'Amy' director Asif Kapadia believes Amy Winehouse was more unwell than many thought.

The London-born film-maker has claimed that Amy, who died in 2011, aged 27, suffered brain damage as a result of her alcohol and drug binges.

He told The Sun newspaper: ''We can say she had a mental illness and brain damage that came from all the overdoses and seizures she had over the years.

''That definitely affected her brain. She wasn't thinking straight.

''But there was enough in her that she was making choices and people around her were making choices that, even if she hadn't become a huge star, there's still the potential she could have chosen that path.''

This comes shortly after Mark Ronson, a friend and collaborator, admitted he found it ''tough'' watching the movie, but said he was pleased his wife Josephine de La Baume was able to learn more about Amy.

He shared: ''Obviously, it's tough to watch the film because it brings back memories.

''But what I love about it is that my wife never got to meet Amy and I am always telling her stories about us in the studio and the clever, witty things that Amy would say.

''We watched it and my wife said, 'Now I get it, now I see the Amy you talked about'. I forget that not everyone got to see that side of her.''