Ishita Arun remembers Piyush Pandey and shares the song she recreated on his 70th birthday; says, 'You can’t summarize a legacy like his'

Isha Arun remembers mama Piyush Pandey after his demise

The advertising and entertainment world continues to mourn the loss of Piyush Pandey, the legendary ad man whose words shaped the way India spoke and dreamed. Following his passing at the age of 70, his niece Ishita Arun penned a deeply emotional tribute remembering him not as the industry icon everyone revered, but as her “first roommate, critic, and forever favourite human.”

Taking to Instagram, Ishita shared a moving note filled with warmth, humour, and nostalgia. She began with a poetic reflection on her uncle’s unmatched legacy:

“How do you celebrate a man who didn’t just write lines — he changed the way an entire country speaks? How do you fit decades of culture, memory, humour, and everyday language into one moment?”

For Piyush’s 70th birthday, Ishita had written a heartfelt parody of his favourite song “O Haseena Zulfon Wali,” using the very taglines he gifted to India. The song, performed by her husband Dhruv and produced by the team at Ogilvy, became their way of celebrating his genius. “He heard it, loved it, and yes — he cried, obviously. And now we cry too,” she wrote.

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A post shared by Ishitta Arun (@ishitta.arun)

In another post, Ishita looked back at Piyush’s early days in Mumbai. She revealed that it was her mother, Ila Arun, who recognised his potential and urged him to move from Calcutta to Mumbai. Piyush stayed with Ila and her husband in their modest Santacruz home for five years. “He was my first and only roommate,” Ishita recalled fondly.

Sharing a humorous anecdote from her childhood, Ishita wrote, “One day, he lost his patience and said, ‘Main tumhe ulta pankhe se latka doonga.’ For me, it was Tuesday. For him, a breakdown. My teacher called home to ask if there was a man threatening to hang me upside down. Yes, there was. His name was Piyush Pandey.”

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A post shared by Ishitta Arun (@ishitta.arun)

She described growing up surrounded by his creativity — OBM parties at home, Sunday cricket matches treated like World Cups, and her first-ever ad at age three directed by him. “He was protective, funny, sharp, and brutally honest,” she wrote, recalling his trademark wit even when she told him about her marriage. “He opened the door, looked me dead in the eye, and said, ‘Which one — the fat one or the thin one?’ That was Mama — irreverent, affectionate, and never boring.”

Also Read: Amul pays tribute to adman Piyush Pandey with moving topical: 'Inka sur sabse mila'

Ishita concluded her tribute with a line that perfectly captures his philosophy on life and work: “So Mama, like you always said — ‘Haan bhai, front foot pe khelo.’ I promise, I’ll keep singing — maybe not so loudly this time, but definitely on the front foot. Because you taught us brilliance isn’t in winning the match; it’s in showing up, fearless, on the front foot.”

The legendary Piyush Pandey was laid to rest at Mumbai’s Shivaji Park Crematorium today.