Legendary ad guru and theatre personality Alyque Padamsee passes away at the age of 90

The legendary ad guru and theatre personality Shri Alyque Padamsee is no more. He passed away in Mumbai earlier today at the age of 90. A pioneer in the field of advertising, Padamsee was instrumental in spearheading some of the most successful branding campaigns in the history of Indian advertising including Hamara Bajaj, the Liril girl, Lalitaji for Surf, Cherry Charlie for Cherry Blossom Shoe Polish, the Kamasutra couple, and the MRF Muscle Man, among several others. During his 14-year-long tenure as the Chief Executive of Lintas India, he succeeded in establishing it as one of the top ad agencies in the country. For his remarkable achievements in the field of advertising, Padamsee is often described as the “Brand Father of Indian Advertising”. He is said to have built over 100 brands.

Apart for his remarkable work as an ad guru, Padamsee was also closely associated with the world of theatre. Making his stage debut at the age of 7 in Merchant of Venice, which was directed his brother Bobby Padamsee, Alyque went on to make his directorial debut with a play called Taming of the Shrew. He is best known for English-language productions such as Tughlaq, Evita, and Jesus Christ Superstar. His latest offering Broken Images was invited to the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, back in the year 2011. He was conferred with the Padma Shri by the Indian government in the year 2000. Also, the Sangeet Natak Akademi has conferred him with the Lifetime Achievement Award for Theatre as well as the Tagore Ratna. Also, Alyque is the only Indian to be voted into the International Clio Hall of Fame.

Apart from being on the Advisory Council of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT Bombay), he also worked for the Citizens for Justice and Peace. Padamsee, who was appointed to the Prime Minister's AIDS Task Force, also served as an advisor to former Prime Minister of India, Late Shri Rajiv Gandhi, on commercialization of television. He was appointed creative adviser to Doordarshan at the turn of the millennium. Padamsee served as the founder trustee of Akanksha, an NGO for the education of slum children. He also founded Izzat Ki Fauj to deal with eve teasing on the streets of Mumbai.

Outside India, Padmasee is best known for his portrayal of Muhammad Ali Jinnah in Sir Richard Attenborough's 1982 biographical film Gandhi, based on the life and struggles of Mahatma Gandhi. Alyque, who married thrice during his lifetime, is survived by four children including actress Shazahn Padamsee known for her work in films like Rocket Singh, Housefull 2, and Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji. As the Chairman of the London Institute of Corporate Training, he conducted courses on leadership training and ideation. Padamsee also wrote a bestselling book on advertising titled A Double Life which is prescribed in business schools.

Padamsee’s demise marks the end of an era for Indian advertising industry. Several prominent personalities, friends and well-wishers have shared their condolences on Twitter.