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Music is the most delicate form of art, but history has witnessed the undying trait of music. And the charming releases of Ghazal maestro Pankaj Udhas will live forever. Even at a sad juncture like this in the history of Indian classical music, when we have lost Pankaj Udas, we can only think about the immersing melodies this man has offered us in his lifetime. His works and his musical depictions are vastly inclusive, and he also has elevated the form of Indian Ghazal with his faultless works and has offered some of the most cathartic releases.
The music prodigy was born on the 17th of May 1951. Hailing from Jetpur, Gujarat, Udhas showed his talents in music prolifically, and in 1980 he released his first Ghazal album ‘Aahat’. With this album, everyone knew that this person was going to be one of the highly respected Ghazal singers in the Indian Music Industry. In his career he has released over 50 albums and sang for many singles for the Hindi film industry, Bollywood, in this article we will only talk about 5 of them, that have stayed with us as an integral part of our life:
5. Aaj Phir Tum Pe Pyar Aaya Hai
This timeless song has been performed by the highly regarded Ghazal singer Pankaj Udhas along with Anuradha Paudwal, another well-appreciated Indian songstress. The song was from the 1988 movie ‘Dayavan’, the movie had Vinod Khanna and Madhuri Dixit as the main lead. This decades-old song has been remade and another musical legend Arijit Singh has sung this new rendition of this evergreen song.
4. Chitthi Aayi Hai
This song was released in 1986, and it is from the Mahesh Bhatt film, called, ‘Naam’ (Name). Soon after the song was released in the public domain, it became an instant hit among music lovers. And even after 4 decades, the song remains one of the best released of Pankaj Udhas. ‘Chitthi Aayi Hai’ translates as “a letter has arrived,” and for Indians, this is the go-to number whenever they receive even a highly anticipated email. The song seamlessly depicts the pain of separation and the happiness of hearing from your loved ones via mail.
3.Chupke Chupke Sakhiyoon Se
Pankaj Udhas charmingly illustrates love at first sight in his brilliantly made number ‘Chupke Chupke Sakhiyoon Se’. The music video of the song features John Abraham, and the song shows a heartwarming feeling in the few initial days of love when both of the people share a similar feeling but hide it from the other person, the purity and the innocence of this stage has been flawlessly depicted in this music video. This is one of the most celebrated and highly popular songs of Pankaj Udhas, and every music lover loves him for this exceptional song.
2.Sach Bolta Hoon Main
This is another seamless Ghazal blend of Udhas, the song is an impressively made number and the video of the song shows the purest bond between a and daughter her father. The song narrates a story of a father who has lost his wife and a daughter who has lost her mother but, the beautiful song allows you to feel everything from love, and affection to pain, and Udhas’s impressive voice takes you on this oscillating journey.
1.Ahista
The most popular number from the discography of Pankaj Udhas is Ahista. The song was released in 1998 and after the song became popular the immersive melodies have allowed every music lover to embrace the slow yet deep narrative of this beautiful song. The song opens to a seamless melody and a humming female voice, and as Udhas starts to sing the lines, your heart can every emotion that he is willing to share through this number. This has been one of the most brilliant releases of Udhas, and you will surely love this impressively powerful narrative of this song. This willingness of secrecy that every lover wishes to have and how they don’t want to be heard by the world but by themselves is brilliantly shared through each word of this melody.
This is not just a big loss for Udhas family and people who were close to him, but a loss for the entire Indian music industry, and everyone who loves the music. The enthralling experience that he provided each time released a number or performed live while he made his previous even more beguiling for the audience. The man was always seen in formal whether Indian or Western he always had a smile on his face, and melody to his voice, and the gravitating styles of his artist made everyone fall for his highly engaging traits of music. And Yes, the compunction of this loss is beyond fixing but, everyone will surely continue to love him for the work he has done and the humanitarian he was throughout his life. His music career is a lot more than these five songs but, this is just a little gesture to remember this timeless artist.
