Dear Friends,

I appreciate the forum to discuss my work. Thank you for contacting me! There has been some confusion. My video shows a character dressed as Mahatma Gandhi doing a pole dance. The video DOES NOT show Gandhiji with guns, women, or knives. Let me begin by saying I take full responsibility for the feelings this has caused. I realize this is a tender topic and am grateful for the opportunity to talk about it. I apologize for any offense. All of the feedback I have received from this video has been positive up until now. I opened my email inbox to 108 new emails, many of them criticizing my work, and many of them supporting me. I made this video and posted it on the internet as a marketing tool for my business as a performer. I was a clown with Ringling Bros. circus for two years and I currently perform stand up comedy and clowning in New York city. I also am a yoga teacher. Let me discuss this video from the point of view of clowning. If you look closely, you can see that I am wearing a clown nose. Why is this? I do this because I am not playing Mahatma Gandhi, I am playing a CHARACTER who is playing Gandhiji. I am playing a fool who thinks it would be a good idea to dress up like Gandhi and do this dance. In reality, I'm making fun of myself. I realize this distinction may be difficult to understand, but as a performer it is crucial. In comedy we have a simple equation. Comedy is tragedy plus time. You take something painful and over time you gain the maturity to laugh at it. That is what I have done. Also, throughout history clowns have been the only individuals able to comment on the upper classes. Nobody is above parody, and the clowns would parody kings and monarchs with no consequences. Furthermore, if Gandhiji were alive today what would he find more upsetting, my video or the violence in Darfur? What would hurt him more, my video, or the violence in Iraq? We have become so intent on idolizing Gandhiji that we have forgotten what he said, "Be the change you wish to see in the world." We have confused the messenger with the message. If we truly want to honor him, we must uphold the principles he lived and died for. We must embody peace, compassion, and non-violence. So many of the people who criticize my video have threatened to stone me, hit me, or kill me. I don't think Gandhiji would approve. I encourage people to tell me how they feel about the video. Let them respond honestly, but remember that there are much more pressing issues in the world than a video that one can choose not to watch. I encourage those who did not like the video to tell their friends and family not to watch it. If they so choose, they have my support in telling the Indian government to ban the video from India entirely. It was not my intention to offend, only to entertain. Thank you for this opportunity to speak.

Gautham Prasad