Pankaj Udhas: Feels like I am back home

As soon as the name of Pankaj Udhas comes to mind, the name of liquor starts coming to mind. No no, it is not that Pankaj likes alcohol very much, even though he has sung very few ghazals on alcohol and that has become the most popular. Isn't it strange? Perhaps these ghazals sung on alcohol have more charm. To interview Pankaj Udhas, I reached his flat on Carmichael Road.

‘The era of ghazals has come once again which had ended during action films…’ I told Pankaj Udhas.

Romance became the ‘theme song during ‘Maine Pyar Kiya’. Every producer started making musical films based on the romance of young boys. And started demanding heavy royalties from record companies. But due to some films flopping, people got tired of hearing the same faces and the same voices. Even the compositions started becoming similar. The same tune started appearing in every new song. The songs of ‘Dil Hai Ki Manta Nahi’ and ‘Sapne Saajan Ke’ were so similar that they became ‘cliché’. Therefore the era of ghazals has returned.

‘How do you feel now that the phase is back?’

'Very good. It feels like I am back home. In 1971, my brothers (me, Nirmal, and Manhar Udhas) did a very successful concert. But then later we separated professionally. Manhar went on to become a 'playback' singer, and Nirmal had his career. And now once again all three of us are together. This also happened when the era of ghazal came back.

 ‘How did you start your Ghazal career?’

'Whatever I am today is because of Mehndi Hasan because his voice and his style forced me to become a singer. Especially ghazal. There was a time when Lata Mangeshkar wanted to take ghazals very easily. The era of SD Burman, Mukesh, Madan Mohan, Roshan, and Rafi was over.

The era of Amitabh Bachchan and his action films had come. Music was forgotten.

'Why can't Ghazal reach to the common man?'

 ‘The above things were a reason. I also felt the need to convey the popularity of ghazals and the importance of ghazals to the common man. For this, I made the language simpler and kept the tune 'catchy'. So that it comes on everyone's lips. I started trying to take my concerts to most of the common people. Ghazals were born in silence. Along with ghazals, bhajans, and songs also became popular, and a parallel music industry was born.

In a successful project, where there were flowers, there were also bad things. This happens with every great person. Many journalists criticized my work. But I forgot them when Mehndi Hassan himself praised me. Suddenly everyone developed a hobby of listening to Ghazals again to become a ghazal singer. Ghazals started playing in every hotel, every restaurant, and every wedding. There was a lot of competition, and so-called ghazal singers started paying huge bribes to record companies. To release their respective albums. And just as we thought the good times would last forever. ‘Maine Pyar Kiya’ came and the trend changed overnight. Film music had returned...'

'What are you doing now?'

‘I have opened my own music company, the name is ‘Velvet’ and I am busy with it day and night.’

 

-Chanda Tandon

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