Remembering Alyque Padamsee

 

Alyque Padamsee

MUMBAI – MAHARASHTRA – INDIA           November 27, 2018           01.45 P.M. 

 

I’m posting this blog after 1 year and 3 months gap. My last blog was posted on August 30, 2017.

Reasons are many.  One is writer’s block. I never ever thought that one day I could also be a victim of this dreaded writer’s block. But it struck me with all ferocity.  Anyhow I fought a valiant battle and overcame that. So now I am ready with this much delayed blog.

Other reason is that during this period I was inundated with work. In this one year, apart from regular batches, I did workshop for 3 serials ; ” PORUS ” , ” RADHA KRISHNA ” & ” TANTRA “. I also did workshop for films ; ” KAABIL ” , ” STUDENT OF THE YEAR 2 ” , ” HUM CHAAR ” and 2 upcoming films of DHARMA PRODUCTIONS.

So it was 16 hour workdays for 15 long months. All the work took its toll on my time and body. I was left with no time. Hence this inordinate delay.

Last week when I heard about sudden death of Mr. Alyque Padamsee, I decided to leave my inertia and write something about him.

It was a cold November evening of 2009. I got a call. The person on the other side spoke in broken Hindi, ” Hi ! This is Alyque Padamsee. Am I talking to Mr. Vidur ? ” I was stunned. Am I really talking to the legend?

But yes. The person on the other side of phone was The legend himself. He wanted me to train his daughter Shazahn Padamsee.

I started training Shazahn for her debut film ” ROCKET SINGH : SALESMAN OF THE YEAR ” .

 

 

With Shazahn Padamsee in my office

 

And one day there I met the legend whom the world knew as Alyque Padamsee. He was so unassuming and soft spoken. I was taken aback. He talked to me for some time and then left.

It is almost 9 years but the memory refuses to fade.

He was Chief Executive of Lintas for 14 long years and created much acclaimed campaigns like ; Lalita ji for Surf, Cherry Charlie for Cherry Blossom, MRF Muscle Man , the Liril Girl in the waterfall and Hamara Bajaj.

I also liked him as Mohammad Ali Jinnah in Richard Attenborough’s much acclaimed film ” GANDHI ” .

I still possess his signed autobiography , A Double Life : My Exciting Years In Theatres and Advertising.

Rest in peace sir ! There won’t be anyone like you.

 

 

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On behalf of all the students & staff of VIDUR Acting Institute , VIDUR Editing Studio , VIDUR Club and VIDUR Merchandise, I express my condolences . My sympathies are with Shazahn Padamsee. May God give her strength to bear this loss.

 

VIDUR

MUMBAI – MAHARASHTRA – INDIA

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