MAM
Bipin R. Pandit pens his passion in new biography, ‘Impassioned’
MUMBAI: Goafest 2025 witnessed more than just gold metals — it saw the unveiling of ‘Bipin R. Pandit – Impassioned’, a vibrant biography celebrating the Advertising Club’s spirited COO & founder of the soulful live music IP, Khumaar. The book was launched by Havas India group CEO SEA & North Asia, and Ad Club president Rana Barua during the 58th Abby Awards in front of an industry-packed house.
The biography captures Pandit’s 28-year rollercoaster with the Ad Club, where he’s been the behind-the-scenes heartbeat of events like the Abbys, Effies and Emvies — awards that have since become institutionally iconic. From his early days at Baroda Rayon and Castrol India to being the anchor of over 1,000 stage shows, Impassioned weaves the personal with the professional — with equal notes of nostalgia, humour and humility.
The book features:
* Reflections from all 13 Ad Club presidents Pandit has worked with
* Insights from 30 managing committee members, with a back-and-forth of perspectives
* A tribute to Khumaar, now in its 20th year
* A peek into the Pandits’ love story — a romance that began in school and blossomed into 40 years of marriage
* And plenty of anecdotes that spotlight Bipin’s love for cricket, music and people
With a foreword by Padma Shri Piyush Pandey and a special note by Padma Shri Prasoon Joshi, Impassioned isn’t just a biography — it’s a masterclass in loyalty, legacy and leading with heart.
“I just wrote a LinkedIn blog after last year’s Abbys. Rana called, said this should be a book — and the rest is literally history,” said Pandit, thanking Gour Gupta and the team at Tribes for their support, and co-author-curator Gokul Krishnamoorthy for shaping the narrative.
“Bipin has been the pulse of The Ad Club,” said Rana Barua. “His journey is a reminder that true leadership doesn’t always wear the loudest hat — sometimes, it sings from backstage.”
Ad Club past president Ramesh Narayan added, “Bipin has always had that reassuring smile and an enviable ability to juggle committees, concerts, and cricket scores with ease.”
The biography is priced at Rs 750 and available on www.bipinpandit.com. Ten per cent of the proceeds will go to Light of Life Foundation, supporting marginalised communities — yet another testament to Pandit’s impassioned legacy, both on and off stage.
Credits
Publisher & co-author: Bipin R. Pandit
Curator & co-author: Gokul Krishnamoorthy
Cover design: Vikram Gaikwad
Book design: Mediaedge
Cover photo: Himanshu Mestry
Supported by: Tribes
Digital
India leads global adoption of ChatGPT Images 2.0 in first week
From anime avatars to fantasy covers, users turn AI visuals into culture
NEW DELHI: India has emerged as the largest user base for ChatGPT Images 2.0, just a week after its launch by OpenAI, underlining the country’s growing influence on global internet trends.
While the tool was introduced as an advanced image-generation upgrade within ChatGPT, Indian users are quickly reshaping its purpose. Instead of sticking to productivity-led use cases, many are embracing it as a creative playground for self-expression, storytelling and online identity.
From anime-style portraits and cinematic headshots to tarot-inspired visuals and fictional newspaper front pages, the model is being used to create highly stylised, shareable content. Features such as accurate text rendering, multilingual prompts and the ability to generate detailed visuals with minimal input have helped drive rapid adoption.
What sets the latest model apart is its ability to “think” through prompts, generating multiple outputs and adapting to context, including real-time web inputs. But the bigger story lies in how users are engaging with it.
In India, trends are already taking shape. Popular formats include dramatic studio-style lighting edits, LinkedIn-ready headshots, manga-inspired avatars, soft pastel “spring” aesthetics, AI-led fashion moodboards, paparazzi-style visuals and fantasy newspaper covers. Users are also restoring old photographs, creating tarot-style imagery and experimenting with futuristic design concepts.
Local flavour is adding another layer. Prompts such as cinematic portrait collages and Y2K-inspired romantic edits are gaining traction, blending global aesthetics with distinctly Indian internet culture.
The surge reflects a broader shift in how AI tools are being used in the country, moving beyond utility to creativity. As younger users, creators and social media enthusiasts experiment with new visual formats, AI-generated imagery is increasingly becoming part of everyday digital expression.
If early trends hold, ChatGPT Images 2.0 may not just be a tech upgrade but a cultural moment, giving millions a new visual language to play with online.
