India, June 16 -- Actor Ajay Singh Chaudhary fondly remembers his neighbour of over twelve years, Captain Sumeet Sabharwal - the co-pilot of the ill-fated AI171 flight - as "an ever-smiling and lively being."

On the day of the crash, Ajay was shooting for his TV show when his mother called to break the news: "In a shaky voice she told me, 'Pilot Sumeet was in that flight.' and broke down. I couldn't believe what I just heard. You never truly believe such things can happen to anyone until that person is one of your own."

He shares that days before the crash, his mother, who is part of a local yoga group, met Sumeet during a morning stroll in Mumbai. Sumeet mentioned he'd be flying to Ahmedabad in three days, then onwards to London.

Ajay...