Asli masale sach sach... MDH MDH! This jingle is sure to leave us with a rush of nostalgia as the picture of the iconic 'MDH Uncle' pops up. He created a brand that is sure to be etched in the hearts and minds of consumers. Fondly known as 'Dadaji', 'Masala King' and 'King of Spices', Mahashay Dharampal Gulati, the owner and brand mascot of MDH Masala, passed away on Thursday morning at the age of 98. He advertised his products on his own and is considered to be one of the oldest advertisement stars in the world. We list out some of his iconic ads.

MDH launched its first television ad in 1984 featuring Dharampal Gulati. The ad also featured veteran actors Shafi Inamdar and Neena Gupta. 

And from there on, all MDH TV ads featured Dharam Pal as the brand ambassador for his company. The cardboard box pack, launched in 1948, also carried his photograph. 

The brand recently celebrated 100 years and released an ad featuring Gulati for the same.

When asked why MDH doesn't feature a celebrity, Gulati had an interesting response.

He said, "People ask me why I don’t get Shah Rukh Khan or Amitabh Bachchan to promote my masalas. Why should I ride on their success to promote my brand? I am the man behind the success of my product, so shouldn’t I be promoting it?" 

Gulati may not have had much school education, but big business leaders consider him an icon. He was reportedly the highest paid CEO in the FMCG sector in 2017. In 2019, Gulati was awarded the Padma Bhushan, India's third-highest civilian award. Gulati was also a philanthropist who gave back to society and nearly 90% of his salary went to charity.