Khushwant Singh launches his 'last book'

He, the 'dirty old man,' touching an unbelievable grand age of 97 ("If I make a century I will be lucky"), in a wheelchair and a black ski hat, his glass of Scotch beside him.

She, a sober, dignified lady, elegant in pearls and a beautiful blue silk sari, her manner modest and gracious.

Khushwant Singh, writer, and Gursharan Kaur, the prime minister's wife.

"She is a crowd-puller! I discovered she could draw as many people as a star from Hollywood," Singh says, explaining why he always invites Mrs Manmohan Singh to his book launches.

Sunset Club is a poignant tale of three crotchety but hugely lively, fantasy-driven eighty-something Delhiites, of varied backgrounds. They meet every evening at dusk in the capital's Lodhi Gardens to share life's experiences and views, be it religion or sex or lust or Ayodhya or Valentine's Day or Varun Gandhi.

The sensitive tale seems to have bittersweet autobiographical strands, reflecting bits and pieces of Singh's life and that of his friends and relatives.

Gursharan Kaur pointed out, "It is typical Khushwant Singh, hilarious, open and scandalous. I enjoyed it (what she has read so far) as I enjoy his columns that are informative, refreshing, honest and very transparent."

"Khushwant Singh tried hard to convert me into an author," the prime minister's wife added, "but who has the time and the will to write? I think his talent is inborn. He cannot put his pen down."

Gursharan Kaur added that there was already a writer in the family, her daughter.

Daman Singh, her second daughter, has written two well-reviewed novels. Her elder daughter Upinder Singh, a professor of history in Delhi, has written several books of history. Amrit Singh, her youngest daughter, is a distinguished New York-based lawyer, who took on George W Bush's administration at a time when her father and the US president were allies and friends.

Arrogance? Not a trace of it. Style? Trademark, low-key friendly grace.

The publisher said he has not met a more "generous, sensitive, genuine and principled man... (with) the extraordinary courage to call a spade a spade, no matter what the consequences."

As someone said, "So untrue!" And another added, "He just created this persona largely to tease because it was so completely different from the middle class template. Therefore he created this binge persona of someone who is vicious and loves their drinks. If every Indian drank, he would have converted himself into a teetotaler!"

Singh, in his closing remarks, musing on how he wishes to be remembered, recalls French writer and historian Hilaire Belloc's mischievous quote: 'I hope when I am dead, it will be said, his sins were scarlet, but his books were read.'

The video tribute had insights from people who have known Singh for a long time, here is what they had to say:

Lachman Das, his assistant: 'Writing is not an easy job. Neeeevvver has he missed a column. Sometimes when he is writing there is no ink in the pen. He still goes on continuously writing.'

Vinod Mehta, editor: 'If you went to his house for a drink you never knew who you would meet and you could meet anyone from the age of 25 to 85. He was the first popular journalist in India.'

Nandini Mehta, journalist: 'He injected fresh air.'