Vajpayee spent three hours at Maha BJP functionary's wedding

Maharashtra BJP Office Secretary Mukund Kulkarni is still overwhelmed by the presence of Atal Bihari Vajpayee at his wedding ceremony in Delhi in 1996.

"It was January 26. Atalji, the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, reached my wedding venue in Delhi shortly after 10 am, after the Republic Day event in the national capital," Kulkarni said.

"His presence at the wedding of a BJP 'karyakarta' (party worker) like me is a moment I shall cherish," Kulkarni told PTI.

When Vajpayee was informed that the wedding 'muhurat' was at 12.40 pm, he said time was not an issue and stayed for over three hours, leaving only after the ceremony got over, Kulkarni said, mourning the veteran leader, who died today.

"Atalji met everyone, including my mother and other family members," he said.

State BJP spokesperson Keshav Upadhye said he had the "privilege" of watching Marathi movie Shwaas (The Breath), which was India's official entry to the 2004 Oscars.

The film depicted the story of how an old man tries to show his grandson the preciousness and beauty of life.

Vajpayee watched the movie at a special screening in Mumbai in October 2004, taking time out from election campaign.

Later, addressing a rally at Shivaji Park here, he digressed from poll speak to extol the movie which was the first Marathi film to win a national award in nearly five decades.