In a career spanning several decades, ghazal maestro Pankaj Udhas ruled over the hearts of his fans with his magical voice. Udhas, who was born on May 17, 1951 in Jetpur, Gujarat, learned tabla for over 4 years during the initial days. His initial interest in the world of music was drawn because of his elder brother Manhar Udhas who was also a singer.
During one of the stage performances of Manhar Udhas during the Indo-China war, Pankaj got on stage and sang ‘Ae Mere Watan Ke Logo’ for the audience. His first stage performance earned him an award of Rs 51 and his journey in the world of music continued. Later in 1972, he bagged his first Bollywood song composed by Usha Khanna in film Kaamna. While the film turned out to be a failure, his song was appreciated by the fans.
However, his Bollywood career did not pick up and later he moved to Canada. He performed small stage shows in the US and Canada for 10 months before finally returning back to India. In 1980, he released his first-ever Ghazal album ‘Aahat’. This proved to be a turning point in his career and he did not look back ever since. Delivering hits like ‘Chhithhi Aayi Hai’, Chupke Chupke Raat Din among various others, Udhas made a very special place in the audience’s heart.
He created a perfect blend of Bollywood music with ghazals. Apart from singing in films, he continued releasing his albums like Stolen Moments which was a huge hit among young people. In his illustrious career, Udhas bagged a series of awards including a Padamshree in 2006 for his remarkable contribution to the world of music and art.
As Pankaj Udhas celebrates his 60th birthday today we take a look at some of his most popular songs.
Chitthi Aayi Hai: This track from Sanjay Dutt, Nutan, Amrita Singh starrer movie Naam (1986) was a huge hit.
Na Kajre Ki Dhar: People still remember this melody from the 1994 release Mohra sung by Pankaj and Sadhna Sargam.
Chandi Jaisa Rang: Another gem of a song by Pankaj.
Ahista: This is a song that people still remember from the 2008 album Stolen Moments.
Chupke Chupke Sakhiyon Se: This song is from the album Mehak by Pankaj Udhas.
The album was released in 1999.
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