Pankaj Udhas(1951-2024)

Pankaj Udhas was born in Navagadh village of Jetpur in Gujarat,India. started his career debut album in 1970 "Munne Ki Amma Yeh To Bata" with Actor-singer Kishore Kuma but his fame was in the film Naam (1986) in which he did playback for 'Chithi Aai Hai' and made him a household name. Compilation and Live Shows performed all over the world and also worked as a playback singer in hit films. Udhas had studied at Sir Bhavsinhji Polytechnic Institute, Bhavanagar. His family moved to Mumbai and Udhas After that he pursued a Bachelor of Science degree at Wilson College and St Xavier's College, Mumbai.

Met the renowned Veena player, Abdul Karim Khan, who taught him to play the Dilruba. When Udhas was a child, his father would play the Dilruba, a stringed instrument. Seeing his and his brother's interest in music, his father enrolled them at the Sangeet Academy in Rajkot. Udhas initially enrolled 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.

A song titled Chandi Jaisa Rang hai tera, sone jaise bal was sung by Pankaj Udhas. Pankaj Udhas' older brother, Manhar Udhas was a stage performer who aided Pankaj in his introduction to musical performance. 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.

Started training in Indian classical vocal music under the tutelage of Master Navrang. Udhas's first song was in the film "Kamna" a solo composed by Usha Khanna and written by Naqsh Lyallpuri, the film was a flop, but his rendition was very much appreciated. Subsequently, Udhas developed an interest in ghazals and learned Urdu to try to pursue a career as a ghazal singer. He spent ten months in Canada and the US doing ghazal concerts and returned to India with renewed vigor and confidence. After his ghazal album, Aahat was released in 1980. From this, he began to have success, and Nasha (1997) Mukarrar (1981) and Tarrannum (1982) have released more than fifty albums and hundreds of compilation albums.

In 1986, Udhas received another opportunity to perform in the film, in the film Naam, which brought him fame. In 1990, he sang the melodious duet "Mahiya Teri Kasam" with Lata Mangeshkar, for the movie Ghayal. This song achieved immense popularity. In 1994, Udhas sang the notable song, "Na Kajre Ki Dhar", from the film Mohra along with Sadhana Sargam which also became very popular. He continued working as a playback singer, making some on-screen appearances in films such as Saajan, Yeh Dillagi, Naam, and Phir Teri Kahaani Yaad Aayee. His album Shagufta launched by Music India in December 1987 was the first to be released on compact disc in India. Later, Udhas started a talent hunt television program called Aadab Aarz Hai on Sony Entertainment Television. Actor John Abraham calls Udhas his mentor. Udhas's ghazals talk about love, intoxication, and sharab.

His family hails from a town named Navagadh near Rajkot and were traditional landlords. He was the youngest of the three brothers. His parents were Keshubhai Udhas and Jituben Udhas. His eldest brother Manhar Udhas achieved some success as a Hindi playback singer in Bollywood films. His second brother Nirmal Udhas is also a well-known Ghazal Singer and was the first of the three brothers to start singing in the family. His grandfather was the first graduate from the village and went on to become the Diwan (revenue minister) of the Bhavnagar State. His father, Keshubhai Udhas, was a government servant.

Pankaj Udhas died, aged 72, of a prolonged illness at Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai, on 26 February 2024. His funeral was held on 27 February 2024 at the Hindu Crematorium in Worli, Mumbai.