My aunt, Smita Patil

The Film Society of the Lincoln Centre, the distinguished New York cultural centre, and the Mahindra Indo-American Arts Council have organised a retrospective of her films in New York from November 11 to 18.

Bhumika: Roles of Smita Patil has not surprisingly been well-attended by Smita's New York fans. Members of her family have traveled to New York from Mumbai to celebrate the event.

Her nephew Adeetya Deshmukh works at the McGraw-Hill School Education Group in New York. He spent his early childhood with Smita and her family in Mumbai. He called her Mityama and has named his infant daughter Zoe-Smita after his beloved aunt.

Adeetya shares his memories with Rediff.com's Arthur J Pais:

How many years did you spend with Smita and your family in Mumbai?

I spent the first several years of my life living with my grandparents in Tardeo (south-central Mumbai). I spent a lot of time with Mityama.

I moved back to the United States to live with my parents. But I did go back almost every summer for months at a time.

I remember living in our flat in Tardeo, which had a long verandah that my grandfather (Shivajirao Patil, a former member of Parliament) had filled with plants.

Mityama would put me on a tricycle and push me up and down the verandah as fast as she could while she screamed in joy.

I would ask her to keep pushing me back and forth and she would, until I was out of breath from laughing and she was out of breath from pushing.

Once, I was lying on the floor with a broken arm, and my grandmother in hysterics. I remember Mityama stroking my hair, looking into my eyes, smiling, and telling me that everything would be okay.

The warmth and radiance of her smile, I will never ever forget.

Nothing else in the world mattered when she would smile at me, hold me, pick me up, or give me a kiss.

I remember her smiling at me when I touched her belly. She told me I was going to get a little brother or sister, who turned out to be my cousin, Prateek.

When the time came for me to leave, I remember screaming, crying, and throwing tantrums.

I hated leaving her and not being with her. I loved her so much and I knew she loved me.

The last time I saw my Mityama was on an overcast and chilly afternoon in Hounslow, London, in late 1985 or early 1986.

I was heading back to America and I stuck my head out of the car and waved to her receding form as we headed to the airport.

What are the life lessons you have taken from Mityama?

I remember that how warm and affectionate she was to everyone, even during the height of her fame.

I never once saw her mistreat anyone or look down on them.

In a country like India where the less fortunate are looked down upon and exploited, she did the opposite by lifting them up and viewing them as equals.

It is something that I will never forget and use in my daily interaction with people.

I came to know about her prominence much later. I remember going with her on film shoots all over the country. It was really exciting to see so much of India at such a young age.

Many times, I didn't quite understand what she was doing. But I knew it had to be something special since she was always dressing differently and having people put makeup on her.

During one particular shoot, she was playing a high court judge.

While the scene was being shot, I sneaked behind her judge's chair and wrapped my hands around her in a huge hug.