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Gerson da Cunha (16 June 1929 – 7 January 2022) was an Indian advertising professional who was also a stage and film actor, social worker, and author. He headed the Indian market communications agency Lintas and also worked for J. Walter Thompson, and Hindustan Lever in a career spanning 25 years. He worked with UNICEF in Brazil and was awarded the Order of Rio Branco by the government of Brazil in 2018 for his services to that country. Da Cunha acted in English-language plays and movies such as Electric Moon (1992), Cotton Mary (1999), Asoka (2001) and Water (2005), among others.

Key Information

Early life

[edit]

Gerson da Cunha was born on 16 June 1929 into a Bombay to Goan Catholic family of Brahmin from Portuguese descent and grew up in the Mazagaon neighborhood of Bombay (now Mumbai).[1] He graduated in science from the University of Bombay studying at St. Xavier's College. He would later describe his college as a 'fussy and priggish Jesuit College'.[2] His uncle was José Gerson da Cunha, physician and historian, who had written one of the first historical works documenting the origins of Bombay, somewhat aptly titled, The Origins of Bombay. Da Cunha Sr. was also the family physician of the Aga Khan.[3][4]

His younger brother Sylvester da Cunha was also involved in advertising and English theatre.[5]

Career

[edit]

Da Cunha started his career as a journalist with Press Trust of India and later worked with Reuters. He also worked during this time with All India Radio. After five years in the news industry, he moved to advertising working with the Indian marketing communications agencies J. Walter Thompson, Lintas and later to Hindustan Lever, working for over 25 years in the advertising industry between 1955 and 1980. The last ten of those years were spent heading Lintas.[6]

Nowhere is ever home
but this may be the town
of least effort for me.

Here the idiom is known.

 – Gerson da Cunha, Bombay Wallahs (2000)[7]

He was a writer for The Earth Times, a newspaper for the 1992 Earth Summit which remained in publication through 2003. His column in the newspaper was titled View from the South and highlighted the need for legislation in driving environmental actions.[8] He also worked with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in Latin America and later at its headquarters in New York City. He worked on social marketing programs focused on nutrition, health, and wellness in the region, including vaccinations in Brazil's favelas and healthy motherhood initiatives in the Central American regions.[8] Da Cunha was awarded the Order of Rio Branco by the government of Brazil in 2018 for his services to that country.[9]

Da Cunha was the founder and CEO of the Mumbai-based NGO and citizens initiative Mumbai First and was also part of its organizing board. He was also active in various other NGOs and citizen groups in Mumbai.[10] He was a trustee of NAGAR and convenor of AGNI (Action for Good Governance and Networking for India).[9] He also worked as an advisor to various Indian union ministries and the National Technology Missions under the Cabinet Secretariat.[2][6]

Da Cunha had also acted in English-language plays and movies including Electric Moon (1992), Cotton Mary (1999), Asoka (2001) and Water (2005), among others.[6] Some of his notable theater performances included Othello directed by Zul Velani in 1956 and Begum Sumroo directed by Alyque Padamsee.[8][11][12] He has also provided the voice-over for the national award-winning non-feature film Jain Temples of India (1963).[13] His poetry anthology, So far, was published by HarperCollins in 2000.[14]

Personal life

[edit]

Da Cunha was married to Uma, a theater and film critic.[1]

Death

[edit]

Gerson da Cunha died from a cardiac arrest in Mumbai on 7 January 2022, at the age of 92.[9][8]

Works

[edit]

Books

[edit]
  • So far. HarperCollins (India), 2000. ISBN 81-7223-395-7.

