New Delhi:
Madhura Jasraj, wife of the late legendary classical vocalist Pandit Jasrajdied on Wednesday due to age-related ailments. She was 86. She passed away at her residence in Versova, Mumbai, news agency ANI reported. She is survived by her daughter Durga Jasraj, son Sharang Dev and grandchildren. Madhura Jasraj’s funeral will be held at Oshiwara crematorium in Mumbai at 4 pm on Wednesday. Daughter of renowned filmmaker V Shantaram, Madhura Jasraj was raised in an artistic environment along with her sister Kiran Shantaram. She married Pandit Jasraj in 1962 and had two children with him.
In an interview, Pandit Jasraj recalled his first meeting with Madhura, which took place in 1954. He mentioned that someone had told him to talk to her as it could lead to an introduction to Madhura’s father, who was shooting Thank you thank you Payal Baje at that time. “We met briefly and, till 1960, I met her every time I performed in Mumbai. Apart from that, we did not keep in touch because the telephone was an expensive option and since I rarely went to school, writing letters was not my thing. In 1960, I stayed in Mumbai for a month, during which time we fell in love. Meanwhile, Madhura’s father asked about me, assuming that I was married,” Pandit Jasraj told the Times Of India.
On the work front, Madhura Jasraj has directed films like Sangeet Martand Pandit Jasraj (2009) and Aai Tuza Ashirwad (2010), where he worked with renowned artists, including Lata Mangeshkar. In addition to directing, Madhura Jasraj has also written a biography of her husband, Pandit Jasraj, detailing his extraordinary career as a classical vocalist with Mewati familyHe also wrote a biography of his father, V Shantaram: The Man Who Changed Indian Cinema (in English) and Shantaram (in Marathi).
Madhura Jasraj’s husband, Pandit Jasraj, died at the age of 90 in 2020 after suffering from heart failureA musician with a career spanning over eight decades, Pandit Jasraj has been honored with numerous awards and accolades, including the Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Vibhushan, in recognition of his services to Indian music.