Teacher's Day special: Ad gurus honour their mentors

As I reflect on the journey that has brought me to where I am today, I am reminded of the countless individuals who have inspired and guided me along the way. My parents, whose unwavering resilience in the face of adversity, has been a constant source of strength and motivation. My childhood best friend, whose empathetic nature nurtured in me the qualities of compassion and understanding that I strive to embody in my daily life. And my manager and closest friend, who has not only taught me the skills to excel as a reporter but has also shown me the importance of empathy, kindness, and integrity in being a good human being.

As I look back, many mentors have shaped me to be the person I am today. I am filled with gratitude for the wisdom they have imparted and the lasting impact they have had on my life. From the pages of marketing books that fueled my passion to the guidance of industry leaders who have pushed me to grow, I have been fortunate to have had many gurus who have helped me find my way. And so, on this Teacher's Day, industry leaders join me in paying tribute to those who have made a difference in their lives and careers.

Abhijat Bharadwaj, Chief Creative Officer, Dentsu Creative Isobar

During my final year of graduation, I came across a book that would profoundly shape my career - Principles of Marketing by Philip Kotler. Unlike the traditional Indian textbooks that simply listed types and categories, Kotler’s book offered a practical, dynamic approach to marketing. This was back in 2006, a time when the internet in India was spotted only in cybercafes. As I turned the pages of this book, my passion for marketing grew even stronger when I discovered the groundbreaking work of Crispin Porter + Bogusky, an agency that was pushing boundaries with campaigns for clients like Burger King and Mini Cooper. I remember spending countless hours at cyber cafes, exploring every possible permutation on the ‘Subservient Chicken’ website. And CP+B's Mini Cooper ‘Let’s Motor’ campaign showed me the true power of print advertising. In many ways, Philip Kotler and Alex Bogusky were the driving forces behind my decision to pursue a career in advertising.

The most valuable lesson I’ve learned from them is that advertising is a global profession. Like Eklavya, learning from his distant Dronacharyas, I realized that one can absorb knowledge from mentors even from 14,000 kilometres away, without them ever knowing.

Ambika Sharma, Founder and Chief Strategist, Pulp Strategy 

For me, one of the most memorable mentors in my career has been Mr. RK Agarwal, whom I had the privilege to work with during my time at JPL. As the CFO, Mr. Agarwal was one of India's leading financial strategists in the media industry. Under his leadership, Jagran Prakashan became a key player in India's print, digital, and radio sectors, which is known for driving strategic growth and managing significant acquisitions. Despite his immense responsibilities, Mr. Agarwal always made time to answer my questions and offer valuable insights. He would spend extra time to give me context and explain the bigger picture, teaching me not just the technicalities but how to run a business unit—and, ultimately, a company. Every conversation with him brought a new lesson and broader perspective. On Teacher's Day, of all the mentors, bosses, and colleagues I've worked with, I remember him with deep gratitude for the wisdom he imparted and the lasting impact he had on my career.

Manish Bhatt, Founder Director, Scarecrow Communications

Reflecting on my journey in the advertising industry, I realise how deeply indebted I am to a diverse group of mentors who have shaped me both professionally and personally. The foundation of my career was built in the third-floor library of Contract Advertising in Delhi, where I started out. The ad legends credited in those books—Neil French, Helmut Krone, Bill Bernbach, Bob Levenson, Eugene Cheong, Tom McElligott, David Droga, Tham Khai Meng, Dan Wieden, John Hegarty, Charles Saatchi, Lee Clow, Jeff Goodby, Nancy Rice, Kash Sree, Marcello Serpa, Nizan Guanaes, Jagdish Ramakrishnan, Indra Sinha, Dave Dye, Sean Doyale, Tony Davidson, Jureeporn Thaidumrong, Suthisak Sucharittanonta, and many others—served as the true Dronacharyas for countless Eklavyas like me. Their work and wisdom, documented in award annuals like One Show and D&AD, were instrumental in my growth.

On this Teacher’s Day, I also wish to express my gratitude to the teachers who have influenced me since my childhood. From the classroom to the boardroom, these individuals have left a lasting imprint on my life. I am especially thankful to Ravi Deshpande, Prasoon Joshi, Elsie Nanji, Piyush Pandey, Sonal Dabral, Anil Bathwal, Kiran Khalap, V. Sunil, Pradeep Sarkar, Ramesh Mulye, Prof. Pratap Mandey, Prof. Kiran Shah, Prof. Malti Gaekwad, Prof. Khatri, Prof. Dave, Prof Jayanti Rabadiya, Prof. Rini Dhumal, Prof. Shivji, Prof. Padmashree Parimu, Prof. Deshpande, Prof. Sangeeta Purohit, Prof. Brij Joshi, V. K. Shah, Jagdish Bhatt, Jayantibhai Patel, P. O. Joshi, Rajubhai Bhatt, C. G. Pandya, M. C. Patel, Kantilal, K.C. Sevak, Savitaben Bhatt, S.K. Patel, R. V. Machhi, P.D. Solanki, Naliniben Bhatt, Kusumben Bhatt, Bhagubhai, Induprasad Bhatt, Bhailalbhai, Jashi Phoi, and many others who have guided me throughout my educational journey.

