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The Amul Girl cannot help but weep at Sylvester daCunha’s death
Mumbai: We have all grown up watching the iconic ‘Amul Girl’ in various forms, on various events, in different situations and circumstances, to the extent that today there is no brand synonymous with butter other than Amul. The brain behind the brand’s ‘Utterly Butterly’ campaign in 1966, Sylvester daCunha passed away on 20 June. The advertising fraternity lost a gem, a legend, and a veteran – and made the Indian ad world a little less creative, a little more poorer.
Giving a peek into the professional life of Sylvester, in 1966, as managing director of the advertising agency ASP, he joined art director Eustace Fernandes and formulated the legendary Amul Girl campaign. The Amul girl is a hand-drawn cartoon of a young Indian girl dressed in a polka dotted frock with blue hair and a half pony tied up. For years, the Amul girl has played the role of a social critic.
As a tribute to him, Indiantelevision.com spoke to industry mavens to know what Sylvester and the Amul girl means to them.
Wieden + Kennedy India chief creative officer Santosh Padhi aka Paddy reminisces, “The Amul girl is one of the few mascots that’s has become part of our culture unfortunately many lost after building the iconic mascots like the Maharaja of Air India, Gattu of Asian Paints and so on.
The way daCunha used the girl/mascot in many different ways makes it memorable and charming and one still waits to see what is next. The multiple characters of the mascot always sustained some about of the Amul girl while adapting into some other character and this cannot happen without thinking, it’s by love and design!”
He further adds, “I would go to an extent and say the billboard campaigns have brought a different brand connect and have been less celebrated. A classic example of simplicity brand integration, refreshing and topical advertising.”
82.5 Communications co-chairman and CEO Kapil Arora had only heard of him, and never had the good fortune of working with him, but he rightly mentions, “He was part of a generation that made this business great. So it’s fitting that a tribute to one icon is delivered by another icon, of his own making.”
Popular adman and Spinach Experience Design director and co-founder Agnello Dias gets nostalgic too, “Sylvester daCunha and so many other legends of that time represented a genteel, pure form of creativity in mass communication that was practised and rendered with elegance, innovativeness, and dignity. Not surprisingly the work stands the test of time.”
82.5 Communications former chairman and chief creative officer Sumanto Chattopadhyay believes that the Amul campaign was successful in a way that few Indian ad campaigns have been. “The very fact that it has gone on for so long and we still wait to see the next Amul hoarding is a testimony to its magic. Sylvester daCunha’s passing is not just a loss for the advertising world, but for the generations of Indians for whom he made Amul a well-loved household name,” he wraps up.
Sylvester is survived by his wife Nisha, and their son and advertising expert Rahul daCunha. For the unversed, he was the brother of the late advertising mastermind, Gerson daCunha.
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
