Gajra Kottary

Gajra Kottary is an Indian screenplay writer and television writer.

Early life Gajra Kottary was born in Delhi, India, and was educated at the Convent of Jesus and Mary and Lady Shri Ram College for Women. In 1988, she completed the post-graduate course in Journalism at the Indian Institute of Mass Communication. She worked briefly as a journalist, initially at The Statesman and later at the Magna group. Kottary also wrote on developmental and women's issues for CHOICES, the magazine of the 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 The Last Laugh. Her debut novel, Broken Melodies, was published in 2011 along with its Hindi translation by Bikhre Sur. Gajra subsequently co-authored her first original Hindi novel, Kora Kaagaz.

Following this was her first long running daily of 668 episodes, the award-winning Astitva...Ek Prem Kahani. She later wrote 2175 episodes on 12 April 2016 for Balika Vadhu, on Colors TV. It has been entered as the longest running Hindi soap on Indian Television in the Limca Book of Records 2016.

Gajra has also written the story for the 55 episode serial Buddha. She has written Jyoti, Godh Bharai, Panaah, Ghar Ek Sapna and Ek Veer ki Ardaas. She is a creative producer for Zee's Zindagi channel, namely TV Ke Uss Paar and Khwaabon Ki Zamin Par.

Awards

Gajra Kottary has won the Indian Television Academy Award, RAPA award, Indian Telly Award, Apsara Award and the Global Indian Television's Best Writer Award.

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

Television

Writer Year Serial 2000 Hamare Tumhare 2002–2006 Astitva...Ek Prem Kahani 2007–2009 Ghar Ek Sapnaa 2008–2016 Balika Vadhu 2009–2010 Jyoti 2009 Panaah 2010–2010 Godh Bharaai 2012–2015 Ek Veer Ki Ardaas...Veera 2013–2014 Buddha 2014–2016 Satrangi Sasural 2018–2019 Silsila Badalte Rishton Ka 2020–present Molkki 2023 Cinta Yang Tak Sederhana (Indonesian TV Series)