Music and Youth
MTV India distances itself from Gandhi slur
MUMBAI: Responding to the uproar over MTV USA’s lampooning Mahatma Gandhi in its spoof series Clone High USA, MTV India has asserted that it is in no way connected to it and also given an assurance that the show will not air in India.
MTV India MD Alex Kuruvilla has issued the following statement:
“MTV India is a completely locally programmed channel created by a team of Indians reflecting the tastes of young Indians. Each MTV channel around the world creates content specifically for local audiences, and therefore MTV India had no involvement in the creation or production of Clone High USA. Upon hearing reports about the series, we immediately notified MTV US to discuss the show’s content. In response, MTV US has taken this matter very seriously, and feedback from them is forthcoming.
“MTV India, which reflects the tastes and sensibilities of our local audiences, has no intentions of airing the show in India. We at MTV India greatly respect and revere the father of our nation, Mahatma Gandhi. We respect and cherish all the values that he stood for all of his life … peace, non-violence, and the greater goodness of humanity.”
Indians have been outraged by the depiction of the Mahatma in Clone High USA. What has led to further protests is that almost in tandem, a California-based magazine Maxim ran an article in its latest issue depicting a muscleman beating up an image of Gandhi.
Clone High, USA introduces a character called G-Man – a fictitious Gandhi clone – who wears dangly earrings, eats junk food and is the ultimate party animal.
Maxim, in an alleged humor (sic) article, depicts a man in a “Muscle” T-shirt beating up an image of Gandhi. The article, which calls for a healthy regimen of violent assaults, asks readers to “teach those pacifists a lesson about aggression”.
MUMBAI: Mumbai is about to witness something it has never seen before. The Global Youth Festival arrives on 6-7 December at Jio World Garden with 15,000 attendees and 60-plus experiences sprawled across six sprawling arenas. On its sixth edition, this is no ordinary jamboree—it is a carefully orchestrated collision of wellness, adventure, arts, music, yoga and social change.
Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis will throw open the proceedings with a landmark ceremony, signalling the state’s backing for a movement that has already mobilised youth across 20-plus countries and 170-plus cities. The sheer scale is staggering: 500-plus volunteers powering the machine, 600,000-plus volunteer hours logged across previous editions, and millions of lives touched annually.
The speaker roster is formidable. Diipa Büller-Khosla and Dipali Goenka, chief executive of Welspun India, will share the stage with Malaika Arora in conversations spanning leadership, creativity and culture. Union Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs Mansukhbhai Mandaviya will also attend, reinforcing GYF’s reach into the corridors of power.
But this is not mere talk. The Solaris Mainstage promises concerts from renowned Indian artists. Innerverse delivers a 360-degree LED spectacle of art, technology and sound. The Love and Care Arena houses hands-on projects spanning women’s empowerment, child education, rural upliftment and animal welfare. India’s largest outdoor sound-healing experience awaits. An inflatable obstacle course, neon drifter karts and open-sky bouldering cater to thrill-seekers.
Some have branded GYF the “Coachella of Consciousness.” Others call it “India’s Largest Sober Festival.” Spiritual visionary Pujya Gurudevshri Rakeshji, who inspired the festival, will deliver the Wisdom Masterclass. Every rupee goes to charity.
After Mumbai comes Kolkata on 14 December. New York looms next year. For one weekend in December, Mumbai becomes the epicentre of youth-driven change—and nothing will be quite the same after.
Tickets available on BookMyShow. Visit youthfestival.srmd.org or follow @globalyouthfestival on Instagram.
