Madhura Jasraj, Wife Of Late Legendary Vocalist Pandit Jasraj, Dies At 86

Madhura Pandit Jasraj, who made significant contributions to the art industry, passed away at the age of 86. She directed several documentaries, plays and even authored a biography to showcase her vocalist husband, Pandit Jasraj’s contribution to the music industry.

Madhura Pandit Jasraj, also the beloved daughter of legendary filmmaker V Shantaram, breathed her last in the early hours of September 25. Madhura is survived by two children — Durga Jasraj and Shaarang Dev. After her demise, Durga confirmed the development and mentioned that her mother was unwell for the past month. The last rites for Madhura are scheduled to take place at Oshiwara Crematorium between 4 PM to 4:30 PM on the same day.

While expressing her grief over her mother’s demise, Durga reportedly said in a statement, “Her contribution has been immense, both in her own right and in documenting and restoring the legacy of both her father, V Shantaram, and my father, Pandit Jasraj ji.” The daughter further mentioned how her mother single-handedly wrote, conceived and directed a documentary on her grandfather, V Shantaram, known for his immense works in the Hindi and Marathi films. Madhura’s documentary even received several accolades.

Madhura was nurtured in an environment steeped in art and literature right from her childhood. Her father V Shantaram and brother Kiran Shantaram, who is the chairman of the V Shantaram Foundation, chairman of Prabhat Chitra Mandal and head of the Asian Film Foundation, provided a rich artistic foundation for her.

Madhura married Pandit Jasraj in 1962, and together they nurtured many artistic endeavours. She directed several plays and even wrote biographies. Their kids, Shaarang Dev Pandit, is a renowned music composer known for songs like Om Namah Shivay (1997), Salim Langde Pe Mat Ro (1989) and Naseem (1995), while Durga Jasraj is a producer, actor and Hindustani classical singer. She founded Art And Artistes (I) Pvt Ltd, an entertainment programming company, in 1999.

Coming back to Madhura’s career, her work extended even beyond literature. She directed films such as Sangeet Martand, Pandit Jasraj (2009) and Aai Tuza Ashirwad (2010). Madhura even collaborated with prominent artists like Lata Mangeshkar and played a crucial role in preserving and promoting Indian classical music. Additionally, in 2016, Madhura directed her first Hindi film at the age of 78. The movie was a social drama which focussed on rape survivors, and it was a tribute to her father, V Shantaram.