I am a practising Hindu, says Julia Roberts

The actress caused controversy in India last September when local Hindus were barred from celebrating an important religious festival while she shot scenes for the film in their temple on the outskirts of New Delhi.

Villagers hoping to mark the beginning of Navratri, nine days of worship of their Goddess Durga, at Ashram Hari Mandir in Haryana, found their temple sealed by Roberts's vast security team of 350 guards, bulletproof cars and a helicopter.

Eat, Pray, Love is a big screen adaptation of the bestselling memoir of the same name by Elizabeth Gilbert.