History has a great way of untangling things and showing us that things work out interestingly in the end. In 1937, Silloo Bode had visited Lahore to visit her sister, Tehmi, and brother-in-law, Col. Kaikhushru Bharucha, who was a doctor working in the British Indian Army. During dinner, she was introduced to a young captain who seemingly stole her heart and swept her off her feet – and two years later, she married that young captain named Sam Manekshaw. This article will cover the life and death of Silloo Manekshaw and the legacy she has left us with.
Biography Overview
Silloo Mankeshaw (nee Bode) was the quintessential wife of Sam Manekshaw, and she was a famous painter and artist by profession. She was known as the First Army Chief’s wife and is today remembered fondly for her fearlessness.
| Full Name | Silloo Manekshaw (nee Bode) |
| Age when she died | 90 years |
| Death Anniversary | 13th February 2001 |
| Reason for death | Lung Cancer |
| Birth Anniversary | 1911 |
| Husband | Sam Manekshaw |
| Children | 2; Maja Daruwala and Sherry Batliwala |
| Resting Place | Parsi Zoroastrian Cemetery, Ooty, Tamil Nadu, India |
Physical Appearance
At 5 feet 5 inches, Silloo was a woman of proud stature. Her weight was not quite known, but we can expect that she weighed around 50 kgs. She has black eyes, short black hair, and was always seen donning a classic saree.
Early Life
Having been born in 1911 in Amritsar, Punjab, Silloo had a beautiful family life. Although these details aren’t quite disclosed currently, we do know that she had a sister and that her early life was filled with laughter, love, and joy. She enjoyed painting from a young age, and her family never stopped her from pursuing it.
Education
Having completed her schooling from Elphinestone College, Silloo was a woman of academic excellence. She went on to complete her higher studies from the Sir J.J. School of Mumbai, where she had pursued her passion and had prepared to make it into a profession. Not only this, but she was also a very good reader and was well informed about many subjects, and she almost never skipped her morning yoga or evening walks.
Family
Knowing that she was the wife of Sam Manekshaw, Silloo had a lovely family. The family members include:
| Sam Manekshaw | Husband (married 22nd April 1939) |
| Daughters | 2; Sherry Batliwala, who is a retired corporate employee, and Maja Daruwala, a lawyer and human rights advocate |
| Sister | Name not disclosed |
| Parents | Names not disclosed |
| Grandson | 2; Jehan Sam, a Mumbai-based theatre artist, and Raoul Sam, a businessman in the USA |
| Granddaughter | 1; Brandy Batliwala, working in the hospitality sector in the USA |
Artistic Flair in Career
We don’t quite know if she had created a career out of her degree, but she did paint professionally. Her artistic prowess had been showcased and was highlighted on the wall of every Mankeshaw family member. If that’s not enough, their retirement sanctuary is named ‘Stavka’ in Coonoor, Tamil Nadu. Certainly, highlights Silloo’s creativity as it was her concept to design the tranquil and peaceful home.
Personal Life
Love story with Sam Manekshaw
Sam Manekshaw, the Chief of the Army Staff of the Indian Army Force. He had married Silloo in 1939 after having met her 2 years prior in 1937 at a party. During their married life, they were happy and blissful. Manekshaw had mentioned that his wife had gone through great lengths to make him comfortable and certainly treated him as a member of the family.
Soon after their marriage, the couple was blessed with two daughters, namely Sherry and Maja.
As per reports and magazines, Silloo was the grounding factor in Sam’s life, whilst also being his foundational source of support and strength.
Sherry Batliwala had mentioned that her father, Sam, was quite charming and good-looking looking but her mother, Siloo, put him straight and definitely reminded him that he came from a middle-class family in Amritsar.
Silloo’s constant concern for welfare is touching
It is no surprise that Silloo became the epitome of a wife, but her first priority was to take care of those within her vicinity. She made a notable contribution to the people in Coonoor and had a very big hand in establishing a clinic for the underprivileged, which is a charitable institution that exists to date. She had managed to raise funds for this institution in the most unlikely way – by directing plays at the staff college, and by selling her paintings. They were all successful, by the way.
Silloo Manekshaw Death
In 2001, when Silloo was around 90 years old and suffering long-term from lung cancer, she said Goodbye to the world. It was a sad day for everyone who knew her, especially Sam Mankeshaw, who took his leave from the world on 27th June 2008. He found his final resting place in a Parsi cemetery in Ooty, just next to his dear wife, Silloo.
Sherry, their daughter who is currently a retired corporate employee, shared some insights and mentioned that her father and mother were both devoted to each other despite any issues that might have arisen. She noted that their daughters, Maja and she, were her father’s wealth.
Silloo Manekshaw in Popular Culture
We know about Siloo Manekshaw being the epitome of a beautiful woman, a talented painter, and a lovely wife and mother, and it is certainly great to know that her legacy of being known as one has remained to date. In popular culture, Bollywood has for quite some time been creating and producing movies based on history to keep viewers interested in our Indian History, and also informed about the events, but in the form of a movie, which is quite a genius way of portraying history, if you ask me.
Recently, Siloo Bode and Sam Manekshaw’s lives have been portrayed in the movie ‘Sam Bahadur,’ which was released in 2023. Vicky Kaushal, an acting prodigy, was portrayed as Sam Manekshaw, whereas the enigmatic Sanya Malhotra portrayed Silloo, his quintessential and doting wife.
The movie gave us snippets of the events that might have happened between them back in the early 90s. Historically, of course, the major events have been captured beautifully with a few detours here and there, but overall, the movie was a pleasant watch.
Siloo’s Influence on Manekshaw’s Life
According to Sherry, we already know that Silloo would ground Sam the minute he started getting too charming. It was also mentioned that she had warned him that although he might have a respected field marshal or a company director, there was always a chance that he could be overlooked the next day, and this advice kept Sam grounded and kept him focused on his work rather than ‘flying high’.
This simply goes on to say that Silloo had a positive and a very direct influence on Sam’s life, and maintained herself as his most staunch supporter and his pillar of strength.
Maja, their other daughter, has watched Vicky Kaushal’s movie ‘Sam Bahadur’ and even mentioned that she had watched it twice and was sentimental about the portrayal of her father’s life and death.
Conclusion
In her life, Silloo Manekshaw was a well-respected, well-known woman as the fearless wife of an even more fearless man. Her husband, Sam had valiantly participated in 5 wars, including World War II, the Indo-Pak war, the Indo-Pak Partition War, the Sino–Indian War, and the War of Bangladesh Liberation. Silloo was the epitome of the perfect wife and was always there to support her husband whilst also taking care of their children whenever he was away. To this date, she is remembered fondly just as Sam Bahadur Manekshaw is remembered.