Films

[edit]

Source(s):[6][15]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Gerson da Cunha

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Gerson da Cunha was an Indian advertising executive, stage and film actor, and civic activist known for heading the prominent agency Lintas India, his longstanding presence in Mumbai's theatre and cinema, and his dedicated work to enhance urban governance and civic participation in the city. Born in June 1929 in Mazagaon, Bombay, to a Goan family, he studied at St. Mary's School and St. Xavier's College, where he developed a passion for theatre that endured throughout his life. He began his career in journalism before entering advertising, where he spent over two decades and became the first Indian CEO of Lintas India, shaping its distinct identity in the market. Da Cunha was a prolific figure in Mumbai's cultural scene, performing on stage since his college days and collaborating closely with figures like Alyque Padamsee. He appeared in films such as Asoka, Water, and Rangoon, often in character roles, while his theatre work included a memorable portrayal of Pontius Pilate in the 1974 production of Jesus Christ Superstar. Beyond the arts, he worked with UNICEF in Brazil and New York, driven by a commitment to social issues, and in later years focused intensely on civic activism. He founded and led AGNI (Action for Good Governance and Networking in India), an NGO dedicated to voter education, greater citizen participation in municipal affairs, and combating civic injustices, including a notable 2005 public interest litigation against political bandhs. An ardent lover of Mumbai whose distinctive presence—marked by his beard, traditional attire, walking stick, and resonant voice—embodied a more gracious era of the city, da Cunha remained active in theatre, advertising, and public causes until his death on January 7, 2022, at age 92. He was married to film writer and researcher Uma da Cunha and is remembered as a towering, generous personality who elevated Mumbai's sophistication, dignity, and civic life.

Early life and education

Family background and childhood

Gerson da Cunha was born in June 1929 in Bombay (now Mumbai), British India, into a Goan Catholic family. He grew up in the Mazagaon neighborhood of Bombay, an area he described as posh. His family had deep roots in Bombay, having settled there during the Portuguese era, and he was exposed to the city's cosmopolitan culture from an early age. Da Cunha was one of two brothers and had a younger brother, Sylvester da Cunha, who later became prominent in advertising and theatre. The brothers lost their father in 1941 when Gerson was around 11 years old, an early loss that strengthened their bond. Raised in a multilingual environment, da Cunha spoke Portuguese fluently from childhood, a family tradition he maintained by conversing in the language with his brother Sylvester even later in life. This linguistic heritage reflected his family's Goan background amid Bombay's diverse cultural milieu.

Education

Gerson da Cunha completed his schooling at St. Mary's School in Mazagaon, Mumbai, where he earned his Secondary School Certificate (SSC). He went on to attend St. Xavier's College, affiliated with the University of Bombay, and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Microbiology. His time at St. Xavier's College marked the beginning of his involvement in theatre, sparked by an accidental entry into the college's dramatic club after an English professor invited him to participate following a reading session. The dramatic club, which featured directors such as Adi Marzban, Derek Jeffries, and Ebrahim Alkazi, served as a seedbed for modern English theatre in Bombay and ignited his enduring passion for acting and the stage. It was also at St. Xavier's that the Theatre Group emerged, further cultivating his enthusiasm for the performing arts. After graduation, da Cunha briefly transitioned into journalism.

Journalism and advertising career

Journalism beginnings

Gerson da Cunha began his professional career in journalism shortly after graduating in science from St. Xavier's College in Mumbai. He started at Reuters in Bombay through a family connection, initially joining the features department where he wrote on topics such as the Haffkine Institute's anti-venom work and early polio vaccine efforts before moving to the sports department after the features unit closed. He also worked at All India Radio, which he later described as a key educational experience that contrasted with his formal university studies. Da Cunha subsequently joined the Press Trust of India (PTI) in association with Reuters, treating PTI-Reuters as his first sustained position where he worked for five years until 1954. These early roles in news agencies and broadcasting gave him foundational experience in reporting and writing during India's post-independence period. He transitioned from journalism to advertising in 1955.

