Venu Chitale Age, Birthday, Husband, Children, Family, Death Cause, Biography & More
Venu Chitale (born 28 December 1912 – died 1 January 1995, Aged: 82 years old), also known as Leela Ganesh Khare, was a writer, a BBC radio broadcaster, and a secretary to George Orwell. She was born on 28 December 1912 in Shirol, Kolhapur in Maharashtra, India, and died on 1 January 1995 in Mumbai, India.
She wrote under the pen name Weenoo, and published her only novel, In Transit, in 1950. She was also a prominent figure in the Indian literary and cultural scene and a pioneer of women’s education and empowerment.
Age, Birthday, and Family
Venu Chitale was born as Venu Dattatreye Chitale, the daughter of Dattatreye Chitale, a lawyer and a social reformer, and Annapurna Chitale, a teacher and a poet. She had two brothers, Vishnu and Narayan, and a sister, Shanta.
She grew up in a progressive and cultured family and was exposed to various languages, literature, and arts from a young age. She attended Huzurpaga, the first girls’ school in Pune, where she excelled in academics and extracurricular activities. She also developed a keen interest in writing and published her first poem in a Marathi magazine when she was 12 years old.
Venu Chitale Wiki/Bio
| Name | Venu Chitale |
| Also known as | Leela Ganesh Khare, Weenoo |
| Born | 28 December 1912 |
| Died | 1 January 1995 |
| Occupation | Writer, broadcaster, secretary to George Orwell |
| Language | English, Hindustani, Marathi |
| Education | Huzurpaga, Wilson College, University College London, Oxford University |
| Notable works | In Transit (1950) |
| Spouse | Ganesh Khare |
| Children | Nandini Apte |
| venuchitale | |
| Wikipedia | Venu_Chitale |
| Homepage | newsunzip.com |
Educational Details
She graduated from Huzurpaga in 1929 and enrolled in Wilson College in Mumbai, where she studied English literature and history. She was one of the few women students in the college and faced discrimination and harassment from some of the male students and professors. She also participated in the Indian independence movement and joined the Quit India Movement in 1942. She was arrested and imprisoned for six months for her involvement in the movement.
She completed her bachelor’s degree in 1933 and received a scholarship to study at University College London. She left for England in 1934 and pursued her master’s degree in English literature. She was fascinated by British culture and society and made many friends among the students and the faculty. She also met her future husband, Ganesh Khare, a fellow Indian student who was studying economics at the London School of Economics. They married in 1936 and adopted the surname Khare.
Further Studies
She continued her studies at Oxford University, where she received a diploma in education in 1937. She also started writing her novel, In Transit, which was based on her experiences and observations of the Indian and British cultures.
She finished the novel in 1940, and submitted it to several publishers, but faced rejection and criticism. She was told that her novel was too unconventional and controversial and that it did not fit the expectations of British readers.
Parents and Siblings
Venu Chitale was born Venu Dattatreye Chitale, the daughter of Dattatreye Chitale and Annapurna Chitale. Her father was a lawyer and a social reformer, and her mother was a teacher and a poet.
They both died when Venu was young, and she was raised by her older siblings. She had two brothers, Vishnu and Narayan, and a sister, Shanta. They all belonged to a progressive and cultured family and encouraged Venu to pursue her education and interests.
Nationality, Ethnicity and Religion
Venu Chitale was an Indian by nationality, and a Marathi by ethnicity. She was born and brought up in Maharashtra, a state in western India, where Marathi is the official language and the predominant culture.
She was also fluent in English and Hindustani and learned other languages such as French and German. She was a Hindu by religion and followed the traditions and rituals of her faith. She also respected and appreciated other religions and cultures, and was open to learning from them.
Net Worth and Income Sources
Chitale’s net worth and income sources are not publicly available, but it can be assumed that she earned a decent amount of money from her various professions and achievements. She was a writer, a broadcaster, a teacher, an editor, and a translator.
She published one novel, In Transit, which was a critical and commercial success, and several other works of fiction and non-fiction. She also worked for the BBC, the India League, the Indian Writers’ Association, and other organizations and institutions. She also received scholarships, awards, and recognition for her work and contributions.
Husband and Kids
Venu married Ganesh Khare, a fellow Indian student who was studying economics at the London School of Economics, in 1936. They adopted the surname Khare and became known as Leela and Ganesh Khare.
They had a daughter, Nandini Apte, who was born in 1944. Nandini followed her mother’s footsteps and became a writer and a journalist. She also wrote a biography of her mother, titled Venu: A Life in Letters, which was published in 1997.
Google Doodle December 2023
Google Doodle is a special, temporary alteration of the logo on Google’s homepage that is intended to celebrate holidays, events, achievements, and people. On December 28, 2023, Google Doodle honored Venu Chitale on her 111th birthday and recognized her as a writer, a broadcaster, and a friend of Orwell.
