Ishitta Arun Hits Back

In a video from the funeral, Ishitta was seen conversing and smiling with other attendees. The clip caught everyone’s attention on social media, drawing criticism from several social media users who slammed her for behaving inappropriately for the somber occasion.

On Sunday, Ishitta took to Instagram Stories to hit back at the trolls, and share her side of the story. She explained that the moment captured in the video was about remembering and celebrating Piyush’s spirit, adding that it can’t be seen as disrespectful.

Sharing a note along with a picture of her uncle, Ishitta wrote, “Grief isn’t a single script. And when you’re saying goodbye to a man who laughed louder than anyone else, remembering him through laughter isn’t disrespect. It’s continuity. It’s muscle memory. It’s knowing who he really was.”

Responding to the trolls who “took time out of their empty lives to twist a single second,” she further added, “What you saw was us laughing at his line- a line only he could deliver. If you had known him, even in passing, you wouldn’t have needed this explained.”

She shared, “We don’t stage grief. We don’t mute memory to make strangers comfortable. We remember him honestly- as laughter, courage, and life itself. Next time—know the story before you comment on the moment.”

Earlier this week, Ishitta took to Instagram to share her fond memories with her late mama (maternal uncle), Piyush. She recalled how he came to Mumbai because her mother decided his talent was being wasted in Calcutta. She revealed that he stayed with her parents for his first five years here.

She wrote, “We lived in a small two-bedroom flat in Santacruz (East), and as an only child, I suddenly had my first and only roommate. I was ecstatic. I’d wait all day for him to return from OBM, singing at the top of my lungs, like a malfunctioning radio with confidence but no tuning. One day, he lost his patience and said, ‘Main tumhe ulta pankhe se latka doonga.’ (I’ll hang you upside down from the fan.) For me, it was Tuesday. For him, a breakdown.”

Piyush Pandey no more

Piyush Pandey, the creative visionary who gave Indian advertising its distinct voice and soul, died on Friday. He was 70. In an interview to Indianexpress.com, his sister and singer-actor Ila Arun revealed the cause of his death, saying, “My brother passed away at 5.50 am this morning because of pneumonia complications. He was in the ICU. As a sister, I can say he was a precious brother and the life of our family. He was an ad guru who told long stories in 30 seconds.”

Piyush Pandey, often described as the face of modern Indian advertising, began his career in the 1980s and rose to become the Chief Creative Officer Worldwide of Ogilvy & Mather. Known for infusing Indian sensibilities, humour, and heart into his work, Piyush transformed the way ads spoke to the country’s diverse audience. His campaigns from Fevicol’s Jod Ke Rakhe Hamesha to Cadbury’s Kuch Khaas Hai and Asian Paints’ Har Ghar Kuch Kehta Hai became cultural landmarks.