Ghazal Maestro Pankaj Udhas Dies at 72 Due to Prolonged Illness

New Delhi: Singer Pankaj Udhas, known for his exemplary work in the world of music, died at 72 on Monday. The singer was battling a prolonged illness when he breathed his last. His daughter Nayaab Udhas took to social media to confirm the news of his passing away. In a now-viral Instagram post, she released an official statement from the Udhas family and wrote, “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 (sic).”

Udhas belonged to a renowned music family from Gujarat. He was born in Jetpur in Gujarat and was the youngest of the three brothers. His elder brother Manhar Udhas also worked as a playback singer in the film industry. He began his musical journey by learning tabla but later shifted to learning Hindustani vocal classic music from Ghulam Qadir Khan Sahab. He then trained himself at the famous Gwalior Gharana.

It was in 1980 that he first released his Ghazal album titled ‘Aahat’. He was one of the first Indian artists to perform at London’s Royal Albery Hall in 1984 where he featured his own show titled ‘Pankaj Udhas Live’. It was in Mahesh Bhatt’s film ‘Naam’ that he first got the opportunity to do playback singing for a Bollywood film. His song ‘Chitthi Aayee Hai‘ became instantly famous and continues to be a part of pop culture.