Piyush Pandey passed away yesterday.
Truth be told, he was at best a stranger to me. I’ve never met him. I’ve never been in a room with him. And I’ve never been even close to his shadows.
So, the loss of the man is nothing but a piece of news for me. Something that I paused to read, thought for a fleeting second and then I moved onto whatever I was doing.
But I work in advertising. Or may be on the fringes of it, if you will. My first love for a career and life is the business of communications. I call myself a writer. I believe I want to create words that moves mountains, shift cultures and inspire. Piyush was all that. Piyush is all that.
During the day, tributes and stories started to pour in. Some from folks I know well. Some from people that I look up to. And then some from absolute strangers. And impact of Piyush on all those people started to emerge. Piyush may have been a famous person when he was alive. However when his time came, he was even more mushhooor. Each piece I read, each story, each op-ed, each narrative made me want to know the man more. From up close, if it was ever going to be possible.
Each person spoke about what he meant to them. Each story is full of his vigor for life, thunderous laugh, maverick partnerships, ability to forge lasting relationships and… his trademark shirts and his moustache!
Two pieces stood out to me – one by Ogilvy (reproduced below) and the other by Suresh Eriyat – this. These two and all the others expressed Piyush’s passing meant to them. And then I started to reflect on life and things.
I am 43. With almost no large monumental achievements that I can put my finger on and claim as mine. No family apart from my parents (who constantly worry about my wellbeing and life) and my sis (who has her own battles). No assets that I can leave behind for Myra. When its my time, I am sure no one would miss me. The handful of people who’s lives I’ve probably touched will have the same reaction that I had on Piyush’s passing – a fleeting note, an awe, an Om Shanti text on common whatsapp groups and then, moving on. And which is ok. Life doesn’t stop. Shouldn’t stop. Pale Blue Dot and all that. Wait. The point is not that. The point is, Piyush.
Back to Ogilvy’s ode.
When I read Ogilvy’s ode to Piyush, I found myself nodding to each thing they said about him. Read it first…
Waking up early and writing – Check
Front foot pe khelo – Check
Child-like heart – Check
Stood in the front – Check
Relationships – Check
Ek kaam karo – Check
Like I said, I found myself nodding to each thing they wrote about him. I could see myself in each thing that Piyush stood for. Of course, I am not even a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of who he was. But that’s the greatness of the man and the words. In each line, I saw myself. And I am sure each person reading would’ve seen themselves. And the ones writing? Oh man, I can only imagine the anguish of the folks who worked on that tribute.
Reading about Piyush from all the people made me want to find a way to turn back time, find a way into his cigar room, or the living room or wherever he roared with his laughter or lead with wit. No, not to learn from him — I have my gurus and I am grateful — but to see the man in action. See the man perform. See the man put up a show. See the man marshal his troops. See the man turn ordinary writers into weapons of mass influence.
Thing is, since I could remember — even before BIT or MBA happened to me — I’ve wanted to be an advertising person. The first time I saw that cricketer hit the ball out of the park and I saw Bablu come back home for jalebis, and saw Sachin shill Pepsi, and saw the three Hometrade ads I’ve wanted to make ads.
Life happened and I was thrown into the world of computers. And then I got fired from the first job I got (and I learnt my lesson and it seeded hatred for large companies), I had to get into a business school to find my way around. Life took me to GE Money and yet I sort of found my way back to advertising. First, right in the middle if the industry (with CLA) and then on the periphery (with Gravity) and eventually, as a Jack of all trades (with Rajesh Sir and C4E).
While I worked, little did I know that I was not good. Not even good enough. I am at best a reliable doer, someone who can be called upon when you needed something to be done for sure (and not to win an award or showcase mad genius). And just this skill of being the reliable one has allowed me to survive so far in this business that is competitive, tough, harsh, ever-evolving and seeks excellence.
Through the years, I loved each stint and I was always aware of the genius of Piyush and party. Year after year they would release gorgeous pieces of communication and I would pine for some sort of introduction to Ogilvy. The closest I came to his aura was when Rana Sir showed me around the office. He had walked into those offices at some point. I also know that Rr and Huz worked with his nephew who by himself is a great adman. I’ve shook hands with Rajesh Kejriwal numerous times and I know he would have shook hands with Piyush many a times.
Ok that’s my note about Piyush. I wish I could’ve been Eklavya to him. But I wasn’t. Neither I considered him a guru. Nor am I as good as Eklavya were. Piyush is at best, the guiding light that I looked upto and aspire to be like, if I can.
Shifting the tone of this note.
In the last few days, I have seen and heard about a few people at the end of their time. While I was writing this, I heard Satish “Indravadan Sarabhai” Shah passed away. Angrezo Ke Zamane Ka Jailor passed away a few days ago. A close friend’s co-founder almost died from a heart attack on the Diwali day. Thank God, he’s back home now. The elder-most member in my family (my aunt) is dying. And I am left questioning the very reason why we work so hard and to what end. I am thinking a LOT about how I want to spend my time here. I know that one side I want to make a ding in the universe and on the other, I want to be free. I can feel in my bones the revolt at the thought of being a slave to a routine.
Wait. Even as a free man, I have to work to make ends meet and I would still have to answer to a routine of eat, poop, sleep, walk, write, meet people et al. I will still have to push myself. But at least I would have the agency. I would be free to live where I want to, how I want to and free to choose who I work with, when I work with and what I work on. and most importantly, on my terms. I think absolute freedom is tough to get – we live in super hyperconnected world. But I believe that the world we live in, allows for smaller teams to make large enough dings. Like Piyush did.
I have to say, Piyush did made a ding.
After I saw the impact Piyush has made, I am all the more inspired to do more and push myself harder. And like I said, on my terms. And as a free man.
Wish me luck.
And…
Thank you, Piyush!
As your colleagues and family said, hope the heavens are ready for the force you are.
PS: Also, thanks to Bryan Dont Die and Deepinder recent unveiling of the Continue manifesto, I have started to believe that human lifespans are painfully and wastefully established at about 70. Deepinder is talking about 180. Most futurists believe that any child below the age of 150 has large odds of getting to 150. I hope I get to see 150 and like Piyush, make a ding.