Piyush was a man of exceptional human values, a visionary and a cheerleader: Gayatri Yadav
Gayatri Yadav, Group CMO and EVP Strategic Initiatives, Chairman’s Office, Reliance, remembers 'a friend, a partner, and a giant'
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Published: Oct 24, 2025 2:44 PM | 2 min read
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Gayatri Yadav, Group CMO and EVP Strategic Initiatives, Chairman’s Office, Reliance, remembered Piyush Pandey as someone “born of rare talent and a compelling individuality”.
In heart-touching note, she wrote:
How do you describe the vacuum you feel when you lose a friend, a partner, and a giant?
He was my go-to when all else failed. I would call him and say, “Piyush, do your magic.”
We did countless campaigns together. With Uday, Sanjay and our teams, we helped build brand Star in a partnership that was rare and fulfilling.
I remember when he came up with the anthemic song for the Pro Kabaddi League — I had briefed him, and two hours later he called me with the song ready. I laughed and said, “Don’t do it so fast, Piyush — they’ll think it’s too easy!” But that was him — effortless brilliance. A natural gift.
Born of rare talent and a compelling individuality, Piyush was unafraid to disrupt the then-English hegemony of advertising and remind us of our roots. In many ways, the Swadeshi movement in Indian advertising began with him.
From Let’s Football in ISL to Nayi Soch for Star Plus to Believe for Star Sports — Piyush was not just a creative partner, he was a friend.
He would always call me and say, “Hello, Gayatri Star,” as that’s how he’d saved my name on his phone. That greeting will always echo in my mind.
A man of exceptional human values, a visionary and a cheerleader — not only for his team, but for Indian advertising itself. I remember when we were finalising the tagline for Star Sports — Believe. He said simply, “I believe…” And that, he most certainly did.
You will live on, Piyush — in your work, in your words, and in our hearts.
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