Charged by high octane passion

No constraints

Known as a maverick, unfettered by the tedious constraints of political correctness, he is a joy to interact with on topics from advertising to politics, bringing up kids and keeping relationships going.

“Shakespeare is my favourite playwright and author. My first play — The Taming of the Shrew — was staged in a historic building called Kulsum Terrace overlooking Colaba Causeway. After several adaptations of his work over the years, the magic has not waned. I am working on another Shakespearean play — a musical. Not Romeo and Juliet but a mega production with large sets and costumes and Louis Banks will be doing the original sound track,” he says.

Not limiting himself to Shakespeare, Alyque has staged several plays by original authors in India. Like Girish Karnad’s Tughlaq and Broken Images. “In the former, I changed the beginning and the latter the ending. I even staged Julius Caesar with a woman playing the part of Caesar during the Emergency. I may adapt Shakespeare to different culture and timeframe but I will never mess about with his language which is the true essence of his work,” he exclaims.

Heading Lintas and creating the unforgettable ad campaigns, playing Mohammad Ali Jinnah in Richard Attenborough's Gandhi or getting involved in social activism, Alyque infuses everything he does with high octane passion.

“If you don’t enjoy what you do to the fullest extent of your being, you will never do it well,” he believes. “My mother was my greatest inspiration — a shrewd businesswoman who worked for 16 hours a day. Many of my strong women characters are based on her pragmatism and spunk like Surf's Lalita ji.”

Sharing close relationships with his children from different marriages that veer between professional and familial, he says, “We are an unconventional family. My kids Ranjit, Raell, Quasar and Shazahn are good friends and I am probably a better dad now than when they were growing up.” Apart from professional commitments, he is involved in social work and is also a human rights activist, who is determined to ‘bring Modi to justice’.
“I am part of an institute here in the City which teaches young people how to ‘ideate’. A good reason to return to Bangalore more often,” he signs off.