On the early morning of 24th September 2026, my phone rang, and my body froze for a moment when I heard that Bhaskar had left for his heavenly abode. I ran short of words and couldn't muster the courage to ask when it had happened because we were still hoping a miracle would happen. But perhaps destiny had other plans. Bhaskar touched many lives through his humour and wit, but he was also candid, direct, and had his own nonchalant way of sharing his views. He was my friend, my brother, my family to me and everyone else.
We knew each other, and then we became friends , while consulting for e4m and BW. We engaged at multiple levels, and he became part of many initiatives, earning numerous accolades for his work. Whenever my team and I were launching something new, he was there to offer suggestions. He was a selfless person who had no interest in what was in it for him. He simply wanted to give.
After I left e4m and BW to bring my focus back to my own publishing group, Saltdiscovery Media, he was overjoyed for me. I wanted him to come for our events, but he had been advised to rest. Still, he was always there to extend his wishes and support. As a token of our gratitude for his contribution to the industry, we conferred on him with the Brand Communion PR and Communication ICON award.
I am not going to share how he died, but how he lived — echoing a line Tom Cruise's character says to the Japanese emperor in The Last Samurai. That line left a deep, profound thought with me. So I want to share some small anecdotes about our conversations, and his own recollections of the people who left a profound effect on him, and how they inspired him in their own unique ways in the course of his journey.
Starting from his early schooling days. During his school years at Vinay Nagar Bengali School in Sarojini Nagar, Bhaskar was a shy and reserved boy, though loved by many. I once spoke with him about his school days, and he mentioned his teacher and the school's retired principal, Mr. Subhash Bangia — whom I never knew was the father of our industry colleague, Geetika Bangia. I later spoke with Geetika and asked her father to share more about Bhaskar's academic life. Mr. Bangai remembered him fondly:
"I remember Bhaskar as a shy, timid boy who rarely spoke up in class, always more comfortable listening than being heard. However, there was a quiet attentiveness in him — the kind that often goes unnoticed in a classroom but stays with a teacher long after the years have passed."
He also spoke with pride about the man Bhaskar became:
"That same reserved child went on to build a distinguished career in public relations an industry that demands the voice he once seemed too shy to use. That transformation is the finest tribute any student can pay to their school."
My personal and professional association with Bhaskar began in the early 2000s, when I started my career in Media and Communication. He was with Genesis at the time, and we spoke a few times over press releases. Later, he became a client of IPAN's while serving ESPN, he was kind, prolific, and dynamic as ever. I always saw him alongside Dr. Samir Kapur and Sameer Bajaj, the three of them were a formidable team. Both Dr. Kapur and Sameer have since gone on to build impeccable careers at the pinnacle of their success. Bhaskar was a favourite of every client-servicing team, especially when they needed support — he was always around. Anyone in this industry knows the bittersweet relationship between client servicing and comms, and Bhaskar made it a little sweeter for everyone.
Dr. Samir was Bhaskar's family, and Bhaskar loved him like a brother. He was equally close to Samir's father, Mr. Kapoor who was fondly known to everyone as Kapoor Sahab. Kapoor Sahab and bhaskar shared a unique bond, often over a glass of scotch.
In our early days, we used to hang out at Ching Wah in Lajpat Nagar, where Bhaskar would fondly recall his journey at CMCG, which began under Samir Kale. He spoke of how Deepak Jolly's family got him into this profession and his house became their office in Malviya Nagar, and how Vineet Handa's career took shape under Samir Kale's mentorship. He refereed Vineet, sharp as ever, and Deepak, true to his name, a jolly good fellow.
He often spoke about working under Prema and Ashwani at Genesis, and the value they brought into his life — as well as Bhuvnesh Chawla's wit, Pranav Kumar's distinctive accent, and Siddharth Kumar's humour. Later, at Vaishnavi, he worked alongside Niira Radia, learning how to manage crises and understanding the nuances of corporate governance and policymaking. He fondly remembered his friends from that time and beyond to name a few as I recall Kinshuk Gupta, Pushpendra Dhansoia, Aman Gupta, Anup Sharma, a group from various organizations who became lifelong friends. He found a friend in everyone.
He had a wonderful stint working with Amit Misra at APCO, he fondly called Amit a man of few words but deeply generous of heart. I was once called to their APCO office in Nehru Place, where I met him alongside Jaya Bhumitra, who now runs an NGO in the US now. Being a typical Bengali, he loved to tease her. He often spoke of their late nights out, and of just how larger than life Amit Misra was to his team.
His life took another turn at Adfactors, where he learned business acumen from Madan Bahal and Rajesh Chaturvedi, gaining access to some of the industry's most significant accounts. He lived and breath Adfactors and he was proud of his association with them,
In his own words he said to me: "Karan, I had worked with all the leaders at one point or another — be it Madan Bahal, Rajesh Chaturvedi, Rajeev Desai, Prema Sagar, Niira Radia, Ashwani Singla, Dilip Cherian or Samir Kale. They all left a profound impression on my life."
He spoke warmly of his time at Egis, of the culture there, and of being part of a strong team with Tilak. He remembered the enviable support Mr. Gulati and Mr. Surana gave him and how, during his toughest days, the organisation stood by him like a pillar.
He shared countless stories about Partha Ghosh, Sanjay Gupta, Ashish Sinha, Prasonjit Datta, Tarundeep Singh, Mukesh Kharbanda, Deepa Dey, Rakesh Thukral, Nandini Chatterjee, Shubham Mukherjee, Tanmana Rath, Sudeep Purkayastha, Mrinal Dey, Subir Moitra and so many others. He was a man Friday to many, a wise, a reservoir of information, deeply relationship oriented person. In my eyes, he was a gem and a pioneer. Wanting to give back to the industry, Mrinal and Bhaskar co-founded Comms Adda and Jyotsana Dash Nanda as co-orginator started building a platform for communication professionals that spread across different parts of India, engaging countless comms practitioners along the way. Bhaskar was passionate about the comms adda team
Alongside all of this, he was fond of teaching, so he became a frequent guest lecturer at IIMC, Delhi School of Communication, IP University, and many others.
He was full of gratitude, a true people's person, with immaculate relationships across every peer, personal and professional. He was loved by many, and he loved just as many in return.
I don't have enough words to express my gratitude for his friendship, his love, his support. I am grateful that in this hour of need, several industry professionals came forward in their own ways to console and support his family. I know they, in turn, remain indebted to everyone who stood by him throughout his journey.
au revoir, mon ami
(Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publication.)
