'Adieu soulful singing'; Ghazal maven Pankaj Udhas passes away at 73

NEW DELHI: Ghazal virtuoso Pankaj Udhas passed away on Monday after a long battle with illness. He was 73. The family of the veteran singer released a statement confirming the death news.

According to reports, the singer passed away at 11 am on Monday in Breach Candy Hospital, Mumbai. The final rites of Pankaj Udhas will be performed on February 27th.

Pankaj Udhas was born on May 17, 1951, in Jetpur, Gujarat. He came from a family of musicians, so it never took that late for Pankaj to imbibe his family tradition. Pankaj Udhas stood apart from his contemporaries and nurtured a peculiar style of rendition that embellished the poetry in the lyrics. His rendition had a soulful touch that hit the right chords with millions of Indians and made him a haloed presence in the domain of ghazal singing. The nation honoured him with Padma Shri in 2006.

It is rather surprising that Pankaj Udhas took the mantle of Ghazal singing at a time when India cherished the presence of iconic ghazal singers including Jagjit Singh, Ghulam Ali and Begum Akhtar. Pankaj Udhas claimed instant popularity with the release of his album 'Aahath' in 1976. His soulful rendition of 'Chandi Jaisa Rang' will be forever etched in the minds of millions who revere the art of ghazals.

Even after reaching the summit of success, Pankaj Udhas remained a self-deprecating and unassuming character in real life. His loss marks the end of an era, and it also comes at a time when the art of ghazal singing is slowly waning from the Indian subcontinent.