“Adman Madman” by Prahlad Kakar is a fun riot filled with interesting tidbits about not just the advertising world, but also a stream of colourful personalities who inspired the popular ad filmmaker to hone his craft.
The book takes us through Kakar’s encounters with eminent names, his triumphs as well as failures, his dilemmas and of course the life lessons. It shows us the life of a man who was unapologetic about his choices and brave enough to own up his actions.
Kakar, who swears by Murphy’s law, takes his readers on a rollercoaster ride from the bizarre to the brazen.
The adman’s telling of the making of the 2-minutes Maggi noodles advertisement, Pepsi campaigns with many celebrities from Bollywood and the cricket world, and other popular brands are an interesting read. These anecdotes talk about the power of good ideas and most importantly their execution.
Kakar also talks about his association with noted filmmaker Shyam Benegal, one of the pioneers in the industry for making breakthrough ad films for cinema. He also talks about his struggling days when he slept on benches in train stations and on the sofas of reluctant friends.
After assisting Benegal on renowned features like “Ankur”, “Nishant”, “Manthan” and “Bhumika”, Kakar founded Genesis Film Production Private Limited, one of the leading production houses in India. Interestingly, award-winning actress Smita Patil named the company ‘Genesis’.
He has also dedicated an entire chapter to his Genesis team, explaining about the sheer determination and caliber of each one of them.
In the chapter ‘Biting the Bullet’, Kakar vividly explains the campaign his team designed for Royal Enfield. He also talks about his tryst with Yoga and Ayurveda, and how he learnt to focus on his health.
“Adman Madman” is also a book for advertising world enthusiasts who want to learn the trade to create memorable brands. The book provides a sneak peek into the behind-the-scenes of celebarted advertisements that launched the careers of models who went to become sucessful Bollywood names. Above all, one can learn to live with complete abandon.
The book, published by HarperCollins, is priced at Rs 799.