Celebrated ghazal singer Pankaj Udhas, whose velvet smooth voice gave expression to the many colors of love, longing, and heartache in songs such as “Chitthi Ayee Hai” and “Aur Ahista Kijiye Baatein”, died on February 26 after a prolonged illness. He was 72.
Udhas, who also made a mark as a playback singer in many Hindi films, including Dayavan, Naam, Saajan, and Mohra, died around 11 am at the Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai.
“With a very heavy heart, we are saddened to inform you of the sad demise of Padmashri Pankaj Udhas on 26th February 2024 due to a prolonged illness,” his daughter Nayaab wrote in an Instagram post.
“This is not only a personal loss, but the whole nation has lost a prolific singer and a great human being,” Breach Candy Hospital Trust said in a note. The last rites of the singer, who hit his peak in the 1990s, will be held on February 27. He is survived by his wife Farida and daughters Reva and Nayaab.
India’s President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi were among the many who mourned the singer’s death. “Pankaj Udhas ji, honored with Padma Shri and other awards, made an important contribution in popularizing music. My condolences to his family and fans,” the president said.
According to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Udhas’ singing conveyed a range of emotions and his ghazals spoke directly to the soul. “He was a beacon of Indian music, whose melodies transcended generations. I recall my various interactions with him over the years. His departure leaves a void in the music world that can never be filled. Condolences to his family and admirers. Om Shanti,” Modi said.
Highlighting that contemporary films and filmmakers predominantly focus on action-packed, technology-driven productions set in exotic locations, Pankaj said: “We don’t have the mind to think in Hindi. They think in terms of Hollywood. This is certainly a setback for ghazals. Cinema is still a powerful medium and it has always supported ghazals. That avenue is more or less closed”.
Udhas, one of those credited for making the genre popular along with Talat Aziz and Jagjit Singh, released his first album “Aahat” in 1980 and released over 50 albums in a four-decade career. This was apart from the songs, evoking gentle romance, he crooned as a playback singer.
He is perhaps most famous for “Naa Kajaare Ki Dhar”, “Aye Ghame Zindagi Kuch To De Mashwara”, “Maikhane Se Sharab”, “Chandi Jaisa Rang Hai Tera Sone Jaise Baal”, “Aaj Fir Tum Pe Pyaar Aaya”, “Mohabbat Inayat Karam Dekhte Hain”, “Jaaneman Karwate Badal Badal” and “Chahat Desh Se Aane Wale”.
Udhas was synonymous with ghazals, an Arabic word that means “conversing with the beloved”. It developed in Persia in the 10th century AD from the Arabic verse form ‘qasida’, according to rekhta.com. Udhas, who received the Padma Shri in 2006, was also a science graduate working to eradicate thalassemia, according to his X profile.
He was born in Gujarat’s Rajkot town to a family of musicians. His father Keshubhai Udhas played the string instrument Dilruba, and his two elder brothers, Manhar Udhas and Nirmal Udhas, were well-known singers too. The young Pankaj initially started learning tabla at the Sangeet Natya Academy in Rajkot. But he was more inclined towards Hindustani classical music and started learning from Ghulam Qadir Khan.
Long-time friend and fellow singer Anup Jalota said he knew Udhas had been unwell for the last several months but didn’t realize he would go away so soon. “I’ve lost my friend. We would discuss everything… We had great fun together. He has made a great contribution to making ghazals popular and accessible. It can never be forgotten,” Jalota said.