Finally, I must acknowledge my juniors, who have been some of my most valuable teachers. Each time I guided them, I learned more about the craft I was teaching. I hired them for their talents and abilities, and often they surpassed my expectations, pushing me to be better. Whether it was taking credit for their hard work or watching them move on to greater opportunities, they taught me lessons in leadership, patience, and pride. Today, I look back with pride as many of them have gone on to achieve significant milestones—winning Lions, Filmfares, and national awards and becoming national heads of art. To all of you—Kapil Tammal, Mahesh Parab, Denzil Machado, Manish Ajgaonkar, Shamik Sen Gupta, Sushil Chintak, Shahrukh Iranii, Juhi Chaturvedi, Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari, Girish Mandalia, Gautam Wadher, Manan Mistry, Sarvesh Raikar, Vineet Mahajan, Kaushik Datta, Anshumani Khanna, Nitiya Pasbola, Ankit Pandya, Ferzad Variyava, Amitabh Agnihotri, K. N. Rajesh, Anjali Ramani, Zohar Furniturewala, Raymond J. Patelli, Devang Patel, Vaishnavi Sharma, Lalit Sakurkar, Krunal Parkar, Rondeep Gogoi, Digonta Bordoloi, Kuldeep Lot, Amitabh Sreedharan, Seema Kamath, Mangesh Mulajkar, Gagan Bindra, Ankit Dembla, Joy Mohanty, and every junior I may have missed—Happy Teacher’s Day!

Rahul Mathew, CCO, DDB Mudra Group

I feel I’m a product of many people who have touched, shaped, influenced, and inspired who I am today. And these are not just seniors but peers and juniors as well. And when you’ve worked for 25 years across 3 cities in 2 countries and 8 agencies, that list does grow long. So, I worry I may miss out on someone by naming just one. But if I’ve worked with you and respected your work, you’ve been a mentor in your own way. And I thank you for it.

When I was going to head an agency for the first time, I had asked my then-senior what should one watch out for as a leader. “When the conversations in your corridors are not about interesting work, you should know you’re not headed the right way.”, is what he said. 

Ramya Ramachandran, Founder, Whoppl

In my professional journey, I have been fortunate to have the unwavering support of Anil Nair, a mentor whose influence has been nothing short of transformative. Having had the privilege to work under his guidance in a previous organisation, I realised the depth of his wisdom and the strength of his character. Whenever I faced challenges, sought expert opinions, or contemplated new verticals, Anil has always been there—steadfast and supportive. He is the epitome of a silent cheerleader, someone who believes in you even when you’re taking your first steps into uncharted territory. 

I am grateful to have such a guru who I can turn to, both professionally and personally.

Siddartha Singh, Managing Partner & COO, Infectious Advertising

The Guru for me - Ashok Kurien

“Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee” - Muhammad Ali. 

This is exactly who Ashok Kurien, a real-life Boxer, was, smooth when it came to managing Clients who were always awestruck when he was in the room and so on point when it came to strategy, he cut through the clutter and nailed down propositions so succinctly - getting them right - every time!

Swati Bhattacharya, Global Head - Lightbox Creative Lab, Godrej Consumer Products Ltd 

As I reflect on the journey that has brought me to where I am today, I am reminded of the countless individuals who have inspired and guided me along the way. These are the five women who empowered me to take risks, experiment, to have a vision which at times was scintillating and at times downright scary. 

Sucheta Govil: My incredible GSK client who gave me the reins of Horlicks… even though I was the rhyming girl who did Maggi sauces… She trusted my non-words ‘EPPANG OPPANG JHAPPANG!’, and made it possible for me to make this brand the heart of my career. 

Vibha Rishi: Was my professor Higgins. She made me and my writing sexy. My first drink was with her in Leopold Cafe. A marketing head taking a copy trainee out on a free evening in Bombay. I think that's where I lost my fear of clients. She made them human to me. You needed to see Vibha with celebrities to realise what a star she was… every time she would say, “Are you okay with that?”, in front of Mr Bachchan or Farhan Akhtar; I felt tall. 

Sumeli Chatterjee: The first time I presented ‘Sindoor Khela’, as an idea to the Times of India, there were five men who thought the idea was abuzz kill… ‘Why touch religion?’ ‘Why anger the Bengalis?’. But there was one woman who said “Yes!”. There was one woman who pushed me to make it bigger, bolder and more ballsy. 

Shivani Hegde: She gave me a chance as a trainee to do the most popular campaign in the country at that time which was Maggi’s Hot and Sweet chilly sauce, with Jaaved Jaaferi and Pankaj Kapoor. 

These are a few incredible women clients who mentored me by giving me not just in advertising but in life.