Shristy Kamal, Pune
Famous ghazal singer Pankaj Udhas died at the age of 72 due to a prolonged illness on Monday. The news was confirmed after he took his final breath at a Mumbai hospital at approximately 11 in the morning. Several celebrities from the music fraternity have expressed their condolences post the news.
The music maestro who hailed from Gujarat began his musical journey by learning the art from Ghulam Qadir Khan Sahab before shifting to Mumbai under the Nagpur Gharana. His debut on stage was marked by a rendition of Aye Watan ke logo during the Indo-China war, earning him ₹51. His first credited song was in the 1972 film Kanna directed by K Chatterjee. With over fifty albums and numerous compilations, Udhas has contributed his voice to various Hindi Films, including Naam, Saajan, and Mohra. Despite continued performances at ghazals events, his most recent playback singing was in the 2016 film ‘Dil toh Deewana hai’.
The Padma Shri recipient, also starred in the All India Radio on Doordarshan. During the later part of his career, he made huge contributions towards cancer patients by dedicating his ticket sales towards their treatment using his art for a greater cause. In an interview, he said that he already knew what he wanted to do and it was to reach a larger audience.
He expressed disappointment over the presence of ghazals in Bollywood, drawing inspiration from legends like Begum Akhtar and Mehndi Hassan. He recalled the shift in time when filmmakers and music directors were well-versed in both hindi and urdu and embraced ghazals. Citing Guru Dutt as an example, he highlighted his importance in making classical music mainstream from movies like Kagaz ke phool. He also praised directors like Madan Mohan for creating timeless ghazals like “Aap ki aankhon ne samjha” and emphasizing that the essence of romance lies in the composition and lyrics, not just the pace of songs. Despite the pressures from the industry, his approach prevailed making the song popular.
Apart from that, he was also an admirer of English rock band like The Beatles and pop American singer Whitney Houston.