Forty years ago, theatre veteran Alyque Padamsee brought Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s path-breaking rock opera, Jesus Christ Superstar (JCS) to the Indian stage. In 1974, the lavish production had a cast of almost 70 performers and 50 members backstage. In an attempt to “destroy the idea of the proscenium” Padamsee designed a set that boasted of a 100-foot wide cross running over the first few rows and the performance spilled over to this makeshift cross. The grandeur, however, didn’t overshadow the play’s message — that of peace, love and harmony.

A scene from Jesus Christ Supersta and director  Alyque Padamsee