Sillu Manekshaw (1911–2001) was an Indian artist and painter, best known as the wife of the late Indian Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw.
Contents
Wiki/Biography
Sillu Bode was born in 1911 (age 90 years at death) in Amritsar, Punjab. He received his bachelor’s degree from Elphinstone College, Mumbai. After this he completed his higher education from Sir JJ School of Art, Mumbai.
Physical Appearance
Height (Approx): 5′ 5″
Hair Color: Black
Eye colour: black
Family
parents and siblings
There is not much information about his parents. Sillu Bode had a sister living in Lahore, Pakistan and his brother-in-law was a doctor in the British Indian Army.
husband and children
On 22 April 1939, Sillu Bode was married to Sam Manekshaw, the first army chief to be promoted to the rank of Field Marshal. Sam died in 2008.
Sillu and Sam Manekshaw on their wedding day
The couple has two daughters named Maja Daruwala (a lawyer and human rights advocate) and Sherry Batliwala (a retired corporate employee).
A picture of Maja Daruwala
A photo of Sherry Batliwala
relationships/affairs
In 1937, during a social event in Lahore, Sam Manekshaw met Sillu Bode and they developed a romantic relationship and were married in 1939.
Sillu Manekshaw and her husband Sam Manekshaw
As the wife of an army officer, Sillu Manekshaw prioritized the welfare of the local community of Coonoor in Tamil Nadu. He established a charitable clinic specifically for the underprivileged and directed plays at the Defense Services Staff College, Wellington. Sillu used Sam’s reputation to garner financial support from across India for community welfare and also sold his paintings to raise funds.
Sillu with Sam Manekshaw during a social meeting
Death
Sillu Manekshaw died on 13 February 2001 in Tamil Nadu, India, after suffering from cancer. After his death, Sillu Manekshaw was buried in the Parsi cemetery of Ooty.
Facts/General Knowledge
- During the 1950s, Sillu and Sam Manekshaw were often seen attending Bollywood parties.
Silo Manekshaw and her husband Sam Manekshaw at a Bollywood party
- According to Sam Manekshaw, Sillu was both his staunchest supporter and his harshest critic. In a media interview, Sam’s elder daughter Sherry Batliwala told that her mother Sillu was a strict wife. He said,
She reminded him that he came from a middle-class family in Amritsar. ‘They will worship you today, but tomorrow when you are no longer a Field Marshal or a director of a company, you will be nothing,’ she would warn him. I think that also kept him focused a little bit.”
Silo Manekshaw and her husband Sam Manekshaw with their first daughter
- According to her daughters, Sillu Manekshaw was an avid reader, a talented painter and an intelligent conversationalist.
Sillu Manekshaw with her husband Sam Manekshaw and daughters Maja and Sherry
- Sherry Batliwala once told about Sillu’s room and wardrobe in her bungalow ‘Stavka’ in Coonoor, Tamil Nadu. Sillu’s room in ‘Stavka’ had beautiful pink and blue decorations. He had the largest wardrobe and dressing room, which extended from wall to wall and floor to ceiling.
A picture of ‘Stavka’ in Coonoor, Tamil Nadu
Categories: Biography
Source: vcmp.edu.vn