MAM
Kala Ghoda Arts Festival 2019 to mark 20 years of art and culture!
MUMBAI: Kala Ghoda Arts Festival (KGAF), India’s biggest cultural street festival, is all set to deliver this year an enthralling commemoration of 20 years since its inception. KGAF 2019 will celebrate 2 glorious decades of art and culture, across various forms and communities including design, cinema, theatre, dance, literature and much more, from 2nd to 10th February 2019 at the iconic art district of Kala Ghoda. This year also marks 150 years of Mahatma Gandhi’s birth, and the festival will pay its respects to his philosophy and contribution to the nation as well.
Speaking on the 20 years of the iconic festival’s achievements, Maneck Davar, Hon Chairman of Kala Ghoda Association said, “It is a milestone year for us and everybody who has been involved with the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival, right since its inception. Come February 2nd, all art and creative enthusiasts the world over, will come and showcase their talent in the finest way possible.
The festival has always been inclusive, providing information and entertainment to all demographics and social and economic strata, without any charge. It is a wondrous, cumulative effort of artists and artisans, curators and volunteers who make the festival a true celebration of culture.
This year we also pay homage to the Father of the Nation on his 150th birth anniversary by a special exhibition at the Jehangir Art Gallery and through programs in music, dance, literature, theatre and more.”
Talking about what the festival has in store as it turns 20, Nicole Mody, Festival Coordinator of KGAF, said, “The creative hub of Kala Ghoda, over the course of 20 years, has always acknowledged the various communities that are involved in the visual and performing arts industry. Having received unprecedented support from all over the country, KGAF has had a very successful run. It is very important that we honour their support and hence this year, we celebrate each and every category with a sense of nostalgia while embracing the developments in the coming future.”
The festival will also host captivating exhibitions at the historic Jehangir Art Gallery. Some of the best collections on the Father of the Nation – Mahatma Gandhi, will be on display here, in addition to the rich archival collection of the Bombay heritage.
Along with the regular artistic and cultural display at the festival, here’s a list of 20 special things to look forward to at the 20th anniversary edition of the Kala Ghoda Art Festival:
Culinary delights: Celebrated Indian pastry chef Pooja Dhingra will be launching her book at the festival. Pooja, along with American chef Tiffany Derry, will also host culinary workshops for the attendees
Documentary screening: Renowned director Khalid Mohammad will showcase a special documentary on the Irani Cafes of the city at the festival.
The Magic of Flute: World renowned flautist, Padma Vibhushan award winner, Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia will grace the stage of Cross Maidan
Musical notes: Sisters Prakriti and Sukriti Kakar will enthrall the audience with their performance at the festival
A treat for the movie enthusiasts: A special interaction with the cast and crew of ‘Tumbbad’ and ‘Badhaai Ho’ will give the audience an in-depth and different perspective on the movies
The evergreen Shaan: Popular chartbuster Tanha Dil by Shaan also completes 20 years in 2019. The festival will see the singer croon this special tune much to the delight of the listeners in addition to a mix of his old and new set of songs
The National Heroes: Panel discussion on 26/11 attacks and its survivors to be conducted by patrons of the literary world
Get Set Drone: Gaurav Singh will be conducting a demo and DIY session/workshop of fun and drones titled "Get set Drone"
More Stalls, More Shopping: The 20th edition of the festival will have stalls in a way that after 5 days, newer set of products will be offered to the visitors. Expansion in the variety offered to the audience will give them a chance to revisit the stalls each day
For the theatre lovers: Theatre legend Suchithra Krishnamurthy will showcase a special theatre performance at the festival
Literature: Award-winning author Githa Hariharan will talk about her major release I Have Become The Tide and her journey as an author. She will cover various aspects of societal fragility through the context of her novel with Ranjit Hoskote
Touch a chord: A special performance will be seen by violinist Sunita Bhuyan, a renowned social activist recognized by the Vatican for her work towards underprivileged children
· People Called Kala Ghoda: The Kala Ghoda Association will also be releasing a book curated by The People Place Project, featuring experiences shared by people of the precinct and those associated with the festival for over two decades; it is a cultural narrative on the genesis and the 20-year history of the festival.
