Pankaj Udhas dies at 72 due to prolonged illness, his family confirms

Pankaj Udhas has passed away at the age of 73 due to prolonged disease. His family has confirmed said in a statement

Veteran Ghazal singer Pankaj Udhas took his last breath on Monday, at the age of 72, his family confirms. His family released a statement confirming the demise of the legendary singer. The statement reads, "With a very heavy heart, we are saddened to inform you of the sad demise of Padmashri Pankaj Udhas on 26th February due to a prolonged illness."

Pankaj Udhas was a prominent name when it came to Indian Ghazal singers. He was widely known for his distinctive singing styles, setting Urdu poetry to music. He introduced this art form to the country with his fellow musicians, such as Jagjit Singh and Talat Aziz.

 

Pankaj Udhas early life

Udhas was born in Jetpur in Gujarat and was the youngest child of Keshubhai Udhas and Jituben Udhas. He studied in Sir BPTI Bhavanagar, and then his family moved to Mumbai, where he attended St. Xavier's College and completed his further studies.

His father was a government servant who learnt to play Dilruba from a renowned veena player, Abdul Karim Khan. His father saw Pankaj and his elder brother's interest in music, so he enrolled them in Rajkot's Sangeet Academy. Udhas also enrolled to learn Tabla, and later he began learning Hindustani vocal classical music from Ghulam Qadir Khan Sahab as well. After moving to Mumbai, Udhas trained under the tutelage of Navrang Nagpurkar, who hails from Gwalior Gharana.

Pankaj Udhas career

Pankaj Udhas was introduced to musical performance by his elder brother Manhar Udhas, who was a stage performer, with the song Chandi Jaisa Rang hai tera, ‘sone jaise bal’. However, Udhas did his first stage performance during the Sino-Indian War when he sang "Aye Mere Watan Ke Logo", for which he received Rs 51 from an audience member as a reward.

Udha's first song in the movie was Kamna, which was composed by Usha Khanna and written by Naqsh Lyallpuri. Thereafter, Udhas developed an interest in Ghazals and learned Urdu to pursue a career as a ghazal singer. He released his first ghazal album in 1980, i.e., Aahat. It opened a new success gate for him, and he has released hundreds of albums and compilation albums since then.

He also sang several melodious songs, which include Mahiya Teri Kasam along with Lata Mangeshkar, Na Kajre Ki Dhar, etc.

His album Shagufta, launched by Music India in December 1987, was the first to be released on a compact disc in India. Udhas also started a talent hunt program telecasted on Sony Entertainment Television. Actor John Abraham calls Udhas his mentor.

Pankaj Udhas Death

Pankaj Udhas took his last breath on February 26, 2024, Monday. He was 72 years old. 

Pankaj Udhas top 20 songs list

Here’s the list of Pankaj Udhas’ top 20 songs

• "Chitthi Aayi Hai"
• "Aur Aahista Kijiye Baatein"
• "Jeeye To Jeeye Kaise"
• "Sabko Maloom Hai Main Sharabi Nahin"
• "Ahista"
• "Na Kajre Ki Dhar"
• "Mahiya Teri Kasam"
• "Dukh Sukh Tha Ek Sabka"
• "Ek Taraf Uska Ghar"
• "Tumko Dekha To"
• "Aap Jinke Kareeb Hote Hain"
• "Chandi Jaisa Rang Hai Tera"
• "Ghazab Kiya Tere Vaade Pe Aitbaar Kiya"
• "Yeh Bata De Mujhe Zindagi"
• "Mera Pyar Mujh Se Rootha"
• "Thodi Thodi Piya Karo"
• "Zindagi Se Badi Saza Hi Nahin"
• "Jee Raha Hoon Main"
• "Kahin Door Jab Din Dhal Jaye"
• "Bekarar Karke Humein"