New Delhi:
From Swiss luxury giant Mont Blanc to Bollywood blockbuster 'Lage Raho Munnabhai', Mahatma Gandhi, the apostle of peace and non-violence, has now become a brand the world proudly flaunts.
Yes, more than six decades after his assassination, the icon of India's Independence has moved beyond road signs, statues and artists' strokes to a modern and digital image, seen in promos and advertisements.
On his 140th birth anniversary, Gandhi, once called the 'Naked Fakir', lives on in luxury brands, tees and even many popular flicks -- he's now very much a part of the Remix Generation's psyche.
Sanjay Dutt-starrer 'Lage Raho Munnabhai' in 2006 was an instant hit with the Bollywood actor demystifying the ideologies of the 'Father of the Nation' with "Gandhigiri".
Adman Alyque Padamsee, who played Mohammed Ali Jinnah in "Gandhi", says that "Brand Gandhi" is still the most powerful Indian idol celebrated globally. "International leaders from Martin Luther King Jr to Barack Obama have all used Brand Gandhi to reach out to the masses."
In fact, Italy's telecom giant Telecom Italiato, and Internet search engine Google have also helped Gandhi to take the centrestage in the 21st century.