Parmeshwar Godrej (16 July 1945 – 10 October 2016) was an Indian philanthropist and socialite, married to Adi Burjorji Godrej, chairman of the Godrej Group.[1]

Parmeshwar Godrej
Born
Parmeshwar Kaur

(1945-07-16)16 July 1945
Died10 October 2016(2016-10-10) (aged 71)
NationalityIndian
SpouseAdi Burjorji Godrej
ChildrenNisaba Adi Godrej
Pirojsha Adi Godrej
Tanya Arvind Dubash

Life

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Parmeshwar was born into a Sikh family on 16 July 1945, the daughter of an army officer.[2] She was educated at Yadavindra Public School, Patiala.[3] Before marrying marriage to Adi Godrej, she was a hostess for Air India.[1] They met when she was 17 and he was 21, and married in 1965. They had three children together: two daughters, Tanya Dubash and Nisa Godrej, and one son, Pirojsha Adi Godrej.[4]

Godrej designed costumes for actress Hema Malini in the 1975 film Dharmatma at the request of her good friend Feroz Khan who was the actor, director, and producer of the same film.[5]

Frequently described as one of India's leading socialites and philanthropists,[6][7][8][9] she was a close friend of the former cricketer and Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan, a relationship that often attracted media attention.[10] She focused her influence on health issues, and was one of the earliest champions of AIDS and HIV awareness in India.[11] She partnered with actor Richard Gere in 2004 to launch the Heroes Project, an anti-AIDS campaign, with strong support from both the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Clinton Global Initiative.[12][13][14] She also sat on the boards of the Gere Foundation and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Death

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Parmeshwar Godrej died on 10 October 2016 at Breach Candy Hospital at age 71 due to a degenerative lung disease.[15][16]

References

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  1. ^ a b "The Sunday Tribune - Spectrum".
  2. ^ "The Sunday Tribune - Spectrum". www.tribuneindia.com. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  3. ^ Singh, Roopinder (28 February 1998). "YPS: a 50-year-old institution with a century-old heritage". Roopinder Singh Journalist.
  4. ^ "Adi Godrej". Forbes. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  5. ^ Staff Writer (11 October 2016). "Parmeshwar Godrej, socialite and philanthropist, dies at 71". mint. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
  6. ^ "Parmeshwar Godrej: Queen Bee".
  7. ^ "Parmeshwar Godrej".
  8. ^ "BUSINESS TODAY".
  9. ^ "The secret society of social butterflies". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 1 September 2013.
  10. ^ "Who was Parmeshwar Godrej: The socialite, philanthropist wife of Adi Godrej; know about her lifestyle and her relationship with Pakistan's Imran Khan". Financialexpress. 21 September 2023. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
  11. ^ "Parmeshwar Godrej on AIDS awareness in India | Femina.in". www.femina.in. 29 September 2016. Retrieved 26 October 2024.
  12. ^ "Parmeshwar Godrej's dream goal". dna. 12 March 2010.
  13. ^ "Heroes Project". Archived from the original on 1 September 2013. Retrieved 1 September 2013.
  14. ^ "Richard Gere and Parmeshwar Godrej Launch The Heroes Project To Mobilize Societal Leaders and the Media Industry to Fight AIDS in India". Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
  15. ^ "Philanthropist, Businesswoman Parmeshwar Godrej Dies At 70". NDTV. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
  16. ^ Abrol, Somya (11 October 2016). "Socialite and businesswoman Parmeshwar Godrej passes away". India Today. Retrieved 11 October 2016.