Shashi Tharoor shares rare monochrome college photo with 'Stephanian' Piyush Pandey
In a post on X, Tharoor shared a photo of the 1978 St Stephen’s College cricket team, showing a young Piyush Pandey seated in the front row with teammates, including former Indian cricketer Arun Lal.
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has mourned the death of ‘iconic adman’ Piyush Pandey, who passed away on Friday, by sharing a monochrome photograph from their college days at St Stephen. The Thiruvananthapuram MP remembered him as a “Stephanian — full of life, laughter, and an earthy wit.” In a post on X, Tharoor shared a photo of the 1978 St Stephen’s College cricket team, showing a young Pandey seated in the front row with teammates, including former Indian cricketer Arun Lal.
He reminisced about their college days, writing: "Devastated & heartbroken to mourn the passing of my dear St Stephen's College classmate, the iconic adman Piyush Pandey. Before he gave a voice to modern India's brands, he was a Stephanian — full of life, laughter, and an earthy wit — and (as the pic below confirms) a pretty good college cricketer as well.”
Tharoor’s heartfelt tribute
Highlighting Pandey’s warmth and simplicity, Tharoor wrote: “His ad campaigns touched millions, but it was his earthy charm and incredible wit, as well as his simplicity and directness, that defined him.”
He described Pandey as a “legend and a truly warm soul.” Tharoor also mentioned that he had spoken to Piyush Pandey’s sister, Tripti, to offer his condolences, and ended his message saying, “May they find the strength and peace to bear this loss.”
Journey of Piyush Pandey
Piyush Pandey served as Chief Creative Officer Worldwide and Executive Chairman India at Ogilvy. He joined the agency in 1982, penning his first advertisement for Sunlight Detergent, and went on to create some of India’s most memorable campaigns for brands such as Fevicol, Cadbury, Ponds, Vodafone, and Asian Paints.
Beyond advertising
Outside the advertising world, Pandey made his acting debut in 2013 in John Abraham’s Madras Cafe and appeared in ICICI Bank’s Magic Pencil Project** videos. He also contributed to music and film, writing the lyrics for the patriotic song “Mile Sur Mera Tumhara” which promoted national integration, and co-writing the screenplay for Bhopal Express.
In recognition of his exceptional contribution to Indian advertising, **Piyush Pandey was awarded the Padma Shri in 2016.