MUMBAI: Piyush Pandey, Chief Advisor, Ogilvy; Prasoon Pandey, ad film director; Ila Arun, actor, singer and writer spotlighted Family Values: Blending Tradition with Modernity at Ideas of India Summit 3.0.
Speaking about the lives of seven sisters and two brothers in Jaipur and the years of growing up, Piyush Pandey, said, “To watch the entire India from second class compartment was an extraordinary experience.” He further added, “We learned from childhood the strength of camaraderie. People will only speak before you when they know you would value their ideas. “Can I do justice to the idea? – That’s what I am usually thinking.”
He also noted that India itself is an idea. “Our youth is seeking ideas elsewhere, but we possess magic, and the world is looking at us.”
Prasoon Pandey said, “There was joy in being, sleeping, and staying together as a family sharing the same space and wealth of experience of every member”
Arun said, “Rajasthan holds the key to my journey, and I take great pride in it. Even abroad, people yearn for the richness of culture and melodies that Rajasthan embodies. My songs, deeply rooted in Rajasthan, continue to resonate with audiences worldwide. Whether performing at home or abroad, I always make it a point to showcase local artists, for they have gifted me not just language but the very essence of soulful expression. In every corner of India, the heartbeat reverberates from the villages, and the soul finds its voice in the melodies of folk music. ”
Speaking about where he gets his ideas from, Prasoon says, “I am not a single man doing everything – You ought to have a team. You need not get elsewhere to get your ideas. I get my ideas from the streets.” He further added, “Travel India a little bit; that’s when true respect will come. The youth are bright people; they are wonderful, but if they are not made to see what India has to offer, all of us are going to miss a lot.”
Speaking about Ideas of India, Piyush Pandey, remarked, “We don’t think of the idea of India. India itself is an idea. Our youth is seeking ideas elsewhere, but we possess magic, and the world is looking at us. We have to enjoy, respect it, and cultivate this idea in the next generation.”
Speaking about the real world, Prasoon Pandey, said, “Bollywood is a very airbrushed, sanitized view of India. We were concentrating about what’s real India. There were clients who were sceptical. You have brave clients who were experimental in their approach and believed in what we wanted to show. When that worked, others started coming in.”
Remembering the transformation in Indian Ad world, Piyush Pandey, said, “Many people changed from 1980s, when they had no clue about the real India. They spoke to 10 people; we had to speak to a million. You have to change yourself. I am not a great believer of AI but the young India does. So I have to start believing on AI.”
Talking about Folk music and her song ‘Choli Ke Peeche’, Ila Arun said, “I didn’t hesitate when it came to songs like ‘Choli Ke Peeche’ because they are deeply rooted in our folk culture. Such songs are common at our society. Renowned music directors like Naushad ji and Kalyan-Anand ji have masterfully incorporated folk music into cinema. There was definitely a gap when Bollywood was being influenced by outside but folk music never dies.”
