Parmeshwar Godrej dies at 71: 5 things to know about her
Social butterfly, style icon, philanthropist, wife of Adi Godrej - Parmeshwar Godrej, 71, had many tags and has been a familiar name all these years.
As she breathed her last on Monday at Breach Candy hospital, according to media reports after suffering from a degenerative ailment in the lungs, here are some things about her.
1) One of Air India's first air hostesses: And apparently met her husband on a flight, just like Maureen Wadia. The couple got married in 1965. This was a time when air hostesses led glamorous lives, were envied and looked up to. Of course, Godrej never hid the fact that she had served briefly with the airline.
2) Worked to combat AIDS: Godrej was known for her Heroes Project, an initiative launched in 2004 with Hollywood actor Richard Gere. It garnered support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Clinton Global Initiative. She managed to rope in celebs such as Amitabh Bachchan, Aamir Khan and Shah Rukh Khan as well as Pakistani politician and cricketer Imran Khan to spread awareness about the cause, which she took up with passion.
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| Parmeshwar Godrej with Imran Khan. (Photo credit: PTI) |
3) Fashionista: The socialite designed clothes and the look for actress Hema Malini for the 1975 film Dharmatma on the insistence of director friend Feroz Khan; she did the same for Zeenat Aman, Parveen Babi and Dimple Kapadia. She also appeared regularly on Page 3 for her choice of outfits and designers, but did not like to talk about herself.
4) Businesswoman: Godrej straddled not just the entertainment but business world as well. She served on the boards of The Gates Foundation, The Gere Foundation, American India Foundation, Palace School (Jaipur) and Ananda Hotels. Apart from that, she was a non-executive director of Godrej Properties and director of Indian Hotels and Health Resorts Pvt. In 2000, she joined hands with director Shekhar Kapur to launch a production house called Starlight.
5) Page 3 circuit: Godrej hosted international stars such as Goldie Hawn and Richard Gere, both of whom came to India as her guests and raised funds for AIDS awareness and other causes. A perfect host known for her organisational skills, she welcomed US chat show host Oprah Winfrey with a big bash at her Mumbai home in 2012.