ABOUT
Born in the sweet spot of Bombay, the Mumbai heartland, I was tipped to be a spectacular cricketer, an economist and a litterateur at different points of time in my growing up years.
Advertising happened due to a need to salvage severely unfulfilled promises shown in the early years; and quickly sidestep the string of failures in latter years.
The only constant was the need to “do something”. And the only savior was writing.
Getting my first gig in advertising as a puppy writer concocted a hypnotic feeling of joy and bravery in me; something I had never felt before; something I’ve never let go even to this day.
It’s been a journey that’s taken me from Asia to Europe to America; decorated with every single industry award of note and positions from a Trainee-Typist-Allround Guy to Global Executive Creative Director.
I feel grateful and lucky to have worked with some of the most highly regarded and frightfully talented people in the advertising and marketing world.
While my travels set me forth into the deep uncomfortable and unknown, taught me humility, honesty, tolerance and kept my mind open; working with amazing people gave me the chance to see things differently, to toy around with subcultures, play with unconventional thinking, to do more than what’s asked, to make mistakes and learn from them, to stay fresh and eager, to work ten times harder than those more talented...and more importantly, not to be a prick.
Life, I learnt as a young punk, is bigger than advertising.
I’ve held staff positions at BBH, TBWA, Publicis, Saatchi’s and helped shape brands like Levi’s, Axe, Johnnie Walker, Nissan, Playstation, Hewlett Packard and FIAT in pretty much every market across the planet.
As a natural storyteller with a lifelong penchant for the written word, an eye for the visually compelling and an in-built disregard for traditional mediums that nurtured me for freelance and consultancy at a variety of interesting companies, I now find myself in a beautifully restless place where there are a billion stories waiting to be told. And much to my excitement, none of them are anything like I have told in all those years of advertising.
In the following pages are ad-shaped objects and brand narratives. They’re reflections of my travels during certain phases of my responsible adult life; but thankfully, still have some remnants of naivety. They come from the experiences I’ve been through, the incredible people who affected me, the emotions I celebrated as I moved and felt moved. They made me a better son, husband, father, friend and somewhere down the journey, a better storyteller.
Also in there are some musings and ramblings that find their way into poetry of sorts; as well as advertising articles for the less cynical.
In my spare time, I am an audiophile, sneakerhead, roadtripper, soccer fiend, barçaholic, catalanista, francophile, philosophanderer, subtitle movies buff, art sucker, foodie, techishster, semi poet, husband to a teenage sweetheart and father to a couple of high schoolers who’re a karmic payback for all the troubles I gave my parents.
I live in New York.
I am a United States citizen.
I pay my taxes on time.
I write.
The need to “do something” still keeps me awake at nights.