Music and Youth
B4U pulls plug on distribution deal with Modi Entertainment
B4U Networks has terminated its distribution deal with Modi Entertainment Network (MEN) blaming it for what it says is the surreptitious manner in which the channel distributor reached an agreement with French channel Fashion TV deal to the exclusion of the former.
According to network distribution head Debashish Dey, B4U’s contract with Fashion TV runs till 2005 and the deal signed between FTV and MEN on 9 August was illegal. B4U has served a legal notice on FTV for breach of trust, says Dey. Queried as to what was the status of music channel MCM in the imbroglio, Dey could provide no details.
Henceforth, both B4U Entertainment (soon to be B4U movies) and B4U Music would be handled by the network itself, Dey said.
Dey alluded to MEN’s earlier loss of distribution and marketing rights for sports channel ESPN and the recent loss of its deal to monitor distribution of national broadcaster Doordarshan’s Metro channel while stating that FTV would regret breaking its ties with B4U.
Officials from MEN were unavailable for comment on the issue.
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.
