Parmeshwar Godrej: Philanthropist and style icon bids adieu

Best remembered for her work in fighting AIDS, she was incredibly networked across biz and entertainment

On a day when millions across the world and in India celebrated the festival of Dussehra, came news that 71-year-old Parmeshwar Godrej, wife of industrialist Adi Godrej, was no more. She passed away on Monday night in a hospital here. Her death came as a shock to many of her friends and well-wishers, who took to twitter to express their grief.

Pam, as she was referred to among friends, is survived by her husband and three children – Tanya, Nisa and Pirojsha.

She was among India's foremost style icons, philanthropist and a gracious host, who was the life of every party she attended or threw. Behind the glamour, however, was a strong woman, say acquaintances and friends, who was intelligent, who carried herself well and who could strike up a conversation easily, helping her straddle the world of business and entertainment well.

An example of her influence in social circles was when American talk show host Oprah Winfrey chose Godrej to organise a welcome party for her in India. This was in 2012 and the buzz then was that Winfrey wanted a private do, where only the creme-da-la-creme of business, entertainment and politics were guests. Godrej did not disappoint her, inviting the likes of the Ambani brothers, the Khans from Bollywood, the Bachchans, Hrithik Roshan and his then wife Susanne with her family as guests.

A tall woman with sharp features, Godrej was among Air India’s first flight attendants in the early 1960s, subsequently meeting Adi Godrej and tying the knot with him in 1965. Her style sense was visible from the very start, which was put to use in select Bollywood projects in the 1970s at the insistence of mostly friends. Her association with Bollywood did not stop there, though. In the 1980s, she co-produced a Merchant-Ivory production titled The Perfect Murder and launched a production house named Starlight with director Shekhar Kapur.

Her style and aesthetic sense also came in handy in the properties division of the Godrej Group, with some projects having her personal touch.

Among the many facets to her personality was her philanthropy. Godrej is best-remembered for her work in fighting AIDS, the high point being the Heroes Project, which she launched in 2004 along with actor Richard Gere. The project had support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, besides other American business families such as the Henry J Kaiser Family Foundation. The Clintons of the US also supported the cause.