In 1934, Corporal Sam Manekshaw is among the first batch of gentleman cadets to be trained at the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun. His batch includes his junior-cum-rival, Tikka Khan. After graduating from the academy, Manekshaw is posted as a second lieutenant to the 12th Frontier Force Regiment in Ferozpur. Soon after his posting, he meets Siloo Bode, whom he later marries. In 1942, during the Second World War, Manekshaw is promoted to the acting rank of Major and is sent to Burma with his regiment. During the Battle of Sittang Bridge, he is wounded but survives. His bravery earns him the Military Cross for gallantry. In 1947, amidst the partition of the British Indian Army, Manekshaw is approached by his colleague, Maj. Yahya Khan, to join the Pakistan Army. However, he chooses to remain loyal to India and joins the Indian Army. Following India's independence, tensions escalate between India and Pakistan over the sovereignty of Kashmir. In October 1947, Pakistan launches a military campaign to capture Kashmir. In response, Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Home Minister Vallabbhai Patel dispatch Manekshaw and V. P. Menon to Kashmir. They successfully secure Kashmir's accession to India. In 1959, Manekshaw, now a Major General and Commandant of the Defense Services Staff College, Wellington, is approached by Defense Minister V. K. Krishna Menon and Chief of General Staff Lt. Gen. Brij Mohan Kaul for his opinion on the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Gen. K. S. Thimaya. Manekshaw, interpreting their actions as political interference, rebuffs them. However, Kaul conspires to halt Manekshaw's promotion by orchestrating a court-martial on charges of impropriety. Despite this, Manekshaw is exonerated by his superiors. In 1962, the Sino-Indian War breaks out, leading to the Indian Army's defeat by the Chinese. Following the defeat, Kaul resigns, and Nehru dismisses Menon. On Indira Gandhi's advice, Nehru promotes Manekshaw to the rank of Lieutenant General and appoints him as the commanding officer of the IV Corps, Tezpur. In 1963, Manekshaw manages to rally his troops in the North-East Frontier Agency. In 1964, Nehawri dies, and Manekshaw is promoted to General Commanding Officer of the Eastern Command. Two years later, Indira Gandhi is appointed Prime Minister. Between 1965 and 1967, Manekshaw is involved in anti-insurgency operations against the Mizo National Front, for which he is awarded the Padma Bhushan. In 1969, with rising discord among the Bengalis in East Pakistan, Yahya, now a general, becomes Pakistan's president. Meanwhile, Manekshaw is appointed as the Indian Army's next COAS and promoted to General. In 1970, the Awami League sweeps Pakistan's general elections, but Yahya refuses to cede power to them, leading to anti-government protests across Pakistan. In response, Yahawy authorizes Tikka, now a lieutenant-general, to initiate Operation Searchlight – a massive anti-Bengali pogrom. Considering the situation, Indira favors war, but Manekshaw opposes it, highlighting the army's limitations. She agrees to wait. The U.S. warns Indira against war, but she rejects their advice. The army is mobilized and begins training the Mukti Bahini. On December 3, 1971, Pakistan launches pre-emptive attacks on Indian territory. India immediately responds with counterattacks in Pakistan's western and eastern sectors. The opposing armies clash profoundly, with Pakistan suffering heavy casualties on land, sea, and air in both sectors. By December 16, the Pakistani troops in the east, overwhelmed, surrender to the Eastern Command, ending the war. The war's conclusion brings a political victory to Indira while Yahya resigns from the humiliation of defeat. With Manekshaw's retirement approaching, Indira has him promoted to the rank of Field Marshal in recognition of his wartime leadership. He proudly retires in January 1973.
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