Advertising leadership

Gerson da Cunha entered the advertising industry in 1955, embarking on a career that spanned over 25 years until approximately 1980. He worked at J. Walter Thompson as a copywriter early on and later joined Lintas, where he rose through the ranks to become CEO. He led Lintas as CEO for the last ten years of his tenure at the agency, from 1969 to 1979, after serving as creative head prior to that. His work was closely associated with Hindustan Lever (now Hindustan Unilever) accounts throughout much of his career. Under his leadership, Lintas fostered a creative culture that emphasized people over rigid processes and encouraged informal, talent-driven environments while maintaining discipline and structure. He demonstrated a strong ability to attract and retain top talent, recruiting figures such as Alyque Padamsee and Shyam Benegal, and built significant stature for the agency through professionalism in brand development. Da Cunha was deeply involved in shaping major brands including Rin, Surf, Liril, Britannia Marie, Wheel, and Hawkins. He advocated for an immersive approach to advertising, insisting that effective work required leaving the office to engage directly with markets, sales teams, and consumers across the country rather than remaining in an isolated creative bubble. Among his notable contributions was the “We Also Make Steel” campaign for Tata Steel, created following the 1979 riots in Jamshedpur, which highlighted the company’s broader societal contributions to the city beyond steel production. This work exemplified his ability to craft messaging that addressed sensitive social contexts while reinforcing corporate responsibility.

Theatre career

Mumbai English theatre involvement

Gerson da Cunha began his involvement in Mumbai's English-language theatre during his college days with the Theatre Group in Bombay, where he honed his craft and established himself as a key figure in the city's amateur and professional stage circuits. He maintained a long-standing association with the group and other theatre initiatives in Mumbai over decades, contributing to the growth of English theatre in the city. He was a close collaborator with Alyque Padamsee, sharing both theatre and advertising professional spheres, as well as with Pearl Padamsee, Zareen Wadia, and several other prominent personalities in Mumbai's English theatre community. These collaborations spanned productions and helped shape the landscape of contemporary English-language theatre in Mumbai. He was celebrated for his distinctive resonant voice, impeccable diction, signature beard, habitual wearing of kurtas, and commanding stage presence that made him instantly recognizable.

Notable stage roles

Gerson da Cunha earned recognition for several distinctive stage performances in Mumbai's English-language theatre. One of his most acclaimed roles was Othello in the 1956 production directed by Zul Velani. He was particularly remembered for his portrayal of the Moorish general in this early standout work of the city's theatre scene. In 1974, da Cunha took on the role of Pontius Pilate in Alyque Padamsee's production of Jesus Christ Superstar. As a non-singer, he creatively adapted the character's musical numbers into a speak-sing delivery, drawing on his resonant deep baritone to convey the Roman governor's conflicted authority and introspection. He also appeared in Begum Sumroo, directed by Alyque Padamsee. This historical drama further highlighted his versatility in character-driven roles within the collaborative environment of Mumbai theatre.

Film career

Acting credits and roles

Gerson da Cunha's on-screen acting career consisted primarily of supporting and character roles in feature films and television, complemented by early work in documentary narration. His first credited contribution was providing the voice-over narration for the National Film Award-winning short documentary Jain Temples of India (1963). This early involvement in non-fiction film preceded his transition to narrative cinema. Da Cunha made his on-screen debut in Smothered Voices (1977). He later portrayed Bubbles in the comedy Electric Moon (1992). In 1994, he appeared as Man Singh in three episodes of the TV mini-series The Maharaja's Daughter. He played Doctor Correa in the drama Cotton Mary (1999). In the early 2000s, Da Cunha took on historical and dramatic parts, including King Bindusara in the epic Asoka (2001), a Taxi Driver in Refuge (2002), and Seth Dwarkanath in Water (2005). Toward the end of his career, he appeared as the Landlord in Gandhi of the Month (2014) and as Bappawa in Rangoon (2017). These roles highlighted his ability to bring depth to supporting characters across varied genres and productions.

Activism and social work

UNICEF and international contributions

Gerson da Cunha made significant international contributions to child welfare through his extended work with UNICEF, focusing on social marketing campaigns to address health challenges in Latin America. After leaving advertising, he was recruited by UNICEF for South America, where he helped conceive and implement programs targeting vulnerable populations. In Brazil in the early 1980s, his efforts centered on child health in favelas, including inoculation initiatives to vaccinate children against preventable diseases. He also contributed to healthy motherhood programs in Central America and collaborated with UNICEF and Brazil's Ministry of Health on a campaign encouraging mothers to breastfeed infants for longer periods, thereby improving nutrition and child survival rates. Following his regional assignments, da Cunha served at UNICEF headquarters in New York, supporting global social marketing strategies. In recognition of his services to Brazil through these UNICEF initiatives, the Brazilian government awarded him the Order of Rio Branco medal on November 16, 2018. The honor was presented by Brazil's Consul General in Mumbai for his impactful contributions to public health in the country.

