Ad filmmaker and director Pradeep Sarkar passes away

Ad filmmaker and film director Pradeep Sarkar breathed his last on Friday in Mumbai at the age of 68. Sarkar directed several advertising campaigns before transitioning to the world of cinema, where he directed acclaimed films such as 'Parineeta', 'Laga Chunari Mein Daag','Mardaani', and 'Helicopter Eela'. According to reports, he was on dialysis and passed away in a hospital.

Sarkar was a mentor to young talent in both the advertising and film fraternities, and his well-wishers from both industries mourned his loss on social media platforms.

Sad to hear of Pradeep Sarkar 'Dada' 's demise. His main contribution to Indian cinema was the sensitive and nuanced portrayals of the modern Indian woman balancing the past and present.
He did some fantastic TV ads too, with another (departed) legend, Shovan Chowdhury. pic.twitter.com/ovS2FZa2am

— shubho sengupta (@shubhos) March 24, 2023

Pradeep Sarkar gave me some of my early significant breaks as a photographer when he worked as an art director at Contract Advtg, New Delhi

For taking big chances on a newcomer I will be eternally grateful.

Lovely man, immense talent

RIP boss
The movies will miss u 🙏🏽 pic.twitter.com/2EHiJeuctn

— atul kasbekar (@atulkasbekar) March 24, 2023

After starting his career as a creative supervisor at Tulika Advertising Agency, Sarkar spent nearly two decades in mainstream advertising before shifting to ad filmmaking. He graduated with a Gold Medal in 1979 from Delhi College of Art and went on to win several awards, including the Abby Award, Rapa Award, and the National Film Award.

Sarkar directed several commercials, including Cadbury’s Pappu Paas Ho Gaya, Eveready’s Give Me Red, Tata Yellow Pages, ICICI Prudential and Onida KY Thunder among others. He also directed music videos for popular songs such as Shubha Mudgal’s 'Ab Ke Saawan', Euphoria’s 'Dhoom Pichak Dhoom' and 'Maaeri', Sultan Khan’s 'Piya Basanti', and Bhupen Hazarika’s ‘Ganga’. These videos set a benchmark for aesthetically shot storytelling.