Bollywood Pays Tribute: Big B, Abhishek Attend Piyush Pandey's Funeral

His funeral was held on Saturday, October 25, at 11:00 am at Shivaji Park Crematorium in Mumbai. His family members, friends, and colleagues from across the creative and business worlds gathered to pay their last respects to the man who revolutionised the Indian advertising industry.

Along with Big B actors like Manoj Pahwa and director Ashoke Pandit were also seen. Singer-actor Ila Arun, who is the sister of the late Piyush Pandey, met the celebrities with folded hands. Piyush passed away on Friday after suffering from pneumonia for several weeks.

With a tenure of over 4 decades at Ogilvy & Mather, Piyush is considered the creative titan of Indian advertising. He is often hailed as the man who gave Indian ads their local soul and emotional pulse. He was born in Jaipur, and joined Ogilvy & Mather in 1982 and went on to become its Executive Chairman for India and Global Chief Creative Officer.

His genius lay in turning everyday Indian life into storytelling gold, blending wit, warmth, and cultural nuance. Some of his most iconic campaigns have become part of India’s collective memory. The ‘Mile Sur Mera Tumhara’ film (though conceptualized earlier, his influence on national integration ads continued through the 1990s), ‘Har Ghar Kuch Kehta Hai’ for Asian Paints, and Fevicol’s legendary ‘Fevicol ka Jod’ series showcased his unmatched grasp of Indian idiom and humour.

He also crafted memorable work for the Pulse Polio campaign, the world’s second largest inoculation drive after India’s Covid-19 vaccination programme. Big B had worked on the Pulse Polio campaign with Piyush Pandey. Pandey’s storytelling celebrated optimism and authenticity, proving that emotional truth, not glamour, is the heart of great advertising. His campaigns didn’t just sell products, they built memories.

- IANS