Usha Bhandarkar, veteran Indian advertising leader, passes away

Usha Bhandarkar, one of Indian advertising’s pioneering creative leaders and a key figure behind several of the country’s most influential consumer brands, has passed away at the age of 82.

She was widely respected for shaping the voice and identity of brands such as Surf, Liril, Lifebuoy and Rexona. Over a long and distinguished career, her work helped define the evolution of modern Indian advertising, leaving a lasting impact not only on campaigns but also on the creative cultures of the organisations she worked with.

Born in 1944, Bhandarkar was among the first generation of women to break through the industry’s glass ceiling. She built a distinguished career across agencies such as Lintas, Ogilvy, and HTA, and played a pivotal role in shaping some of Unilever’s most iconic brands. Many of the campaigns she led went on to become benchmarks for creativity and relevance in Indian advertising, including Lalitaji- the strong female protagonist from the 1984 Surf campaign.

Remembering her, KV Sridhar ‘Pops’, the global chief creative officer at Nihilent, paid tribute, saying, "Away from the glamour and glitter of indulgent advertising, she silently built the brands of Unilever and was a mentor to many brand managers at Unilever. She fought every creative challenge at Lintas, teaching how to create FMCG advertising with insights and weaving in the reasons to believe. I have learned a lot from her, and I pay my respects. May her soul rest in peace."

Joseph (Joe) George, founder of Tilt Brand Solutions and former group chairman and CEO of MullenLowe Lintas Group, added, “The legacies of Lintas and HLL will forever carry a debt of gratitude for what you gave them.”

At a time when the industry was overwhelmingly male-dominated, Bhandarkar distinguished herself through quiet authority and steady leadership

She is survived by her husband, Ashok Bhandarkar; daughter, Malika Bhandarkar; son-in-law, Jeevan Venkataswamy; and grandson, Aadi, along with an extended family and a wide circle of friends and admirers across the advertising fraternity.