Bangalore:
Sharmila Tagore watches more cricket than ever now - it's a way for her to feel close to her late husband, Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi. A book of memories of Mr Pataudi has been released in cities around the country - with contributions from those who played cricket with him and also members of his family.
At the Bangalore event, Ms Tagore said this collection of essays helped her learn even more about the man with whom she spent most of her adult life. She said, "Reading these articles, I got to know so many aspects of him - incidents and runs - that I didn't know before. I was telling my sister, earlier I didn't watch so much cricket. I mean I knew cricket. But now, I am really glued to every match and I try and understand the intricacies. I suppose it is a kind of link that I want to maintain and keep..."
The veteran film star also shared her memories of her early days with Mr Pataudi. She said that when she first met the man she would marry, he had such a terribly British accent that he would laugh at his own jokes - because nobody else could understand them! And Ms Tagore said she was so intrigued by a message he left for her - that he had bought her a gift of five frigidaires - that she called him back out of curiosity. He asked her out ...and the rest is part of Indian celebrity romance history.
Ms Tagore has made it a point to be at each of the launches of the book. She told NDTV what it had meant to her. "There has been so much spontaneous warmth and affection and it has been really overwhelming for the family. Saif (her actor son) said, 'why are you doing so many places because little is better, one shouldn't feel,
bahut hogaya - another book launch.' But it hasn't been like that. This is the fourth time, we did it in Jaipur and Kolkata and Delhi. And every time there has been this kind of a loyal commitment and like I said - they know so much more about my husband than I do. It has been overwhelming and moving for the family to see this kind of affection.(sic)"
Bangalore-based cricket writer Suresh Menon put together this collection of essays on the cricketing legend. He said he was told the cover - which features a striking Pataudi - looked like a still from a Francois Truffaut film. Mr Menon is clearly a die-hard fan himself. He told us "Outside of my father, he was probably the single biggest male influence during my growing years. And it is wonderful that so many people have such warm memories. There is a very personal sort of relationship that people in the audience had - which is wonderful."
He went on to say, "As I was growing up, I had this wonderful collection of Tiger Pataudi newspaper clippings and photographs. When I was working on this book, I went to Sharmilaji's place and we were going through his album which his mother had maintained - and it was almost surreal because I saw some of the pieces which I had written were in his album - which was really stunning!"
Former India wicket keeper Syed Kirmani shared his memories of the man - a practical joker who pushed people into swimming pools and gave a balding colleague a fake remedy that included cow dung. Tribute was paid to Mr Patudi's determination to overcome his loss of one eye - and still continue with a spectacular cricketing career.
Mr Kirmani also featured in writer Ramachandra Guha's memories of his first ever meeting with Mr Pataudi. As a boy of sixteen, hoping for a ticket to a Delhi test match, he walked up to Mr Pataudi in a hotel and said "Where is Syed Kirmani?" He was hoping Mr Kirmani would help arrange for that ticket - and that was his one point agenda.
Mr Guha also described Mr Pataudi as the first ever Indian captain, as compared to earlier captains who were regional in their outlook. Mr Pataudi died at the age of 70 in September 2011. He may be gone but is certainly not forgotten.