The doodle depicted a portrait of Venu, surrounded by images and symbols related to her life and work, such as a microphone, a typewriter, a book, a globe, and a lotus flower. The doodle also featured a quote from her novel, In Transit, which read: “Life is a journey, not a destination.”
Early Career
Venu Chitale started her career as a teacher at a girls’ school in London in 1938. She taught English literature and history and also organized cultural and literary events for the students. She was popular among the students and the staff and was respected for her intelligence and charisma. She also continued to write poems and short stories and published them in various magazines and journals.
Joining BBC
In 1941, she joined the BBC as a radio broadcaster for the Indian Service. She was one of the first Indian women to work for the BBC and was responsible for producing and presenting programs on various topics, such as literature, music, art, history, and current affairs. She also interviewed prominent personalities, such as Jawaharlal Nehru, Mahatma Gandhi, Rabindranath Tagore, and Rukmini Devi Arundale. She was admired for her eloquence and professionalism and was praised for her unbiased and informative reporting. She also gained a large and loyal audience, especially among Indian listeners.
As a Journalist
In 1943, Venu Chitale became the secretary to George Orwell, the famous writer and journalist, who was working as a literary editor for the Tribune, a left-wing weekly newspaper. She was hired by Orwell’s friend and colleague, Fredric Warburg, who was also the publisher of her novel, In Transit. She worked with Orwell for two years and helped him with his writing, editing, and correspondence.
She also became his close friend and confidante and shared his views on politics, literature, and society. She was one of the few people who knew about his personal life, such as his ill health, his marriage, and his adoption of a son. She also witnessed the writing of his masterpiece, Animal Farm, and assisted him in finding a publisher for it. She was greatly influenced by Orwell’s style and ideas and incorporated them into her writing.
As a Writer
In 1945, she finally published her novel, In Transit, under the pen name Weenoo. The novel is a semi-autobiographical account of the life of an Indian woman, Leela, who travels to England to study and faces various challenges and dilemmas in adapting to British culture and society. The novel explored the themes of identity, alienation, racism, sexism, and colonialism, and portrayed the contrast and the conflict between the Indian and the British values and perspectives. The novel was well-received by the critics and the readers and was praised for its originality, honesty, and insight. It was also compared to the works of Virginia Woolf, James Joyce, and George Orwell, and was considered as one of the first examples of modernist and postcolonial literature.
Return to India
In 1946, she returned to India with her husband and daughter, Nandini, who was born in 1944. She settled in Mumbai and resumed her work as a radio broadcaster for the BBC. She also became involved in the Indian literary and cultural scene and joined various organizations and associations, such as the PEN International, the Indian Writers’ Association, and the Bombay Progressive Artists’ Group.
She also founded and edited a literary magazine, The Indian Pen, which featured the works of emerging and established writers, such as R.K. Narayan, Mulk Raj Anand, Raja Rao, Kamala Das, and Nissim Ezekiel. She also wrote and published several essays, articles, reviews, and translations, and contributed to various newspapers and magazines, such as The Times of India, The Illustrated Weekly of India, and The Economic Times.
Physical Appearance
| Height (approx.) | In Feet Inches: 5′ 4″. |
| Weight (approx.) | In Kilograms: 50-55 kg. |
| Hair Color | Black. |
| Eye Color | Dark Brown. |
Novels & Books
She also continued to write fiction and planned to write a sequel to her novel, In Transit, which would depict the life of Leela after her return to India. However, she could not complete the novel and left only a few chapters and notes. She also wrote a collection of short stories, which were based on her experiences and observations of the Indian and British cultures. She also experimented with different genres and forms, such as satire, fantasy, and science fiction. She also wrote a children’s book, The Adventures of Weenoo, which was inspired by her daughter and her pen name.
Personal Life & Hobbies
She also pursued her interests in music, art, and photography, and learned to play the sitar, the piano, and the harmonium. She also collected and exhibited various paintings, sculptures, and photographs, and organized and participated in several cultural and artistic events and festivals.
She also traveled extensively and visited various countries, such as France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Egypt, Israel, and Japan. She also maintained her friendships and contacts with many prominent personalities, such as George Orwell, Fredric Warburg, E.M. Forster, Aldous Huxley, Bertrand Russell, Pablo Picasso, and Albert Einstein.
Death and Legacy
Venu died on 1 January 1995, at the age of 82, in Mumbai, India. She was cremated according to the Hindu rites, and her ashes were scattered in the Arabian Sea. She was survived by her husband, Ganesh Khare, who died in 1998, and her daughter, Nandini Apte, who is a writer and a journalist. She also had two grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Venu Chitale was a remarkable and versatile writer, a broadcaster, and a secretary to George Orwell. She was also a pioneer of women’s education and empowerment and a prominent figure in the Indian literary and cultural scene. She wrote and published one novel, In Transit, which was a groundbreaking work of modernist and postcolonial literature. She also wrote and published several poems, short stories, essays, articles,
