Pankaj Udhas

Author: Dr. Mandar V. Bichu

The famous ghazal singer Pankaj Udhas was enjoying a quiet getaway amidst his hectic global schedule at his friend's sprawling villa in Jumeirah, Dubai, where I met him for an interview. Suave, sophisticated and articulate, Pankaj was a pleasure to talk to.

 

Excerpts from the interview:

 

Pankaj Udhas

 

What do you feel about the global appeal of your music?

 

I really feel humbled by all the affection showered upon me by my fans all over the world. I think, one reason why my music has appealed to such a wide audience is that my songs have always spoken the common man's language and that's why every listener relates to the emotional content of my music.

Another thing is I have also made a conscious effort to take my music to them. I remember that in the early days, I had to fight with the authorities at Doordarshan to convince them to air my music.

 

Why did you choose to become a ghazal singer, when the genre was not so popular?

 

Sometimes while looking back, I also wonder how I took that decision at such a young age, when ghazal singing was not a wise professional choice and every singer tried to be a playback singer. Yet, I did it out of my passion. Syed Mirza sahab, an elderly Maulavi used to come to teach Urdu to my elder brother Manhar, who was then just getting established as a playback singer. From Mirza sahab, I heard the fascinating Urdu poetry of great poets like Mir and Ghalib for the first time.

 

Wasn't there a Pakistani influence on your ghazal singing?

 

I was influenced a lot by Mehdi Hassan. In 1977, I met him in London and stayed with him for more than a month. He became very fond of me and was really surprised to know about my passion for his music. I learnt a lot about nuances of ghazal singing by listening to his ghazals.

 

Why was there a ghazal boom in 1980s and why has it simmered down?

 

Action-oriented films left no scope for good music in the 1980s and ghazals with their melodic and lyrical content became a viable alternative. Later as the satellite channels brought in the MTV influence, pop and remixes reigned for a while. But good artists have always survived through all such musical transition.

 

What do you think about the invasion of techno-sound in music? Didn't you try your hand at it once?

 

I think this gradual deterioration in music with computers replacing acoustic instruments, is happening all over the world. Yes, I too tried to bring in that modern sound in one of my albums. It did well commercially but I soon realised that it was not my forte.

 

How did Chitthi Aayi Hai, the unofficial expatriate anthem, happen?

 

I would tell you how it almost did not happen! Rajendra Kumar, who was producing Naam wanted me to sing this song on screen. Somehow I was conveyed the message that he wanted me to act in the film and for that I was not ready.

I thought what I was going to do in a minor film role when already my singing career had taken off. So I kept on avoiding Rajendra Kumar's calls. So annoyed was he, that he called up my elder brother Manhar and blasted him for my 'arrogance' but later when I told him what was on my mind, he just laughed aloud and said, "Pankaj, I don't want you as an actor. You will just appear on screen singing your song!"

 

What are your future projects?

2005 will be my 25th year in the music industry and to celebrate that I will be doing many special concerts all over the world.

I have also written my autobiography, which will be released as a part of the silver

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