Prahlad Kakkar
About
Prahlad Kakkar is a leading Indian ad film director and advertising personality known for his creative vision and contributions to the advertising industry. He
is best known for his famous Pepsi commercial with Amitabh Bachchan & Sachin Tendulkar. He is also the founder of Genesis Film Productions, which he founded in 1977.
Kakkar began his career in the advertising industry in the 1970s. He started working with renowned ad agency Lintas (now MullenLowe Lintas) and quickly gained recognition for his creativity and ability to tell compelling stories through advertisements. His talent and unique approach to advertising soon made him one of the most sought-after ad filmmakers in India.
In 1972, he joined the renowned feature director, Shyam Benegal, as an assistant director for his films such as Ankur, Manthan, and Bhumika.
After working and getting trained under Shyam Benegal, Mandeep Kakkar, and Ravi Uppor, Prahlad became an independent director and founded Genesis Film Productions in 1977, and is very well known for their short film Bali affiliated with channel Star One.
He is one of the few Indian directors to direct international commercials for clients like Unilever & Pepsico in Burma, Vietnam, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and the Asia Pacific region in 1999.
Throughout his career, Prahlad Kakkar has worked with numerous prominent brands and created some of India's most iconic and successful ad campaigns. He is known for his work on brands such as Pepsi, Maggi, Cadbury, Britannia, and many others. His advertisements have left a lasting impact on the Indian audience, with several of them becoming cultural touchstones.
Prahlad Kakkar is well recognized for his work on Kamasutra advertisements.
Commercials directed by Prahlad have also been nominated for Lions at Cannes.
However, his endeavours aren't limited to ad-filmmaking and he has also been interested in restaurant design. In 1985, he ran a gourmet restaurant at the Prithvi Theater with Jennifer Kendal Kapoor.
He took on the initiative of reviving the culture of tea in India with a touch of sophistication, and started the Tea Centre, a restaurant designed by him, in association with the Tea Board of India.
In 2001, he started Casa Amore, an exclusive wine bar and restaurant, and also created Papa Pancho Da Dhaba for designer Mamta Sekhri followed by Sarson da Saaga in 2002.
An avid scuba diver, in 1995 he set up Lacadives, a scuba-diving school, at Kadmat Island, in collaboration with the government of Lakshadweep.
Prahlad is the co-founder of ReefWatch Marine Conservation established in 1994.
Since 2020, Prahlad has been mentoring Glocal Marketing Solutions, a marketing & advertising firm specialising in promoting Make in India brands, startups, and real estate.
Awards and Accomplishments
Awards and Accomplishments
With his passion for ad filmmaking, he has worked on several ad campaigns, ruling the ad filmmaking business, and has won several awards for technical excellence, innovation, and creativity in communication and advertising over the years.
- In 1996, Genesis won both Gold and Silver awards including the ‘Campaign Of The Year’ for the Pepsi commercials at AAAI.
- Prahlad received the prestigious ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ from IAAFA for his contribution to advertising & film art in 2000.
- Genesis was on the ‘Top Production House’ list for two consecutive years (2003-2004) under Prahlad’s leadership.
Why Prahlad Kakkar ?
With a career spanning several decades, Prahlad has ruled the advertising world with his brand of irreverent humour, and memorable brand building campaigns and has created award winning commercials for the most reputed corporates & agencies in India and the Asia Pacific region.
He is not just known for his creative genius but also for his charismatic personality. He has become a popular figure in Indian media and is often seen as a guest and judge on various television shows related to advertising, filmmaking, and entrepreneurship. He is known for his straightforward and sometimes controversial opinions, which have earned him both praise and criticism.
As a respected industry veteran , Kakkar is also passionate about nurturing young talent. He frequently conducts workshops and lectures on advertising and filmmaking, sharing his experiences and insights with aspiring professionals.
