Madhur Jaffrey
Actress and cookery writer who introduced Indian food to the West
- Age
- 93 yrs
- Birthday in 289 days
- Works listed
- 3
- Book, TV series
- Honours
- 3
- Most recent 2022
- Profile views
- 2
- 0 followers
Madhur Jaffrey is an actress and food writer whose cookbooks and television series introduced home-style Indian cooking to Britain and the United States. She also won a Berlin Film Festival award for Shakespeare Wallah.
Biography
Delhi and RADA
Madhur Jaffrey grew up in a large family in Delhi. She studied at Miranda House and then at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, where, homesick for Indian food, she wrote to her mother for recipes.
Actress
She acted in Merchant Ivory films, winning the Silver Bear for Best Actress at the Berlin Film Festival for Shakespeare Wallah (1965), and appeared in Heat and Dust (1983) and many other films and plays in the United States and Britain.
Cookery writer
Her first cookbook, An Invitation to Indian Cooking (1973), explained Indian home cooking to Western readers. The BBC series Madhur Jaffrey’s Indian Cookery (1982) made her famous in Britain, and she has written more than a dozen books on Indian and Asian food.
Honours
She was appointed CBE in 2004 for services to drama and food, received the Padma Bhushan in 2022 and has been inducted into the James Beard Foundation’s Cookbook Hall of Fame.
Timeline
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1933
Born in Delhi, British India
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1965
Silver Bear for Shakespeare Wallah
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1973
An Invitation to Indian Cooking
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1982
BBC Indian Cookery series
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1983
Heat and Dust
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2004
CBE
-
2022
Padma Bhushan
Notable works
-
1973
An Invitation to Indian Cooking Book
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1982
Madhur Jaffrey’s Indian Cookery TV series
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1965
Shakespeare Wallah Film
Awards and honours
-
Silver Bear for Best Actress
1965 · Shakespeare Wallah.
-
CBE
2004
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Padma Bhushan
2022
Did you know?
-
1
She learnt to cook from letters her mother sent her in London.
-
2
She won a Berlin Film Festival acting award.
-
3
She is in the James Beard Cookbook Hall of Fame.
Connections
Related people
Frequently asked
Who is Madhur Jaffrey?
Madhur Jaffrey is an actress and food writer whose cookbooks and television series introduced home-style Indian cooking to Britain and the United States. She also won a Berlin Film Festival award for Shakespeare Wallah.
How old is Madhur Jaffrey?
Madhur Jaffrey is 93 years old, born on 13 August 1933 in Delhi, British India.
Where is Madhur Jaffrey from?
Madhur Jaffrey was born in Delhi, British India.
What is Madhur Jaffrey known for?
Madhur Jaffrey is best known for An Invitation to Indian Cooking; BBC series Madhur Jaffrey’s Indian Cookery; Shakespeare Wallah.
What awards has Madhur Jaffrey received?
Notable honours include Silver Bear for Best Actress (1965), CBE (2004), Padma Bhushan (2022).
References
- Madhur Jaffrey — Wikipedia. Wikipedia. Retrieved 27 October 2026.
- Madhur Jaffrey — IMDb. IMDb. Retrieved 27 October 2026.
- Madhur Jaffrey — Hindi Wikipedia. Wikipedia (Hindi). Retrieved 27 October 2026.
- Official website. www.madhur-jaffrey.com. Retrieved 27 October 2026.
- Madhur Jaffrey (Q2556603) — structured data. Wikidata. Retrieved 27 October 2026.
Includes material from the Wikipedia article “Madhur Jaffrey”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. That text is available under the same licence. Learn more
External links
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About this profile
- Researched by the TrackFame editorial team; reviewed by Sanjay Sokal under our editorial policy
- First published 27 October 2026
- Last updated
Cite this page
“Madhur Jaffrey.” TrackFame, last updated 28 October 2026. https://trackfame.com/person/madhur-jaffrey
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