Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India]: Mourning the demise of ghazal maestro Pankaj Udhas, composer Anu Malik on Sunday, calling him a ‘ heera ‘ (diamond).
The legendary singer, who had several evergreen ghazals to his credit and was widely followed and admired across the globe, passed away on Sunday at the age of 72 after a prolonged illness.
Malik said, “He was a gem of a person…I would say he was like a diamond. He was blessed with a mellifluous voice, one that enabled him to adapt to any song or musical genre. There were so many great ghazal singers at the time but when Pankaj-ji took to the stage and started singing, the listeners sat rapt. I join the world in mourning one of our musical stalwarts, a great artiste who has left us. He was a great singer and an even better human being. Whenever I met him, he had a smile on his face. He also had a humorous side to him.”
“He received a lot of love from his listeners and his fans across the world are in mourning today after learning of his demise. May God give strength to Pankaj-ji’s family to bear this loss. The music industry has lost a shining star. Om Shanti,” Malik added.
Taking to Instagram, Pankaj Udhas’ daughter Nayaab shared a statement on Instagram that read, “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.”
Among the evergreen ghazals that Pankaj Udhas lent his vocals to were ‘Chitthi Aayi Hai’, ‘Chandani Raat Mein’, ‘Na Kajre Ki Dhaar’, ‘Aur Ahista Kijiye Baatein’, ‘Ek Taraf Uska Ghar’ and ‘Thodi Thodi Piya Karo’.
The singer’s demise left the music industry in shock and grief.
