Piyush Pandey Death: Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Anupam Kher And Others Pay Tribute To The Advertising Stalwart

The demise of ad legend Piyush Pandey on Saturday, October 24, 2025, sent shockwaves across the Indian advertising world. The legendary creative mind, who gave some of the most iconic and unforgettable campaigns, died at the age of 70 after suffering from pneumonia for several weeks. Tributes poured in from dignitaries, filmmakers, actors and his peers, remembering the Padma Shri awardee.

Piyush Pandey's funeral was attended by actor Amitabh Bachchan and his son Abhishek in Mumbai on Saturday. Manoj Pahwa, Ashoke Pandit and others also arrived to pay their last respects to the veteran advertising executive.

Amitabh Bachchan and Abhishek arrive to offer condolences at Piyush Pandey's home

In a video, Amitabh and Abhishek were seen exiting Piyush's home after paying their last respects to Piyush Pandey. Amitabh was also seen talking to Ishitta Arun, daughter of Ila Arun, and niece of Piyush. As per a report in ANI, Amitabh and Abhishek attended the last rites held at the Shivaji Park Crematorium.

Celebs pay tribute to Piyush Pandey

On Friday, Amitabh, in his blog, dedicated a post to the advertising stalwart. He called Pandey his "most amiable friend" and a "guide." "A creative genius .. a most amiable friend, and guide .. has left us ..No words to express our grief ..Piyush Pandey, passed away this morning .. The creative works left behind by him shall ever be an eternal emblem of his immeasurable creativity. Shocked! Speechless!!" he wrote.

Shah Rukh Khan remembered him with a heartfelt post on X, “Working and being around Piyush Pandey always felt effortless and fun. He carried his genius so lightly and revolutionised the ad industry in India. Rest in peace, my friend (sic),” he wrote.

Anupam Kher turned emotional and recalled spending time with Pandey, both "good and bad", watching his Ad Campaigns' Slogans on television and in cinema halls. "And then all those slogans would become an important part of all our lives! And since he himself was such a charismatic personality! So he too became an important part of our lives! Such a spirited person actually never leaves our lives! Yes! Now we won't meet him at the airport, at some function, or just anywhere! And he won't say, 'Yaar!! You've looked exactly the same for so many years! What's the secret of your youth!' We'll miss that! Farewell, my friend! Om Shanti!", he wrote.

Filmmaker Hansal Mehta wrote, “Fevicol ka jod toot gaya. The ad world lost its glue today. Go well Piyush Pandey.”

Vivek Agnihotri, who once worked in advertising company Ogilvy & Mather, also mourned the loss of Piyush Pandey. He wrote, “Kuch khaas tha… When I joined O&M, as a trainee, everyone spoke the Queen’s English. They wanted India to sound like London. And then there was Piyush Pandey, with Rajasthani moustache, sitting in a smoky corner, writing in Hindi, making words smell of mitti and sound like home. He didn’t sell brands. He sold emotions. He made us feel that Har shabd kuch kehta hai. Har insaan kuch kehta hai. That every heart, every story could speak in our own tongue. And yes, you’ll live on in every ad that feels like India, in every line that tastes meetha, meetha. Kuch nahin bahut khaas tha tum mein…. We won’t let you go from our memories, Piyush, kyonki yeh majboot jod hai, itni asaani se tootega nahin. Om Shanti.”

Who was Piyush Pandey

Pandey started his career in advertising in 1982 with Ogilvy & Mather India (now Ogilvy India). He joined as a trainee account executive and was in the industry for nearly four decades. He was the Chief Creative Officer (COO) Worldwide and Executive Chairman of the company. He gave some of the iconic ad campaigns for brands like Fevicol, Cadbury, Asian Paints, Fortune Oil, and others.

In 2004, Pandey became the first Asian to serve as jury president at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. He received the CLIO Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012 and the Padma Shri in 2016.