Pankaj Udhas was such a name in the Indian music world. Whose ghazals and romantic songs are still present in the hearts of people. His journey was not easy at all. But hard work and passion for music gave him the courage to overcome every difficulty. He was born on 17 May 1951 in a small village of Jetpur, Gujarat. He had taken steps towards music since childhood. The story of his first stage performance still motivates people.
musical atmosphere from family
Pankaj Udhas’s father Keshubhai Udhas was in a government job. But he loved music very much. His mother Jituben Udhas was also fond of singing. His two elder brothers Manhar Udhas and Nirjal Udhas were already singers. There was an atmosphere of music everywhere in the house, hence Pankaj also started taking interest in this direction since childhood.
First stage show at the age of 10
Pankaj sang on stage for the first time at the age of just 10. At that time, India-China war was going on and he sang the song ‘Aye Mere Watan Ke Logon’. Which had become a big symbol of patriotism at that time. The people present there became emotional after hearing his voice. One person was happy and gave him a reward of Rs 51. This small amount was a big thing for him and this was the real beginning of his musical journey.
Music training along with studies
Despite his love for music, Pankaj did not ignore his studies also. He took B.Sc degree from a college in Mumbai. He also continued his music training. After taking admission in the Music Academy of Rajkot, he first learned Tabla and then took training in Hindustani classical singing from Ustad Ghulam Qadir Khan. Later, he went to Mumbai and further improved his art under the guidance of Navrang Nagpurkar.
From films to ghazals the voice became immortal
His film career started in 1972 with the film ‘Kamna’ but the film did not do well. After this he went abroad for some time and sang on big stages there. After returning to India, he again entered Ghazals and Bollywood. In 1986, the song ‘Chithi Aayi Hai’ from the film ‘Naam’ became a superhit and he got a new identity. Before this, his album ‘Aahat’ (1980) was also well liked. Later, albums like ‘Mukarrar’, ‘Tarannum’, ‘Mehfilan’ and ‘Afreen’ made him a big name in the world of Ghazal. He received many awards for his contribution. Was awarded Padmashree in 2006 and was also given Padma Bhushan in 2025. Let us tell you that he died on 26 February 2024 in Mumbai at the age of 72.
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