It's never easy to write about something that has so deeply affected you. For filmmaker Kalpana Lajmi, who lost her partner Dr Bhupen Hazarika in 2011, whom she had known for more than 60 years, the grief seemed insurmountable. She needed an outlet but the more she thought of it, she was dragged down by acute depression. "I couldn't share my feelings with anyone, but, finally I did. I told everything to my friends Soni Razdan and Mahesh Bhatt."

That was the start of a coping mechanism for Lajmi. And eventually, she poured out all she had to say in writing, which has now taken the shape of a book that releases this week. It's titled Bhupen Hazarika — As I Knew Him, published by HarperCollins. In an email interview, Lajmi says, "Mr Mahesh Bhatt has always been my friend, philosopher and guide. And, he said something precious to me — 'heartbreak is a gift but self pity is poison'.