Ajay Kumar at 14:21, 28 August 2023

2023-08-28T14:21:56Z

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{{Use Indian English|date=December 2018}}
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{{peacock|date=November 2015}}
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{{Infobox person
| name = Gajra Kottary
| image =
| imagesize =
| caption =
| birth_name =
| birth_place = [[Delhi]]
| occupation = [[Screenwriter]]
| yearsactive = 2000-present
| alma_mater = [[Lady Shri Ram College for Women]]
| awards =
| children =
| relatives =
}}

'''Gajra Kottary''' is an Indian [[screenwriter|screenplay writer]] and television writer.

==Early life==
Gajra Kottary was born in [[Delhi]] and was educated at the [[Convent of Jesus and Mary]] and [[Lady Shri Ram College for Women]]. In 1988, she excelled in the post-graduate course in Journalism at the [[Indian Institute of Mass Communication]] for being the top student and was awarded The Hindu Gold Medal. She worked briefly as a journalist, initially at [[The Statesman (India)|The Statesman]] in Delhi and later at the Magna group. She contributed to several of the country's newspapers and magazines. Garja Kottary also wrote on developmental and women's issues for CHOICES, the magazine of the [[United Nations Development Programme|United Nations Development Program]].

==Career==
Gajra debuted as an author in early 1996 with her first collection of women-centric short stories, titled Fragile Victories. This was followed by another compendium, The Last Laugh. Her debut novel Broken Melodies was published by HarperCollins Publishers India in 2011, simultaneously with its Hindi translation Bikhre Sur. Gajra subsequently co-authored her first original Hindi novel, Kora Kaagaz. Her last novel Once Upon a Star was released in December 2014.

Following this was her first long running daily of 668 episodes, the award-winning [[Astitva...Ek Prem Kahani|Astitva – Ek Prem Kahan]]<nowiki/>i. Her next major writing assignment was to develop the story of the nation's popular and acclaimed daily television serial [[Balika Vadhu]], on [[Colors TV]], for which she completed writing 2175 episodes on 12 April 2016. It has been entered as the longest running Hindi soap on Indian Television in the Limca Book of records 2016. It is a serial that has highlighted and taken a stand against many social evils extant in Indian society, starting with child marriage.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-07-17 |title=Gajra Kottary: Called her the Goddess of acting |url=https://www.mid-day.com/entertainment/television-news/article/gajra-kottary-called-her-the-goddess-of-acting-23183240 |access-date=2022-08-23 |website=Mid-day |language=en}}</ref>

Gajra has also written the story for the 55 episode mega historical television serial Buddha. She has written many other acclaimed shows including [[Jyoti (TV series)|Jyoti]], [[Godh Bharaai|Godh Bhara]]<nowiki/>i, Panaah, Ghar Ek Sapna and Ek Veer ki Ardaas – Veera, Satrangi Sasuraal. She has recently become a creative producer for two shows being telecast on [[Zindagi (TV channel)|Zee's Zindagi]] channel, namely TV Ke Uss Paar and [[Khwaabon Ki Zamin Par]].

==Awards==

Gajra Kottary has won major writing awards for television, including the Indian Television Academy Award, RAPA award, Indian Telly Award, Apsara Award and the Global Indian Television's Best Writer Award. Two more novels written by Gajra are said to be published next year by HarperCollins India Publishers.

==Selected works==
===Fiction===
*The Last Laugh (2003)
*Broken melodies (2011)
*Once Upon a Star (2014)
*Girls Don't Cry (2017)

==Television==

===Writer===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year !! Serial
|-
| 2000 || ''Hamare Tumhare ''
|-
| 2002–2006 || ''[[Astitva...Ek Prem Kahani]]''
|-
| 2007–2009 || ''[[Ghar Ek Sapnaa]]''
|-
| 2008–2016 || ''[[Balika Vadhu]]''
|-
| 2009–2010 || ''[[Jyoti (TV series)|Jyoti]]''
|-
| 2009 || ''[[Panaah (TV series)|Panaah]]''
|-
| 2010–2010 || ''[[Godh Bharaai]]''
|-
| 2012–2015 || ''[[Ek Veer Ki Ardaas...Veera]]''
|-
| 2013–2014 || ''[[Buddha (TV series)]]''
|-
| 2014–2016 || ''[[Satrangi Sasural]]''
|-
| 2018–2019 || ''[[Silsila Badalte Rishton Ka]]''
|-
| 2020–Present || ''[[Molkki]]''
|-
| 2023 || ''[[Cinta Yang Tak Sederhana]]'' (Indonesian TV Series)
|}

== External links ==
* https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4607871/
* http://www.bollywoodlife.com/news-gossip/balika-vadhus-writer-gajra-kottary-there-is-no-long-term-planning-in-serials-these-days
* {{cite news | url=https://www.rediff.com/getahead/slide-show/slide-show-1-achievers-i-am-not-a-superwoman-author-gajra-kottary/20110420.htm | title=I am not a superwoman: Author Gajra Kottary | date=20 April 2011 | publisher=Rediff | first=Savera R | last=Someshwar | accessdate=6 December 2018 }}
* http://www.tellychakkar.com/tv/tv-news/balika-vadhu-writer-gajra-kottary-pens-her-first-novel
* http://www.indiantelevision.org.in/interviews/writersdesk/gajra.htm
* Website : www.gajrakottary.in

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kottary, Gajra}}
[[Category:Indian television writers]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Indian women television writers]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian women writers]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian dramatists and playwrights]]
[[Category:Women writers from Delhi]]
[[Category:Hindi screenwriters]]
[[Category:Screenwriters from Delhi]]
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian screenwriters]]

Gajra Kottary - Revision history

Ajay Kumar at 14:21, 28 August 2023