Durga Jasraj (born 12 September 1966) is an Indian original content producer, actor and Hindustani classical singer. She focuses on creating indigenous content in formats for multiple media, viz. Live, Television, Online, Mobile VAS, Radio, CD/DVDs. She founded "Art And Artistes (I) Pvt. Ltd.", an entertainment programming company in 1999. She subsequently co-founded the Indian Music Academy (IMA) in 2006.

Early life

Jasraj was born in Mumbai to classical vocalist Pandit JasrajHelp for old and ailing musicians
''

CNN-IBN CNN News18 is an Indian English-language news television channel founded by Raghav Bahl based in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India. It is currently co-owned by Network18 Group and Warner Bros. Discovery. CNN provides international coverage for the c ...

'', 29 November 2010. and Madhura Pandit. She has an older brother, music director Shaarang Dev. Her maternal grandfather was

Bollywood Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, is primarily produced in Mumbai. The popular term Bollywood is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (former name of Mumbai) and "Cinema of the United States, Hollywood". The in ...

director V. Shantaram and her maternal cousin was former actor Siddharth Ray.

Career

Jasraj started her career as a classical vocalist at age seven. Her acting debut came in Ketan Anand's ''Aaja Meri Jaan'' (1993). She acted in TV series including '' Chandrakanta'' (1994) and ''Mahabharat'' (1988). In the Mahabharat she acted as Ulupi. She performed as a Hindustani classical singer and with her father for many years. She became popular on

Zee TV ZEE TV also known as Z TV is an Indian Hindi language general entertainment pay television channel owned by Zee Entertainment Enterprises. It was launched on 1 October 1992 as the oldest privately owned television channel in India. History ...

's show, '' Antakshari'' as a co-host with Annu Kapoor during the 1990s.Bollywood has helped independent musicians: Durga Jasraj
''South Asia Mail''. She quit the show to start her company Art And Artistes (I) Pvt Ltd.

Indian Music Academy

She co-founded Indian Music Academy (IMA) in 2006, with her father as a chief patron. The organization promotes various forms of

Indian music Owing to India's vastness and diversity, Indian music encompasses numerous genres in multiple varieties and forms which include classical music, folk, rock, and pop. It has a history spanning several millennia and developed over several ...

. It was formally inaugurated on 18 February 2006, by then-President A P J Abdul Kalam at Mumbai’s National Centre for the Performing Arts. IMA helps old and ailing musicians to get urgent medical attention. It holds annual IMA Awards. In 2007, the awards were given away by President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. Recipients included Carnatic musician Balamuralikrishna, playback singer Asha Bhonsle, Music composer Ilayaraja, Hindustani classical singer and Music composer

Ramesh Narayan Ramesh Narayan (born 3 November 1959) is an Indian Hindustani classical music, classical vocalist, composer and music producer who works predominantly in Malayalam cinema. Ramesh began his initial training in Carnatic music and later mastered t ...

, Hindustani classical singer Girija Devi, sarod maestro

Ali Akbar Khan Ali Akbar Khan (14 April 192218 June 2009) was an Indian Hindustani classical musician of the Maihar gharana, known for his virtuosity in playing the sarod. Trained as a classical musician and instrumentalist by his father, Allauddin Khan, ...

. Idea Jalsa Live Concerts have travelled to more than 50 cities across India and in the latest series beginning in January 2013, reached out to 7 crore (70 million).It’s aesthetically different
''The Hindu'', 15 October 2009. Durga directed "Tiranga" a production that traveled across the world. She served one term as a board member of the Censor Board of India.

Personal life

Durga Jasraj married at age 18 and was divorced at 21. She has a daughter.

References

External links

Indian Music Academy, Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jasraj, Durga Indian women television presenters Indian television presenters 1964 births Living people Businesspeople from Mumbai Indian women classical singers Businesswomen from Maharashtra Actresses in Hindi television Actresses from Mumbai Shantaram family