Ghazal singer Pankaj Udhas has passed away following a prolonged illness. The news was confirmed in a social media post by his daughter Nayaab Udhas. Reports citing family sources indicate that the Chitthi Ayee Hai and Aur Ahista Kijiye Baatein singer breathed his last at a Mumbai hospital around 11 am. The last rites will be held on Tuesday.
“With a very heavy heart, we are saddened to inform you of the sad demise of Padma Shri Pankaj Udhas on February 26 due to a prolonged illness,” read a missive from the family.
The singer’s demise left the music industry shocked and grieving. Condolence messages poured in after the news broke on Monday afternoon, with many expressing their shock and dismay via social media.
Udhas was born in Gujarat to a musically inclined family and enrolled at the Rajkot Sangeet Academy alongside his brothers at a young age. He later began learning Hindustani vocal classical music from Ghulam Qadir Khan Sahab and eventually moved to Mumbai to train under Gwalior Gharana singer Navrang Nagpurkar.
Reports suggest that his first stage performance was a rendition of Aye Mere Watan Ke Logo during the India-China war — which moved an audience member to give him a reward of ₹51. His first song credit was in the K Chatterjee directed 1972 film Kaamna.
Over the years Udhas has released more than fifty albums and countless compilations. He lent his voice to many Hindi films — including Naam, Saajan and Mohra. While he continued to perform at various ghazal events, his most recent song as a playback singer was for the 2016 film Dil Toh Deewana Hai.
