Quality of ads has turned poor, but things will change for better: Prahlad Kakkar

Kolkata: Eminent ad film director Prahlad Kakkar said the quality of advertising has turned poor in the country but things will change for the better.

Kakkar talking to PTI on the sidelines of Tata Steel Kolkata Literary Meet on Thursday said social media, digital media budgets have been slashed and creativity suffers.

"The quality of ad has turned so poor as there is no single creative bone left in the body. Creativity suffers, production value suffers", Kakkar, best known for his work on the Pepsi TV commercials with Amitabh Bachchan and Sachin Tendulkar, said.

Commenting that lots of young people are now doing ad for money, he said "We did it for passion".

He said, "My advice to creative people – keep quiet, keep low. It (situation) will change as it cannot continue to be in such a stage for long".

The 73-year-old, who had worked with filmmaker Shyam Benegal as assistant director for Ankur, Manthan and Bhumika, said his one word of advice for young, honest ad film-makers will be "always stick to the belief that what you say is right".

Recalling his early career, Kakkar, who founded Genesis Film Production in 1977, said he took the brief from clients, which could be mundane, predictable stuff, but developed the storyboard in "my ways, rewriting in my ways".

Kakkar also talked about his memoir 'Adman Madman: Unapologetically Prahlad' co-written with author Rupangi Sharma which dwells on his eventful career, humorous anecdotes from his personal life and likewise.