Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Eminent ghazal maestro Pankaj Udhas who passed away on Monday had a long association with Bhopal. The 72-year-old singer had visited the city several times to perform. He used to consider singing ghazal a matter of pride in Bhopal, the city that is fond of Hindi and Urdu literature. He believed that this city has given many ghazal singers in both the languages. He came for the first time in 1985 on the invitation of Abhinav Kala Parishad.
Pt. Suresh Tanted, the founding director of the organisation said that at that time the organisation used to run a series named ‘ Kal ke Kalakar’. He was invited for the event, held at Rabindra Bhawan. Roop Kumar Rathore accompanied him on tabla. They presented many ghazals, but Ghunghru Toot Gaye was especially liked.
Udhas had also performed at a concert to mark Madhya Pradesh Foundation Day at Lal Parade Ground. “During this, he accepted that singing ghazals in this city was a matter of pride. The number of good ghazal writers here is equally good with the understanding of ghazals,” said art critic Vinay Upadhyay.
Udhas's last performance in Bhopal was at Kushabhau Thakre Auditorium (Minto Hall) on January 16, 2020. The event was organised in the memory of former Union Minister Madhavrao Scindia. Ghazal singer Zulfikar Ali said that he once met him in Mumbai. He was a very nice and soft hearted person.
He gets the credit for making ghazals popular among the common people. “I have also sung his ghazals in many concerts,” he said. “I didn’t meet him but attended his live concert at Ravindra Bhawan. It was memorable. He was in the school of Ghazal Gayaki.
We have grown up listening to him. He used to sing his own songs,” ghazal singer and tabla player Ustad Salim Allahwale, adding that “Ghazal ka ek yug khatam ho gaya…’. An event manager Hari Om Jatia said that various concerts of Pankaj Udhas were here in Bhopal. “I met him. He loved to perform in the city. He used to say that the audiences have good knowledge of music and Urdu,” Jatia added.
