Rekha Bhardwaj mourns demise of Ghazal maestro Pankaj Udhas

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], February 27 : Singer Rekha Bhardwaj has mourned the demise of Ghazal mastero Pankaj Udhas and called it a "personal loss".
She told ANI, "It is a personal loss for us. We had a very long association with him through Khazana (Ghazal festival). Apart from the songs, we could witness his patience and wisdom..."
Earlier renowned devotional singer Anup Jalota recalled his close bond with the late ghazal maestro Pankaj Udhas and said, "I have lost my friend."
While talking to ANI, Jalota said, "People have lost Pankaj Udhas, lost a great Ghazal singer. I have lost my friend. The trio of Pankaj (Udhas), Talat (Aziz), and me was very famous. We did a lot of concerts together. I am very sad about the demise of Pankaj Udhas. He took Ghazal to every household and made a place for himself in people's hearts. It was a great contribution and can never be forgotten."
He added, "I had met him 4 to 5 months ago. He was very weak. He had lost weight. I was looking forward to meeting him. I could not meet him for 2 to 3 months. This is very sad news. We also started the Khazana Ghazal festival to give a platform to young artists. We wanted to introduce the emerging ghazal singers. We wanted ghazal to be alive in the hearts of people and Pankaj Udhas also wanted the same."
The last rites of the Ghazal maestro Pankaj Udhas were performed with full state honours in Mumbai on Tuesday.
Udhas breathed his last on February 26. He was 72. The final journey of the Pankaj Udhas began with a tribute performance by a band. The hearse, decked with white flowers, was paraded through the streets. His mortal remains were covered with the National Flag as part of his final rites.
Ahead of the funeral of Pankaj Udhas, several celebrities arrived at his residence in Mumbai to pay their condolences to the bereaved family.
Musicians Shankar Mahadevan and Ustad Zakir Hussain, former cricketer Sunil Gavaskar and actor Vidya Balan among others were spotted at the house of the singer to pay their last respects.
While talking to media Gavaskar said, "It is very sad that such a great artiste of the world of music is no longer with us. May his soul rest in peace."
A Padma Shri recipient, Pankaj Udhas passed away on Monday at the age of 72.
Pankaj Udhas' daughter Nayaab shared a statement on Instagram. "With a very heavy heart, we are saddened to inform you of the sad demise of Padmashri Pankaj Udhas on 26th February 2024 due to a prolonged illness," it said.
Pankaj Udhas was born on May 17, 1951, in Jetpur, Gujarat. In addition to ghazals, he was well-known for his film work. In 1980, he gained widespread popularity for his solo ghazal album 'Aahat'. Later, he recorded other successes, including Mukarar (1981), Tarrannum (1982), Mehfil (1983), and many more.
Some of his popular renditions are 'Chitthi Aayi Hai', 'Chandani Raat Mein', 'Na Kajre Ki Dhaar', 'Aur Ahista Kijiye Baatein', 'Ek Taraf Uska Ghar' and 'Thodi Thodi Piya Karo'.
After learning about the singer's demise fans and members of the music and film industry paid emotional and touching tributes to him on social media.
Singer Shankar Mahadevan took to Instagram and shared a post that he captioned, "Just cannot digest this !! Am devastated .. A huge loss to our musical fraternity. What an amazing gentle soul he was .. will miss you pankaj ji ! May his soul rest in peace."