Everything Diwan Arun Nanda did was larger than life, and with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.
I will best remember Arun Nanda for three things
- He was a gambler
- His love for horses
- And like his brother from another mother, he always loved The Art of the Deal.
He was a gambler – After all, he gambled on me, making me President of Rediffusion-Y&R. That too, in the aftermath of Airtel’s loss of business. And together we made Rediffusion-Y&R, the 6th-ranked agency in India.
He was resourceful and always ready to help. We built on each other’s strengths. Sure enough, new business began to pour in. When the State Bank of India wanted to consolidate its business from seven agencies to one, we were the agency of choice. Then followed an enviable list of accounts and projects: LIC, L&T, Indian Oil Corporation Limited, Make In India (Maharashtra), Magnetic Maharashtra, Maharashtra Investment Summit, Maharashtra Government Performance Index, Resurgent Rajasthan, Rajasthan Investment Summit, Lupin, Savsol Lubricants, Leibherr Group and Deutsche Bank, to name just a few which are top of my mind. And all this, while keeping the existing businesses intact.
He loved horses with a passion. This love took him away from the day-to-day grind of advertising. This is probably why he would mostly hark back to some of the landmark work done during his time; work on Jenson&Nicholson – Whenever You See Colour, Eveready – Give Me Red, Garden Silks, Tata Tea – Anu Taazgi De De.
Rediffusion-Y&R, to its credit, has done a whole lot of iconic work, not just during my time, but by teams before me as well. The sort of work that won accolades across award forums, both locally and internationally. But Arun Nanda would fondly recall his above-mentioned favourite babies.
And like his brother from another mother, he always enjoyed The Art of the Deal. Arun Nanda was a fierce competitor. For him, the end justified the means. He gave his best and would expect nothing less from his team. Everything he did came with a distinct signature; from his attire and his cars to his food and his environment. And that would get reflected in all our conduct and presentations – always classy, always knowledgeable.
I’m sure, right now, he will be negotiating with his maker about his accommodation, his vehicle, and everything else, as he moves on to the world beyond.
Prayers for his onward journey.
