Everyone has a Piyush Pandey story. And almost always, it is about his warmth, kindness, intelligence and insights. He was Tom Hanks, if Tom were more creative and had a laughter that could light up ideas and boardrooms.

But this is not my story; it is his. There is not a single Indian whose life has not been touched by the brands he created over the last four decades. From gel stick to glue, from paint to chocolate, from scooters to homes, his campaigns became living stories. But if you are one of the 2% of India who didn’t know the icon behind the icons, let’s rewind.

In 1955, he quietly arrived at the crease in a family that would eventually have nine siblings. He was a myriad – a tea taster, a cricketer dreaming of his Ranji break, a boy from Jaipur who had never studied advertising

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