Ad man Prahlad Kakar feels 'he is in love with Aishwarya'

Varanasi, Jan 14: Maverick ad man Prahlad Kakar feels he is in love with doe-eyed Aishwarya Rai whom she made 'Sanju' 15 years ago for a TV commericial of Pepsi.

''I have been in love with Aishwarya since she discovered 15 years ago that she was Sanju in a Pepsi commercial,'' laughed Kakar, while holding an interactive talk with students at 'Opulence' -- the All India Management Festival -- in the Banaras Hindu University last evening.

Interestingly 15 years ago, Prahlad's Pepsi commercial for television had a white shirt-black jeans attired Aishwarya introducing self to Bollywood actor Aamir Khan as ''Hi I am Sanju.'' ''Aishwarya is equally stunning both as Sanju 15 years back and as the lead lady of Mani Ratnam's Guru now or the sensuous one song Kajrare girl in Bunty aur Babli. She looks far better in real life that what she appears in reel life,'' the ad man, who also manages a restaurant, runs a jazz club and trains people in scuba diving in his own school in the exotic island of Lakshdweep said.

The inimitable and thick bearded Kakar who features in the Indian Ad Film Makers Hall of Fame, wearing his trademark hat, also urged youth to identify the enormous potential they have for transforming the country into a world-beater.

''Presently there are 13 young members in Parliament, which you need to make at least 30 in five years time,'' averred the ad man who owns 'Genesis' production house.

Listing the nut and bolts of creative advertising, Kakar said advertising is disciplined dreaming and those who are not day dreamers cannot become ad film makers. ''The greatest input for successful advertising is the capacity to dream. A dreamer can be an engineer, management professional or even a drug addict ... we have many in the advertising world.'' The man who is also a cigar connoisseur and manufactures a cigar brand 'Shergar' in the Phillipines, however, cautioned about overhyping a product which does not deliver. ''The downside of advertising is overhyping a product which does not deliver.''

UNI