Hit the Dance floor: Artists Sunayana Hazarilal (Padmashree winner), Mansi Salve, Rukmini and Shakti Mohan will enthrall the audience by their performances
Dance it out: A specially choreographed amalgamation of 20 dance forms across categories (from western to Indian classical to bring forth a fusion) will be presented at the festival
From the expert’s corner: Hon. Justice Dr DY Chandrachud will throw some light on the power of the Indian Constitution in safeguarding society, art, history and culture
Heritage Walk: Heritage walks to showcase the city and its monuments as they were 20 years ago and how they are today. These walks will consist of 20 major pit stops with every pit stop highlighting the significance of what the same stands for
150 years of Mahatma Gandhi: With the father of the nation turning 150, the festival will pay its tribute to Mahatma Gandhi honoring him via activities and events taking place in this year’s edition of the festival
Women talk: There will be a special all-women panel of Marathi writers who will discuss the various aspects of literature in regional languages and its nuances
2 decades of movies: This year the festival will be screening 4 special movies that will be marking the completion of 20 years since its release
Bringing out art from the confines of a gallery and presenting imperative matters of discussions, the annual festival is only getting bigger and better as it celebrates its 20th edition. One can catch all the action from 2nd to 10th February 2019.
MAM
ASCI study uncovers how Gen Alpha navigates ads in endless digital feeds
‘What the Sigma?’ ethnographic report maps blurred boundaries between content and commerce for 7–15-year-olds.
MUMBAI: Gen Alpha isn’t scrolling through the internet, they’re living rent-free inside its never-ending dopamine drip, and the ads have already moved in next door. The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) Academy, partnering with Futurebrands Consulting, has published ‘What the Sigma?’, an immersive ethnographic study that maps how Indian children aged 7–15 (Generation Alpha) consume, interpret and live alongside media and commercial messaging in a hyper-digital environment.
The research draws on in-home interviews, sibling and peer conversations, and discussions with parents, teachers, counsellors, psychologists, marketers and kidfluencers across six cities. It examines not only what children watch but how algorithms, content creators, peers and parents shape their relationship with the constant stream of shorts, vlogs, gameplay, memes, sponsored posts and ‘kid-ified’ adult material.
Five core themes emerged:
- Discontinuous Generation, Gen Alpha is not growing up alongside the internet, they are growing up inside it. Cultural references, humour, aesthetics and language sync globally in real time, often leaving adults functionally illiterate in their children’s world. A reference that lands instantly for a 10-year-old in Mumbai or Visakhapatnam feels opaque or disjointed to most parents.
- Authority Vacuum, Parents and teachers frequently lose cultural fluency in digital spaces. The algorithm responsive, inexhaustible and perfectly attuned to preferences becomes the most attentive presence in many children’s daily lives. Rules around screen time feel increasingly difficult to enforce when adults cannot fully see or understand the content landscape.
- Digital as Society, Online and offline no longer exist as separate realms, they form one continuous reality. The phone is not a tool children pick up; it is the primary social environment they inhabit.
- Great Media Mukbang, Content flows as an ambient, boundary-less, multi-sensorial stream. Entertainment, advertising, commerce, gameplay, memes and vlogs merge into one undifferentiated feed. The line between active choice and passive absorption has largely collapsed.
- Blurred Ad Recognition, Children aged 7–12 typically recognise only the most overt advertising formats. Influencer promotions, gaming integrations and vlog sponsorships often register as organic entertainment. Children aged 13–15 show greater ad literacy but remain highly susceptible to narrative-integrated, passion-driven and emotionally resonant brand messaging. Discernment remains low across the board in a non-stop stream.
ASCI CEO and secretary general Manisha Kapoor said, “ASCI Academy’s study is an investigation into the content life of Generation Alpha not to judge them but to understand them. Their cultural reference points seem disjointed from those of earlier generations. Insights on how they perceive advertising is the first step towards building more responsible engagement frameworks, given that they are the youngest media consumers in our country right now.”
Futurebrands Consulting founder and director Santosh Desai added, “While earlier generations have been exposed to digital media, for this generation it is the world they inhabit. This report explores not only what they watch but how they are being shaped by algorithms, content and advertising.”
The study proposes four adaptive, principles-led pathways:
- Universal signposting of commercial intent using design principles that make advertising recognisable even to young audiences.
- Ecosystem-wide responsibility shared among advertisers, platforms, creators, schools and parents.
- Future-ready safeguards built directly into children’s content experiences rather than as optional background settings.
- Formal media and advertising literacy embedded in school curricula to teach age-appropriate understanding of persuasion and commercial intent.
In a feed that never pauses, Gen Alpha isn’t merely watching content, they’re swimming in an ocean where entertainment, commerce and identity swirl together. The real question isn’t whether they can spot an ad; it’s whether the adults building the ocean can agree on where the lifeguards should stand.
