Finger on the Pulse of the Nation

For Piyush Pandey, simple truths mattered more than clever constructs.

- BY SUMANTO CHATTOPADHYAY

PIYUSH WAS ONE OF THOSE rare leaders who changed an industry not by force of position but through clarity born of instinct and humanity. He had an extraordinary grasp of people across classes and cultures. And that understanding shaped the voice of Indian advertising in a way we now take for granted. Whether it was the rooted charm of 'Chal Meri Luna' or the emotional resonance of Asian Paints' 'Har Ghar Kuch Kehta Hai—a line he wrote and then voiced in his unmistakable baritone—Piyush made communication feel personal, relatable, and Indian at its core.

And then there was work like Cadbury Dairy Milk's 'Asli Swad Zindagi Ka', the iconic spot where a young woman runs onto a cricket field in uninhibited joy. Years later, it would be celebrated as the "Ad of the Century." For Piyush, simple human truths mattered more than clever constructs. His mantra was equally simple: "Common sense is the best strategy." Fevicol, his favourite playground, became the ultimate demonstration of that belief. Those ads weren't campaigns; they were cultural moments.