Bandra’s Prahlad Kakar revisits his ad career in new memoir

Prahlad Kakar, 75, has turned decades of advertising stories into *Adman Madman: Unapologetically Prahlad*, a memoir co-written with author Rupangi Sharma.

Kakar began working in advertising in Delhi in the early 1970s before moving to Mumbai. His career has included commercials, filmmaking and entrepreneurship. He is the founder-director of Genesis Film Production and runs the Prahlad Kakar School of Branding and Entrepreneurship.

The memoir took shape during the lockdown after his partner, Mitali, suggested that he write down his experiences. It covers his personal life and professional work, including campaigns for Pepsi, Maggi and Britannia.

Speaking from his Bandra home, Kakar described life as a classroom and said he had learned by confronting fear and testing established ways of doing things. He recalled the Pepsi line “Yeh dil maange more”, developed by Anuja Chauhan and her team at JWT from the brand’s “Ask for more” brief, as advertising language that travelled beyond a product pitch.

Kakar continues to teach and run his production company. His reading ranges from poetry and fiction to his collection of Louis L’Amour westerns.