Civic activism in Mumbai

Gerson da Cunha emerged as a prominent figure in Mumbai's civic activism, dedicating much of his later years to improving urban governance and citizen engagement. He was a founder trustee and the driving force behind AGNI (Action for Good Governance and Networking in India), established in March 1999 as a network of citizen organizations aimed at promoting good governance and active citizen participation in Mumbai. As a key convenor and spirit of AGNI, he emphasized electing secular, cosmopolitan corporators committed to enhancing life for ordinary Mumbaikars, while strengthening citizen-administration collaboration at the ward level through initiatives like Advanced Locality Management (ALMs). Da Cunha served as one of the first CEOs of Mumbai First, a citizens' initiative focused on Mumbai's development and urban challenges, and was a trustee of NAGAR. His activism centered on issues such as voter registration, municipal elections, and citizen participation, including innovative efforts to raise voter turnout in BMC elections—for instance, by mobilizing school children to encourage family and community voting, which contributed to an increase from 44% to 55% in 2017. He co-founded the Jaago Mumbaikar Association to promote voter turnout via social media ahead of the 2022 BMC elections, aiming for at least 75% participation. In a notable public interest litigation, Da Cunha led a group of Mumbai residents in a 2004 case against political parties calling bandhs; the Bombay High Court ordered Shiv Sena and BJP to pay ₹20 lakh each to the city for the hardship caused to lakhs of people. He also acted in an honorary advisory capacity for various Indian union ministries and the National Technology Missions under the Cabinet Secretariat. Throughout his civic work, Da Cunha passionately advocated for greater involvement of non-politicians in municipal governance to secure a better future for Mumbai.

Literary work

Poetry and columns

Gerson da Cunha published his poetry collection So Far with HarperCollins India in 2000. The volume gathers most of his poems, a brief oeuvre of fewer than 100 works that reflect his wide-ranging experiences and travels across countries including Uganda, Tanzania, Brazil, Argentina, London, New York, and various parts of India. Critics have described the poems as intelligent and gentle, enriched by delicate observations of nature and human moments, such as an eagle on a lawn or snowfall on a tenement. Dom Moraes noted in the foreword that they form a record of what da Cunha had thought and felt during a life of action, judging them superior to the work of many established Indian poets in English. Several pieces evoke Mumbai, including "Bombay Wallahs," which includes the lines "Nowhere is ever home / but this may be the town / of least effort for me." Da Cunha contributed as a writer to The Earth Times, a newspaper created for the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (Earth Summit) in Rio de Janeiro. He authored the daily column "View from the South," which addressed a spectrum of environmental and developmental issues, often stressing the importance of translating legislation and policy into effective on-ground action. The newspaper continued publication until 2003, covering subsequent UN conferences.

Personal life and death

Family and later years

Gerson da Cunha was married to Uma da Cunha, a theatre and film critic whose shared interest in the arts contributed to their relationship. They were married for fifty-three years. In his later years, da Cunha was known for his imposing and distinctive appearance, featuring a beard, kurtas and pyjamas, and a walking stick he always carried, complemented by his very distinctive diction. He remained a great lover of Bombay as it was, expressing a nostalgic affection for the older, gentler city while adapting gracefully to modern Mumbai. His active involvement in social work during this period reflected a deep commitment to social responsibility.

