Mumbai, July 30 - Veteran film maker Shyam Benegal, who directed the elegant Leela Naidu in Trikaal in 1985, recalls that the actress was 'delicate-looking and beautiful' and 'particularly good with children'.

Leela Naidu died here Tuesday after prolonged illness. She was 69.

'Long before I directed Leela Naidu in Trikaal in 1985 I had done an ad with her in the mid-60s for a fabric. At that time she was at her loveliest. Soon after Time magazine had declared her to be one of the most beautiful in the world,' Benegal said.

'I must say she was very delicate-looking and beautiful. She looked so lovely in Merchant-Ivory's 'The Householder',' Benegal added.

It didn't take much persuasion from Benegal to convince Leela Naidu to do 'Trikaal'.

'I had no difficulty at all in convincing her to do 'Trikaal'. She was very keen to do the film. She hadn't really retired from movies. But she wasn't getting the roles that did justice to her personality.