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

Madhura Jasraj, the wife of the late legendary classical vocalist Pandit Jasraj, died on Wednesday due to age-related ailments. She was 86. She died at her residence in Versova, Mumbai, reported news agency ANI. She is survived by her daughter Durga Jasraj, son Sharang Dev, and grandchildren. Madhura Jasraj’s funeral will be held at the Oshiwara crematorium in Mumbai at 4 pm on Wednesday.  Daughter of renowned filmmaker V Shantaram, Madhura Jasraj was raised in an environment full of artistic influence with her sister Kiran Shantaram. She got married to Pandit Jasraj in 1962 and shared two children with him.

In an interview, Pandit Jasraj recalled his first encounter with Madhura, which took place in 1954. He had mentioned that someone had told him to talk to her as it could get him introduced to her father, who was filming Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baje at the time. “We met briefly and, till 1960, I met her each time I performed in Mumbai. Otherwise, we were not in touch as the phone was an expensive option and since I hardly attended school, writing letters was not for me. In 1960, I stayed in Mumbai for a month, during which time we fell in love. Meanwhile, Madhura’s father made enquiries about me, suspecting that I was already married,” Pandit Jasraj told Times Of India. 

On the work front, Madhura Jasraj directed films such as Sangeet Martand Pandit Jasraj (2009) and Aai Tuza Ashirwad (2010), where she worked with famous artists, including Lata Mangeshkar. In addition to direction, Madhura Jasraj also wrote a biography of her husband, Pandit Jasraj, detailing his remarkable career as a classical vocalist with the Mewati gharana. She also wrote the biographies of her father, V Shantaram: The Man Who Changed Indian Cinema (in English) and Shantarama (in Marathi).

Madhura Jasraj’s husband, Pandit Jasraj, died at the age of 90 in 2020 after suffering a cardiac arrest. A musician with a career spanning more than eight decades, Pandit Jasraj was honoured with numerous accolades and awards, including Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Vibhushan, acknowledging his services to Indian music.