Passing and legacy

Gerson da Cunha died of cardiac arrest on 7 January 2022 in Mumbai, at the age of 92. His passing prompted an outpouring of tributes from figures across theatre, advertising, journalism, and civic activism, who highlighted his enduring impact on Mumbai's cultural and social fabric. Theatre personalities mourned the loss of a towering stage presence. Shashi Tharoor recalled watching him perform in childhood, describing his Othello as unforgettable and noting that his formidable presence, voice, and aura had remained intact until the end. Quasar Padamsee called him a true colossus of the Indian stage, often regarded as India's finest Shakespearean actor, praising his assured presence that could elevate even banal texts into high art, and lamenting that the city's auditoriums were less bright without his generous enthusiasm for the arts. His nephew Rahul da Cunha described him as a second father whose death represented a massive tree fallen in the life of Bombay, noting that such individuals were no longer made. Julio Ribeiro, a longtime friend and former Mumbai police commissioner, remembered him as a towering personality with an imposing figure and distinctive diction, whose greatest contribution lay in mobilizing non-politicians to engage with municipal governance, passionately advocating for voter registration and turnout to improve the city he loved deeply. Other voices underscored his cosmopolitanism and civic conscience. Javed Akhtar remarked that Mumbai had become less sophisticated, dignified, and classy with his demise. Vivek Menezes portrayed him as a role model of social and moral responsibility, effortlessly cosmopolitan and free of malice, embodying the best of an older, globally oriented Bombay. His death was widely seen as marking the end of an era for the socially responsible citizens who shaped post-Independence Bombay's cultural and civic life.

References

  1. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/gerson-da-cunha-adman-who-wore-many-hats-dead/articleshow/88767073.cms
  2. https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/gerson-da-cunha-man-who-shaped-and-defended-the-culture-of-mumbai-101641584569057.html
  3. https://thewire.in/the-arts/gerson-da-cunha-obituary
  4. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0196091/
  5. https://www.afaqs.com/obituary/gerson-da-cunha-a-great-pillar-of-mumbai
  6. https://www.rediff.com/news/special/rahul-da-cunha-on-his-uncle-adman-gerson-da-cunha/20220122.htm
  7. https://thedailyeye.info/thought-box/the-gerson-dacunha-diaries/07f0b5dd218795a0
  8. https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/mumbai/ad-man-writer-and-activist-gerson-da-cunha-passes-away-7712313/
  9. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/renaissance-man-of-mumbai-no-more/articleshow/88754836.cms
  10. https://www.afaqs.com/news/defining-moments/28521_defining-moments-gerson-da-cunha---the-copy-chief
  11. https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/trends/features/storyboard18-when-i-met-gerson-da-cunha-7912621.html
  12. https://scroll.in/article/1014933/gerson-da-cunha-1929-2022-ad-man-actor-and-activist-driven-by-concern-for-mumbais-future
  13. https://brandequity.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/research/advertising/gerson-dacunha-the-ability-to-gather-the-best-and-the-potential-to-retain-the-best/88773480
  14. https://m.thewire.in/article/the-arts/gerson-da-cunha-obituary
  15. https://www.mumbaitheatreguide.com/dramas/Articles/22/jan/gerson-da-cunha-rip.asp
  16. https://filmsdivisionindia.tumblr.com/post/106326007235/jain-temples-of-india-director-arun-chaudhuri
  17. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/gerson-da-cunha_b_4966221
  18. https://www.babymilkaction.org/archives/32010
  19. https://educationworld.in/govt-of-brazil-honours-gerson-da-cunha-with-order-of-rio-branco/
  20. https://www.agnimumbai.in/uploads/publications/pdf/february-1090.pdf
  21. https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/court-slaps-penalty-for-bandh/cid/729637
  22. https://livechat.rediff.com/news/2004/jul/23bandh3.htm
  23. https://www.heraldgoa.in/cafe/gerson-da-cunha-dies-at-92/38001/
  24. https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/variety/veteran-theatre-personality-and-former-ad-man-gerson-da-cunha-passes-away/article38170015.ece
  25. https://books.google.com/books/about/So_Far.html?id=or5lAAAAMAAJ
  26. https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/society-and-the-arts/books/story/20000724-latest-book-releases-big-book-of-malice-life-in-plastic-paths-of-innovators-779125-2000-07-23
  27. https://www.heraldgoa.in/review/an-eminent-goan-leaves-legacy-behind/121681/
  28. https://www.indiatravelogue.com/book/book9.html
  29. https://www.india-seminar.com/2022/752/752-In%20memoriam.htm
  30. https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/adman-actor-author-gerson-da-cunha-dies-in-mumbai-at-92-2694969
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