Madhura Pandit Jasraj passes away: Life and times of the filmmaker and writer

Madhura Jasraj married Pandit Jasraj in 1962. Photos Courtesy: Mid-day file pics

Madhura Pandit Jasraj passed away earlier today at the age of 86 due to age-related illnesses. Madhura, who was the wife of Indian classical vocalist, Late Pandit Jasraj, was prominently known for her contribution to films and music throughout her lifetime. Surrounded by the arts all the time, she served as the link between the two bringing out many different stories including that of her father, and husband, over the years, and being by their side through it all, while exploring her love for direction and penmanship in English and Marathi.

Pritam Sharma, spokesperson of the Pandit Jasraj family, in a statement to the media said her mortal remains will leave between 3:30-4 pm from her home in Andheri West, and the last rites will be performed at Oshiwara Crematorium between 4-4:30 pm today.

Here's all you need to know about here:

Legacy
Madhura Pandit Jasraj is the daughter of legendary Indian filmmaker V Shantaram, who was known for his extensive work in Marathi and Hindi films. Over time, she chronicled his life in the form of two books.

Family
Madhura Pandit Jasraj married Indian classic vocalist Jasraj in 1962. The latter, who belonged to the Mewati gharana, had a career spanning over 75 years before he passed away in August 2020. She is the mother of Durga Jasraj and Shaarang Dev, both of whom are also associated with the music industry

Work
During their lifetime, she collaborated with him on many projects but the one dearest to her was the dance ballet, Geet Govind, according to her interview with mid-day in 2016.

She even turned author and went on to write biographies of her father in the later years. They were 'Shantarama' in the Marathi language, and 'V Shantaram: The Man Who Changed Indian Cinema', in English.

While she had previously directed films such as ‘Sangeet Martand Pandit Jasraj' (2009) and ‘Aai Tuza Ashirwad' (2010), she directed her debut Hindi feature film at 78. In the past, she had also directed documentaries on both her father and husband, as well as 'Faster Fenay', a TV series on Doordarshan, she revealed in her interview with mid-day.