‘Death of a Salesman’ is a 1949 stage play written by American playwright Arthur Miller. The play premiered on Broadway in February 1949, running for 742 performances. It is a two-act tragedy set in 1940’s New York told through a montage of memories, dreams and arguments of the protagonist Willy Loman, a travelling salesman who is disappointed with his life and appears to be slipping into senility. The play contains many powerful themes, such as the American Dream, the anatomy of truth, and betrayal. It explores the psychological chaos of the protagonist and the capitalist society’s impact on his life. It won the 1949 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and a Tony Award for Best Play. It is considered by some critics to be one of the greatest plays of the 20th century.

When Alyque decided to stage this play and spoke to a few people about it, they were a bit sceptical, as to if it would cater to the Indian audiences, to which he stated that this play and its concept is relevant to our audiences, as the play showcases what happens when the sole breadwinner of the family gets old and bogged down in the process and loses his job, and suffers from its economic and psychological impact and In these tough times there is no one to understand and support him except his loving wife Linda Loman.

Alyque added his own interpretations and portrayed Linda Loman as a very Indian traditional wife, unlike its foreign counterpart.

Arthur Miller’s tale of an aging unwanted salesman remains one of Alyque’s favorite plays. Acting the lead role of Willy Loman the initial cast that included close friends like Farrokh Mehta and Sabira Merchant was a masterclass in itself of the finest performances Mumbai has ever seen.

Alyque Padamsee and Farrokh Mehta are the only actors from the whole cast to be a part of all the four productions, The four productions spanned across 53 years, from 1960’s, 70’s, 80’s to 2013.