The perks of being Durga Jasraj

Pt Jasraj’s daughter says it’s great to have a legendary father, but tough too

“This is the real me unlike all the big talks I generally give,” laughs Durga Jasraj, daughter of the legendary Pandit Jasraj. A former model and TV host, she now heads her own entertainment company that promotes classical music.

Personal crisis: It wasn’t till she got married at 18 and divorced at 21 that she took responsibility of her life. “It was an arranged marriage and I was a mother in a year’s time. But that’s not what I wanted to do and once I realised it I got all the strength to carry on,” she explains. So does she see herself in her daughter? “She’s much surer about what she wants to do in life. She wants to be a fashion designer,” says Durga.

Meeting the President: Durga conceptualised ‘Tiranga’ in 2003, an event that got her international recognition and fetched her company Art & Artistes worldwide popularity. “Tiranga has been the highlight. I met President APJ Abdul Kalam who heard the concept and was so enthusiastic to lend his support that he kept pushing me to work harder. It’s only because of his conviction that the event was a success,” she says.

Dad’s the best: She has had advantages of being Pt Jasraj’s daughter and she doesn’t deny it. “One of my fondest memories is of meeting the mathematician John Nash and his wife who love my dad’s music. I was amused to see them fighting for my dad’s autograph,” she laughs. But it has it also been a pressure to live up to the expectations? “I would be dishonest if I say I’m not pressurised. Of course, you also get perks of being his daughter, but they are temporary. In the long run you have to prove yourself to earn respect as a professional,” she reflects.

Future enterprises: Durga is also set to launch ‘Panchatatva’, another one of the initiatives of holding concerts in various cities. “We’re looking at having it Mumbai soon. I refuse to believe that there’s no business in classical music.”

k_shridevi@dnaindia.net