Piyush Pandey, ad legend who wrote ‘Mile Sur Mera Tumhara’, passes away; PM pays tribute

Advertising legend Piyush Pandey’s iconic campaigns for Cadbury Dairy Milk, Fevicol and Vodafone have become a part of India’s pop culture.

Written by Heena Khandelwal

Updated: October 24, 2025 02:08 PM IST

4 min read

Pandey's ads were national cultural icons which everyone remembers just like popular movies or hit music.

For more than four decades, Piyush Pandey gave India its stories—simple, rooted, and unforgettable. From the joy of a girl dancing on the cricket field in Cadbury Dairy Milk’s ‘Kuch Khaas Hai’ to a busload of people glued together in Fevicol’s ‘Fevicol ka Jod’, his work reflected the humour, warmth and contradictions of everyday India.

On Thursday, Pandey, the man who transformed Indian advertising with his earthy wit and human touch, passed away at the age of 70, reportedly due to an infection. PM Modi, too, paid tribute to the advertising giant.

“The cause of death has not been revealed, but he was battling an infection that took a serious turn. His last rites will take place in Shivaji Park crematorium at 11 am Saturday,” a senior Ogilvy employee said.

Born and raised in Jaipur, Pandey’s journey began as a former cricketer when he represented Rajasthan in the Ranji Trophy, before he joined Ogilvy in 1982, a decision that would change the course of Indian advertising. Over the next 40 years, he built not just campaigns, but a new language of communication: one that spoke in colloquial Hindi, drew from real life, and celebrated the quirks of Indian identity.

His campaigns left an indelible mark on popular imagination, from Asian Paints’ ‘Har Ghar Kuch Kehta Hai’, which celebrated regional traditions, to Google India’s ‘Reunion’, which told a moving tale of friendship across the India-Pakistan border. He was also behind the campaigns for Ponds’ ‘Googly Woogly Woosh’, Vodafone’s ZooZoos and Pug mascot, and the polio awareness initiative ‘Do Boond Zindagi Ki’ featuring Amitabh Bachchan.

Pandey often said that “India’s heart beats in its small towns,” and his work reflected that conviction. The national integration anthem ‘Mile Sur Mera Tumhara’, which he wrote and sang himself, became a defining cultural moment of the late 1980s.

Under his leadership, Ogilvy India became the country’s most awarded and creatively dominant agency. In 2019, Pandey was appointed chief creative officer worldwide and executive chairman, India at Ogilvy, before transitioning to the role of chief advisor in 2024. He received the Padma Shri in 2016 and the LIA Legend Award in 2024.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences over Pandey’s death. “Shri Piyush Pandey Ji was admired for his creativity. He made a monumental contribution to the world of advertising and communications. I will fondly cherish our interactions over the years. Saddened by his passing away. My thoughts are with his family and admirers. Om Shanti,” he said in a post on X.

Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal also mourned Pandey’s passing, describing him as “a phenomenon in the world of advertising”.

“His creative genius redefined storytelling, giving us unforgettable and timeless narratives. To me, he was a friend whose brilliance shone through his authenticity, warmth, and wit. I will always cherish our engaging interactions. He leaves behind a deep void that will be hard to fill. My deepest condolences to his family, friends, and admirers,” he wrote on X.

His close friend Suhel Seth posted on X: “Deeply, deeply saddened and devastated at the loss of the genius that my dearest friend Piyush Pandey was. India has not just lost a great advertising mind but a true patriot and a fine, fine gentleman. Now the heavens will dance to Mile Sur Mera Tumhara.”

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