according India a little more respect.