Legendry Ghazal singer Pankaj Udhas has passed away. He breathed his last at the age of 72. Pankaj’s daughter Nayaab Udhas has shared the news of the singer’s death. Everyone is paying their last tribute to the singer with tears in their eyes on social media. It is a sad day for music lovers in the nation.
Bad news has come out from the entertainment world. Legendary singer Pankaj Udhas has passed away. He breathed his last at the age of 72. His daughter Nayaab Udhas has shared the news of the singer’s death. In the post she wrote – With a 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.
Pankaj Udhas died at around 11 am at the Breach Candy hospital after a prolonged illness. His last rites will be held on Tuesday. Pankaj is survived by wife Farida Udhas, daughters Nayaab and Reva Udhas, and brothers Nirmal and Manhar Udhas, who are also singers.
Celebs are saddened by the demise of Pankaj Udhas. Singer and music composer Shankar Mahadevan is in shock. According to him, Pankaj’s departure is a big loss for the music world, which can never be compensated. Sonu Nigam also wrote an emotional post on the demise of Pankaj Udhas on his Instagram account.
Legendry Ghazal singer Pankaj Udhas passes away: His early life and contribution to music industry
Pankaj Udhas is a highly acclaimed Indian Ghazal singer, hailing from Gujarat, India, born on May 17, 1951. He is renowned for his soulful renditions of Urdu ghazals and is a celebrated artist in India and across the world.
When Udhas was a child, his father would play the dilruba, a stringed instrument. Seeing his and his brothers’ interest in music, his father enrolled them at the Sangeet Academy in Rajkot. Udhas initially enrolled himself to learn the tabla but later began learning Hindustani vocal classical music from Ghulam Qadir Khan Sahab. Udhas then moved to Mumbai to train under the tutelage of Navrang Nagpurkar, a singer from the Gwalior Gharana.
#WATCH | Mumbai | On the demise of veteran Ghazal singer Pankaj Udhas, singer Anup Jalota says, “People have lost Pankaj Udhas, I have lost my friend. Our friendship lasted 45 years. There was another mission that I, Pankaj (Udhas), and Talat (Aziz) started together- the Khazana… pic.twitter.com/jZ7e3yB7MV
— ANI (@ANI) February 26, 2024
Pankaj Udhas is best known for lending his voice to memorable tracks like Chitthi Aayi Hai from Mahesh Bhatt’s 1986 crime thriller Naam, Chandi Jaisa Rang Hai from Pravin Bhatt’s 1998 film Ek Hi Maqsad, Aaj Phir Tumpe from Feroz Khan’s 1988 action thriller Dayavan, Jeeye To Jeeye Kaise from Lawrence D’Souza’s 1991 romantic film Saajan, and Chhupana Bhi Nahi Aata from Abbas-Mustan’s 1993 revenge thriller Baazigar among others.
His ghazal career includes reputed albums like Aahat (1980) and tracks like Na Kajre Ki Dhaar, Aur Ahista Kijiye Baatein, Ek Taraf Uska Ghar, and Thodi Thodi Piya Karo.
His first stage performance was during the Sino-Indian War, when he sang “Aye Mere Watan Ke Logo” and was given Rs. 51 by an audience member as a reward.
Pankaj Udhas started his career as a stage performer in the late 1970s and rose to fame in the 1980s with his hit album “Aahat”. His deep, resonant voice and emotionally charged performances have garnered him a loyal fan base and numerous accolades throughout his career.
Pankaj Udhas has been awarded the Padma Shri in 2006, one of the highest civilian honors in India, for his contributions to Indian music. He has also been recognized with the Gujarat Gaurav Award and the Maharashtra Gaurav Puraskar. Additionally, he has received the Screen Videocon Award, the MTV Music Video Award, the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Award, and the Utpal Academy Award, among others.
Some of his popular albums include “Mukarrar”, “Mitti“, “Pankaj Udhas Live at Albert Hall”, and “In Search of Meer”. Pankaj Udhas continues to perform and record music, enchanting audiences with his timeless ghazals and emotive performances.
His father was farmer and he has two elder brothers who are also singers. He got married to “Farida” and has three daughters from her.