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Ishitta Arun Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated September 29, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth14 September 1979

Age45 Years

BirthplaceMumbai

ProfessionTheatre artist, Actress, Interior designer

NationalityIndian

Marital statusMarried

SpouseDhruv Ghanekar

FamilyMother: Ila Arun; Father: Arun Bajpai; Daughters: Amaala and Alaaya

Ishitta Arun Biography

Ishitta Arun is an Indian theatre artist, actress, interior designer and lyricist from Mumbai. Daughter of folk singer-actress Ila Arun, she has worked inf

Early life and background
Ishitta Arun was born on 14 September 1979 in Mumbai and raised in the same city. The daughter of folk singer and actress Ila Arun and Arun Bajpai, a retired Indian Navy personnel, Ishitta grew up surrounded by artistic influences. She attended Arya Vidya Mandir school in Mumbai and went on to earn a BA in Sociology from St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai.

From a very young age Ishitta was active in performance. She took part in a children’s theatre workshop led by Nadira Babbar at age nine, appeared as a child artist on television, and recorded songs for a documentary about a classical singer when she was eight. She also learned Kathak at Shiamak Davar’s institute and took singing lessons from Ustad Maqbool Hussain.

Career
Ishitta’s professional life spans stage, screen, music and design. She made an early television appearance as Ishita Bajpayi in the Shyam Benegal-directed series Yatra (1986) and later debuted on the big screen in the Tamil film Snegithiye (2000) as Geetha Damodar. She appeared in a Sonu Nigam music video in 1999 and went on to act in the Hindi film Kahan Ho Tum (2003) in the role of Mansi.

A prolific theatre artist and live presenter, Ishitta has hosted over a hundred live-stage events and was co-host of the duet singing show Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Ek Main Aur Ek Tu in 2006 alongside Shaan. She was a contestant on the 2010 reality mini-series Dil Jeetegi Desi Girl on NDTV Imagine and finished as first runner-up.

Ishitta’s creative work includes songwriting and production. She has written lyrics for various projects, including tracks for the Bollywood film Dhaakad (2022). She also contributed lyrics for artists and commercial campaigns, and in September 2012 she took on the role of creative producer at the Wah Wah Music production house.

Alongside performing, Ishitta has developed a parallel career in interior design. Her design credits include the interiors of the Bandra restaurant Mia Cucina, the design of Wah Wah Studios in Mumbai, and interiors for restaurants, residences and offices. She has operated design exhibitions under her brand Kishmish and has designed spaces for notable clients.

Ishitta is the founder of Ikigai & Co., a platform for theatre, performing arts and humanities. Under that banner she conceptualised and produced the drama Gaa Re Maa, which was featured at the Prithvi Festival in 2018 during Prithvi Theatre’s 40th-year celebrations.

Public profile
Ishitta is often visible at cultural and industry events alongside other prominent figures. Her family connections in the arts include her husband, music composer and producer Dhruv Ghanekar, and in-laws who work in theatre and film. She is a mother to two daughters, Amaala and Alaaya, and has spoken about family traditions and creative collaborations with her husband.

Personal interests and other work
Ishitta’s creative reach extends to television presenting, lyric writing for advertising and recordings, and stage production. She learned choreography for the Sonu Nigam music video Bijuria from dancer Saroj Khan and has hosted a wide range of live formats. She also enjoys dancing, baking, yoga and reading. Ishitta has said she reads bedtime stories to her daughters and enjoys baking cakes and muffins with them. She has tattoo work on her left forearm and right shoulder.

Latest updates
Ishitta’s recent credits include songwriting work for the 2022 film Dhaakad and continued activity with Wah Wah Music and her design and theatre initiatives. Her theatre production Gaa Re Maa was part of the Prithvi Festival in 2018, and she remains active across performance, production and design projects.

Physical details
Ishitta is listed at approximately 170 cm (5 ft 7 in) tall with brown eyes and brown hair.

Family and relationships
Ishitta married Dhruv Ghanekar on 27 May 2005. She is the only child of Ila Arun and Arun Bajpai. Her extended family includes Girish Ghanekar and Joy Ghanekar on her husband’s side.

Education and training
She completed her schooling at Arya Vidya Mandir and holds a BA in Sociology from St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai. Her performing training includes Kathak and formal singing lessons.
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Recent Work

Dhaakad

Wrote several tracks for the Bollywood film Dhaakad

2022
Gaa Re Maa (theatre production)

Conceptualised and produced the drama Gaa Re Maa, featured at Prithvi Festival 2018

2018
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Career Highlights

  1. Debut film role in Snegithiye (2000) as Geetha Damodar
  2. Appeared in Sonu Nigam’s music video Bijuria (1999)
  3. Co-hosted Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Ek Main Aur Ek Tu (2006)
  4. First runner-up on Dil Jeetegi Desi Girl (2010)
  5. Creative producer at Wah Wah Music (from September 2012)
  6. Founder of Ikigai & Co. and producer of Gaa Re Maa at Prithvi Festival 2018
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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Ishitta Arun born?

14 September 1979

What is Ishitta Arun known for?

Theatre artist, Actress, Interior designer

What is Ishitta Arun’s marital status?

Married

Who is Ishitta Arun married to?

Dhruv Ghanekar