In this episode of the AOTP Podcast, the conversation turns to the intersection of culture, education and industry with Asad Lalljee, CEO of Avid Learning and curator of the Royal Opera House, Mumbai. With a career that began in advertising on Madison Avenue and evolved into cultural programming and ecosystem building, his journey reflects how careers in the arts are often shaped by unexpected turns.
Where Art and Advertising Meet
Lalljee is quick to acknowledge that his entry into advertising was not entirely accidental. “The madman thing was not incidental, it was nepotism because my father owned an agency in Mumbai,” he says. After building a career in New York with some of the world’s largest agencies, including McCann Erickson, he returned to India for what was meant to be a short stay. “It was supposed to be for one to three years, it’s been 14″, he laughs.
His transition into the arts came without a clear plan. “I fell into the world of arts and culture, I was always a consumer of the arts. I was never a producer and now I produce and consume,” Lalljee explains. That shift, from observer to active participant, now defines his role within the ecosystem.
For Lalljee, the connection between advertising and the arts is more direct than it might appear. “Advertising is also an art form, it’s a creative industry,” he says. At its core, both fields rely on understanding people. In an age of constant information and distraction, clarity becomes essential. “You have to be something to someone especially in this information age where there’s information overload.” The challenge is not just visibility, but relevance.
Learning Without Boundaries
Lalljee does not believe in fixed entry points when it comes to learning. “I do not think age is a barrier. Life is a journey of learning. It never stops,” he says. He also emphasizes the importance of learning across generations. “I learn so much from younger people. Their way of working and their perspectives are so different,” says Lalljee.
At a larger level, Lalljee sees this as part of India’s growing cultural presence globally. “Indian art is a soft power and it is going out.” The exchange is no longer one-directional. It is collaborative, shaped by multiple influences and perspectives.
The Role of AOTP
This perspective shapes how he views platforms like AOTP. Rather than positioning them as traditional training structures, Lalljee sees them as connectors within a fragmented ecosystem. “It’s great to structure or formalize the industry in a way where talent can be discovered,” he says. By bringing together directories, opportunities and learning resources, such platforms create visibility not just for individuals, but for the industry as a whole. At the same time, he stresses the importance of context. “What is relevant to Bombay is not relevant to Delhi.” Any system, he suggests, must respond to the realities of where it operates.
The conversation also reflects a broader shift in India’s cultural landscape. With international productions entering the country more frequently, there is a growing need for local talent and infrastructure. “They’re not bringing everybody in their production team… they want to hire people here locally,” Lalljee notes. This creates both opportunity and pressure, raising the standard of what is produced while also expanding the scope of what is possible.
The conversation ultimately returns to a simple but important idea: the arts ecosystem is built through people, relationships and shared learning. Whether through structured platforms like AOTP or through informal exchanges across the industry, the process remains ongoing.
If you enjoyed this conversation, you can listen to the full podcast episode with Toby Van Hay on the AOTP Podcast. Subscribe, rate and share the episode, and to learn more, visit aotp.in/.
Art of the Possible is supported by the British Council and Godrej Agrovet.
