Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], October 24 (ANI): Celebrated lyricist and Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) Chairperson Prasoon Joshi mourned the demise of advertisement legend Piyush Pandey, and said that he 'introduced me to the world of advertising.'

In a self-made video, he shared, 'Aaj ye sunkar bahut dukh hua ki Piyush Pandey Ji hamare beech nahi hai..Piyush Pandey ji ko mai bahut yaad karta hu aur karta rahunga (Today, I am very saddened to hear that Piyush Pandey ji is not among us. I miss Piyush Pandey ji a lot and will keep missing him.)

Pandey, 70, passed away on Friday after suffering from pneumonia for several weeks, leaving the advertising industry mourning one of its most iconic voices.

Prasoon Joshi credited the late legend for introducing him to the world of advertising.

'When I came to Delhi and Mumbai from small cities, I came to know that advertising can also be a career option. So, we had very different opinions about this profession. And when I met Piyush Pandey ji, I came to know that Piyush has brought me to a different world. This profession is looking for people who are connected to their roots and know their language. To ye Piyush pandey ji ka bahut bada contribution mere zindahi mein raha ki unhone mujhe is vigyapan ke jagat se milvaya..(So, this was a big contribution of Piyush Pandey ji in my life that he introduced me to the world of advertising),' Joshi said.

Piyush Pandey started his advertising journey in 1982 with Ogilvy & Mather India (now Ogilvy India), beginning as a trainee account executive before transitioning to the creative side. With his talent, he literally changed the face of Indian advertising.

The advertising legend was the mastermind behind iconic ad campaigns like Asian Paints' 'Har khushi mein rang laaye', Cadbury's 'Kuch Khaas Hai', and Fevicol's iconic 'Egg' film. In 2004, Piyush Pandey etched his name in history as the first Asian to serve as jury president at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.

His trailblazing contributions were later recognised with the CLIO Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012 and the Padma Shri in 2016, making him the first figure from Indian advertising to receive the national honour.

Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman also paid tributes to Pandey. (ANI)