K V Sridhar - 30 Second Thrillers

Second Thrillers

Tales that tell the stories behind the Ads we love!

POPS

K. V. Sridhar

First published in India 2017

2017 by K.V. Sridhar (Pops)

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An Ode to Late AG Krishnamurthy

There are leaders, there are followers but seldom do we meet this rare breed, The Creators. With AG Krishnamurthy traversing into the light, we lost one such rare Creator. A man who defined advertising, its creativity and its trade in India, for India.

Your wisdom, your virtues live with us, within us!

We will miss you!

Dedicated to
My wife Srijayanthi
My son Saketh
My daughter Srisamhitha
Because you are, I am

Acknowledgement

Whenever you set out to do something new, the journey is never just yours, even though you started it. At every stop, at every turn, people join in as catalysts and design destiny with you. When this book was just an idea in my mind, I knew that I was headed on to a new journey. What I did not know then is that it would become a caravan of old friends and new associations. And as destiny took shape in the form of this wonderful book, I find it an opportune moment to thank each of those enablers. Because gratitude I believe, will complete the circle that runs infinitely.

To begin with, I would like to thank all the twenty-three contributors, who are my friends and colleagues. Alyque Padamsee, Late AG Krishnamurthy, Piyush Pandey, Prasoon Joshi, R. Balki, Josy Paul, Prahlad Kakkar, Kailash Surendranath, Prasoon Pandey, Ram Madhvani, Shantanu Sheorey, Prakash Varma, KS Chakravarthy, Agnello Dias, Gauri Shinde, Amit Sharma, Nitesh Tiwari, Priti Nair, Arun Iyer, Shriram Iyer, Ashish Khazanchi, Kartik Iyer, and Parshu Narayanan. This book is as much theirs, as it is mine. Each one of them gave their valuable time and spared hours from their busy schedules, to share all their valuable stories for this book, to be completed.

I thank them for selflessly sharing material they could have had very easily saved, for their own books. It was an experience that I shall never forget, because this book became a catalyst in meeting friends, enabling us to hold conversations on topics we love. When I was putting this book together I realized how fortunate I am, to know, not only the pioneers but the current generation of advertising creative as well. What humbled me was their unparalleled excitement about this book!

A very special thanks to my dear friend, partner, brother, writer, and my critic Agnello Dias for painfully spell checking and correcting my grammar.

I would also like to thank Reena Kamath and Yogesh Kamath for being an inseparable part of this experience and for researching, coordinating, transcribing and helping me write this. Their excitement after each interview and after every story they heard, was a litmus test for caliber of this content. Most importantly, their reaction was both, great feedback for the book and constant motivation for me to keep on going. This book wouldnt have been possible without their tireless contribution. I also thank Archana Singh for being the link and for coordinating the little nuances that often go ignored.

I also thank Namrata Gosavi, who I lovingly call my adopted daughter for designing the cover and the entire book. She and I both bond over art, she flawlessly converts my vision into reality and while doing so she unfailingly adds her quirky magic to everything, which makes the end product beautifully unique. Your art accentuates this book!

Finally, I would like to thank my family to whom this book is actually dedicated. I believe, you can be what you want to be, when you have a family that stands besides you like an immovable pillar! I thank them for their million sacrifices and infinite love. I would just say that I am what I am, because of what they are.

Contributors

Alyque Padamsee

CEO, APAdvertising Pvt. Ltd

A theatre personality and an ad-film maker Alyque is what they call a vintage legend. His creations include timeless ads like Lalitaji for Surf, Charlie for Cherry Blossom Shoe Polish, Liril, Kamasutra, Humara Bajaj. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 2000.

Late AG Krishnamurthy

Late AG Krishnamurthy was and still is one of the most significant man of Indian advertising. The founder of Mudra Communications Limited has been one of the visionaries who has shaped ads and advertising industry in India. His recent demise has left a void, he can never be forgotten for he gave us ads like I love you Rasna, Vimal and many more.

Piyush Pandey

Co-Executive Chairman & Chief Creative Director, Ogilvy & Mather and Vice-Chairman ofO&MAsia Pacific

The man who is synonymous to Indian advertisement, the one who changed the course of ads in India and gave it a story-telling touch, is the one who has given us beautiful ads like Cadbury Kuch Khaas Hai, Chal Meri Luna, the lyrics of Mile Sur Mera Tumhara were his poetry, the quirky Fevicol ads to the latest Fortune Oil. He has been awarded the civilian honour of the Padma Shri by the Government of India.