25/10/2025
Yesterday,advertising lost a true legend.Often hailed as the “Godfather of Indian Advertising,”a title bestowed upon him by an industry that revered him,he bagged virtually every major honor,including the Padma Shri from the Government of India and the Cannes Lions’ Lion of St. Mark lifetime achievement award.
Even so,a man so decorated and celebrated,continued to remain humble and grounded,and preferred a different,more down-to-earth moniker:the “Minister of Fun” at Ogilvy.Brilliant,playful,warm,full of joy.
His rare gift-of being able to see the extraordinary in the everyday,to find poetry in the simplest moments,and to turn them into ideas that touched millions-made him a pioneer sans pareil.
From Cadbury to Fevicol’s to Asian Paints to everything in between,he made the entire creative world his arena.
His creations went beyond commercial confines,to become cultural moments and shared memories.Unlime all our egoistic,overrated m"ad"vertising bosses,his work actually made people smile,cry,feel proud - experience the entire spectrum of human emotions.
His stellar success boiled down to a simple quality-he understood people.His unique language of heart and humanity transcended geographies and demographics.
In his own words,“No campaign is worth its salt unless the people on the street love it.”
A true man of the people,who knew that the true measure of creativity wasn’t in trophies,but in how deeply people embraced it.
Unlike our average,mediocre bosses who take unwarranted pride in selling product,the legendary storyteller listed a life-saving campaign as his proudest,worthiest life achievement.He led the creative charge for the campaign to end polio in India with UNICEF,a mission that reached every corner of the country.Through simple,powerful storytelling,he helped inspire millions to take action.
This heartfelt farewell to the champ has been created in the hope that the advertising fraternity learns to value the immeasurable equity created by its torchbearers,before it lets artificial intelligence and other excesses,ruin the very heart and soul of purposeful strategy and passionate storytelling.
