Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], October 25 (ANI): Renowned advertising filmmaker Prahlad Kakkar remembered his 'friend, guide, and partner,' ad legend Piyush Pandey, who passed away on Friday after battling pneumonia for several weeks.

Kakkar, who shared a long friendship and professional bond with Pandey, took to Instagram to post a heartfelt tribute along with several pictures of the two together. Calling him his 'friend' and 'guide', Kakkar recalled how deeply Pandey influenced the industry and everyone around him.

'Piyush Pandey, my friend, guide, and partner in laughing at ourselves and the world, passed away today. But his legend and his legacy live on in the hundreds of people whose lives he touched and shaped indelibly. From young trainees to peers and colleagues, even clients whose fortunes he changed! Piyush will always be immortal for changing an English speaking and English dreaming profession to a 'Hindi dreaming' and vernacular writing one. He held his ground and created magic in his mother tongue. Not that he was lacking in English skills, he was an alumnus of St Stephen's College in Delhi, and had a remarkable turn of phrase in that language as well,' Kakkar wrote.

'Piyush claimed that his real education in life came from playing Ranji Trophy cricket for Rajasthan and having travelled 3rd class unreserved, through the length and breath of the country, watching and interacting with the heartland, firsthand! I will miss you Piyush, for your irreverence, your humour, your raucous laughter and the balls to stand up and fight for your work, and for your juniors! May you find many roads in your journey, my kindred spirit,' he added.

Take a look

https://www.instagram.com/p/DQMxwwvjPxf/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Pandey, 70, began his career in advertising in 1982 with Ogilvy & Mather India (now Ogilvy India), starting as a trainee account executive before moving to the creative side. Over the years, he transformed Indian advertising, creating iconic campaigns such as Asian Paints' 'Har khushi mein rang laaye', Cadbury's 'Kuch Khaas Hai', and the legendary Fevicol 'Egg' film.

In 2004, Pandey became the first Asian to serve as jury president at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. His contributions were further recognised with the CLIO Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012 and the Padma Shri, making him the first figure from Indian advertising to receive the national honour. (ANI)