“Lage raho Mahatmaji"..


Mahatma Gandhi is being reinvented. This time to suite the 'generation next'. He is there in T-shirts, coffee mugs and God knows where else. Couple of weeks ago a leading news daily, in its survey conducted among top Business school students and CEOs of multi nationals found out that Bill Gates is bigger icon than Mahatma today. 56% felt Bapu needed a makeover. They want Bapu (in denim jeans) as a hero in a comic book, does good things to people around. "Lage Raho Munnabai", latest Hindi film, to a certain extend has succeeded in reinventing 'Mahatma'. In the film the gangster hero tries to solve his problems (and later others also) in Gandhian principles and finds success. The film is all about discovering the “Gandhi” within one self. M.G Parameswaran, Executive Director and CEO, FCB-ULKA Advertising, feels "Brand Gandhi" could be built by connecting to the younger generation in three ways- to be proud of our heritage, to have confidence to face the world and to think different. Mahatma Gandhi has come out of History text books and Film Division reels. One thing is for sure "Modern Mahatma" is here and he is the latest youth icon. “Lage raho Mahatmaji...”