Pankaj Udhas: An enduring musical legacy
Many fans all throughout the globe are very saddened by the loss of Pankaj Udhas, the well-known ghazal singer and Padma Shri laureate. Udhas passed away on Monday at the age of 72 at the Breach Candy hospital in Mumbai, where he was a patient.
Pankaj Udhas started his career by imitating Jagjit Singh and Mehdi Hasan. He made his screen debut in India in 1972 as a playback singer for the film Kaamna. He became well-known as a ghazal singer when he published his first album, Aahat, just before the year 1980. His sincere voice and modern approach of incorporating hit melodies into traditional ghazal compositions made him well-known and beloved by the general public, particularly the younger generation. This ancient art form became more accessible and relevant to all people, rather than being limited to the affluent few.
He defied convention by releasing the romantic form from Persianized Urdu to express their suffering in a straightforward poem such as Deewaron Se Milkar Rona (1981) and modifying the melancholic orchestration in Mohe Ayi Na Jag Se Laaj (1988).
After Udhas’s career really took off in 1986, when he performed many songs in the popular Hindi crime thriller Naam, his ghazals were about to become a mainstay of many Bollywood films. One of his most popular songs, Chitthi Aayee Hai, was written with the Indian diaspora in mind for the movie, but Anand Bakshi’s lyrics captured the essence of every migrant’s longing for their own land because of Udhas’s vibrant voice.
With the 1993 releases of Panchhi Pinjra Tod Ke Aaja and Desh Paraya Chhod Ke Aaja, his voice established itself as the cornerstone of Bollywood.
After he had already won over youthful hearts, it was the song Purab Na Jaiyo Paschhim Na Jaiyyo (Jawaab, 1985) that catapulted him into the public eye. At that point, he sang his hit song Chandi Jaisa Rang Hai Tera (Ek Hi Maqsad, 1988) for the first time having produced the music himself. He and Anuradha Paudwal sung the well-known duet Aaj Phir Tumpe Pyar Aaya Hai for Feroz Khan’s Dayavan the same year. He also wrote the poignant song Jeeye To Jeeyen Kaise for Nadeem Shravan in Saajan (1991), which is still remembered to this day. His voice might appeal to a truck driver’s aesthetic sense as well as their connoisseurship. All of us have traveled great distances while listening to a bus driver’s creaky cassette player play Na Kajre Ki Dhaar (Mohra, 1994).
Later in 2001, he organized the “Khazana” music festival, which supported and provided chances for up-and-coming artists. He also gave up all of the music festival’s earnings to help youngsters with thalassemia and cancer sufferers.
The passing of Pankaj Udhas had a profound impact on common people in addition to the ghazal singing community. During his remarkable career, Udhas popularized ghazals, opening up the genre’s moving lyrics and entrancing melodies to listeners from many backgrounds. In addition to capping an incredible musical career, his departure leaves a lasting legacy that will enthrall and inspire future generations.
