March 1, 1999
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DOUBLE LIFE Gospel According to St Alyque Padamsee's memoirs are part educative and part exasperating. By Sunil Gupta A DOUBLE LIFE Is it a sign of the changing times that Penguin India has chosen to publish the autobiography of a man who has spent a lifetime in two professions that arguably do not turn the many-headed on, viz. theatre (mainly English) and advertising -- which many would not call a profession at all. Or is it a sign of the man? Perhaps both, but certainly the latter. For anyone who was (and is) even remotely touched by these two seemingly unrelated -- but inextricably intertwined, as the book demonstrates -- worlds, Alyque Padamsee is a name that has for many years been synonymous with and often defined them. And therefore who better than he to give us a peek or three behind the scenes of these somewhat shadowy worlds? A Double Life is not a kiss-and-tell quickie that is long on anecdote and short on everything else. Though anecdotes there are in plenty, it is an insightful and often brutally honest telling of the life of a person who brought energy, enthusiasm and commitment to everything he was involved with in these two difficult and ephemeral spheres, and an infectious joie de vivre that seemed to inspire the many people he came in contact with: clients, employees, actors, the media, and friends. Theatre and advertising are often metaphors for life, and Padamsee is able to vivify these with wit, humour and a lightness of touch that make for easy reading. His skill as a raconteur comes to the fore when he describes his role as Jinnah in Richard Attenborough's Gandhi, his orchestration of the opening ceremony of the Asian Track and Field meet in 1989, and his role in the aftermath of the Mumbai riots of 1992-93, besides of course his part in the creation of some of India's best-known brands. Nevertheless, when a man is called "God" by many in his immediate circle, it must show. And thus we are reminded right from the publisher's note to the bookmark that 'thou shalt take heed' of the words of the lord. So ignore the feeling you might get at times that you're reading a Prentice-Hall textbook on Chicken Soup for the Advertising Soul. Desist from scribbling in the margins and underlining bon mots -- Padamsee' description of his words of wisdom -- like (and this one's selected at random): "Creativity is your showcase but your bottom line is your bottom line." Overlook the somewhat low impression Padamsee seems to have of your general knowledge ("Orson Welles was no relation of H.G. Wells"). Excuse the lyricism with which he describes the genesis of some of his ads that in actual fact demonstrate how form is mistaken for content (Padamsee is a businessman after all). And pretend that all the repetition (e.g., Surf's Lalitaji being modelled after his mother) is just the advertising way of driving the point home. And take heart from Padamsee's example of how to live a meaningful and thoroughly enjoyable life in the fast lane. NEW RELEASES «Chemline Book of
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