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Pankaj Udhas: Passionate Professional By Nitin Kalra Pankaj Udhas needs no introduction. The man deserves the credit for making ghazals popular at a time when it was losing its hold over the masses. And today amidst the cacophony of fast and pop music he has proved, that ghazals still charms music lovers the world over. Born into a family of zamindars, Pankaj grew up in Rajkot a place known for its rich folk music. With his elder brother Manhar Udhas already into stage performances, young Pankaj needed no initiation into the world of music. Even before he was five, Pankaj became conscious of his singing skills. Pankaj gave his first performance on stage when he was eight in the year 1962 when the Indo-Chinese war was on. Pankaj’s rendering of the song Ae Mere Watan Ke Logon in front of a huge crowd won him applaud and his first prize money of Rs. 51. This was enough for young Pankaj making up his mind to take up music full time. As a result of his strong determination to pursue a successful music career, four years hence Pankaj joined the Sangeet Natya Academy in Rajkot and learnt the nuances of playing the Tabla. Later he moved on to Mumbai to pursue a Degree in Science from St. Xavier’s College, where he enthralled audiences at each and every inter-college and other open singing competitions, thanks to his immense singing prowess. Pankaj got his first break as a playback singer in a film called Kamna way back in 1972, which unfortunately never saw the light of the day. The film didn’t help him to get the beginning he was looking for and disappointed was he searching for proper break in film industry, when he heard big brother Manhar’s Urdu teacher listen to Mehndi Hasan and Begum Akhtar. So much was Pankaj attracted towards this form of music that he went on to learn Urdu to be able to grasp the depth of ghazals. Pankaj Udhas had found his destiny. Four years down the line struggling with ghazals Pankaj got no returns. Frustrated and discouraged from all sides he migrated to Canada and did a lot of ghazal shows there and in the US at small gatherings. The response enthused him and he decided to return home with much stronger will to make a mark in ghazals itself. Playback was out of the way for him now. From his first ghazal album Aahat to his latest albums Janeman and Humsafar Pankaj has released over 37 albums with countless number of compilations. And as ghazals were happening he also got recognition in films with the ever popular Chitthi Aayee Hai from Naam bringing tears to every music lovers eyes with the strong emotions the songs was sung. Pankaj Udhas was a star now. His film journey continued alongside his ghazal albums, as he went on to sing for several films thereafter, each time sounding better than the last. After making his mark in the field of ghazals, Pankaj has recently stepped into the world of entertainment business. Besides his own music label Velvet Voices, he has recently launched a company called Velvet Vision, which is into production of television serials, feature films and web sites. Pankaj Udhas is also very soon launching India’s biggest music portal Musik121.Com, his dream of using the strong medium of the web to reach the maximum of the world with every genre of Indian music on a single site. From those early childhood days as a singer on stage to the first ghazal album and then from the touching Chitthi Aayee Hai to his new role as Director of Velvet Vision, Pankaj Udhas has proved at every stage that he is not only a singer par excellence but a passionate professional, doing every possible thing to stay close to his first love - music. - Satyamonline |
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