2004 Telecom Italia TV advert featuring one of the most famous Indian men of all time Mahatma Gandhi.
The advert shows the leader broadcast on modern means of communication such as mobile phones, televisions and computers ends with a question:
“Se avrebbe potuto comunicare cosi’. che mondo sarebbe?”
If he had been able to communicate this way, what would the world be like?
This was one of the most popular adverts on Italian television as it conveyed a strong message underlined by the closing catch phrase of the telecommunication company’s advertising campaign:
‘Comunicare e’ Vivere’
To communicate is to live.
What are the perceptions of Gandhi in India? Is he as much of an iconic figure as Garibaldi in Italy or Che Guevara in Cuba? Do people still quote him in their everyday life?