'Even very recently she would dress up and come out. In London, when we were there recently, she wanted to see the new Keira Knightley film 'The Duchess'. I remembered, how I had arranged a show of my film 'Anupama' in the 1960s for aunty Ayesha's mother who was in a wheelchair. I told aunty Ayesha if 'The Duchess' was in India, I'd have definitely arranged a special screening for her....

'She joined parliament and was such a glamorous presence there. And she coped with the jail sentence with such dignity. Until the end there were so many dignitaries in her house. My husband was very close to aunty Ayesha. She was exceptionally fond of him. I remember we were at a very well-known designer's exhibition and she said, 'Is it a table cloth or something to wear?' We burst out laughing.

'She really enjoyed life. Her husband taught her all the etiquettes. He groomed her and made her what she was. She was the patron of the arts. And she did a lot for polo. I'll most certainly miss her.

'If a film on her life was made today, I can't think of anyone who could fit in. She had a quality that's hard to find these days. The way she held herself, the way she moved... that's hard to replicate. She was a fun person to be with. Not one of those boring people. She was great fun to be.'