Painter and illustrator Ranen Ayan Dutt passed away at a nursing home in south Kolkata on Sunday night. He was 96.
Dutt is best known for the promotional material he created for products such as Jabakusum and Shalimar hair oil.
The Jabakusum ad featuring a woman on her bed with her long black tresses caressing her shoulders is still etched in the memory of Kolkatans of a certain age.
He also designed book covers, film posters, calendars and murals.
Dutt had created the poster for Tapan Sinha’s film Kabuliwala. He also showed acumen in architectural designs. He designed the building on Strand Road that houses the archive of the State Bank of India.
“He was admitted to the nursing home with respiratory problems on Sunday,” said a relative.
Dutt graduated from the College of Art, Kolkata, with the distinction of first class first in fine arts.
Soon after, he was absorbed by Stronachs India as art director in Mumbai (then Bombay).
On his return to Kolkata, he became the chief art director of J Walter Thompson and had a remarkable stint in advertising spanning 20
years. During this period, he did creative work for brands like ICI, Philips, GKW and Air India.
In 1974, he started his own company — RAD Associates.
Dutt was awarded DLitt by Rabindra Bharati University in 1999 for his accomplishment in applied art.
“Dutt was not only a world-class painter and illustrator but made a mark for himself as a 3D designer. He would design pavilions with outer shells at trade fairs. The architectural drawings would be passed by engineers without a scratch. His understanding of design was very strong,” said Shib Nath Sen, who has just retired from J Walter Thompson as a creative director and worked closely with Dutt in the 1980s.
Dutt is survived by two daughters.