Even though ghazal meastro Pankaj Udhas has completed 40 years in the music industry, he says it doesn’t feel like it. “God is kind that I find something new and exciting everyday,” says the singer, who has given hits such as Chitthi Aayee Hai (Naam; 1986) and Aur Ahista.

Udhas, who had come to Mumbai from Rajkot (Gujarat) as a young boy, to become a musician, says that the journey has been quite fulfilling. “It has been a straight graph, I have had a very eventful and satisfying journey. From a very young age, I took up after this particular form of music which is ghazals, and I think because of my tremendous passion, I always wanted to do what was my forte, and therefore, it is even more interesting that I have survived in this field for 40 years singing ghazals. And I am still very much there in the sense that people still do listen to me, and I still have sold out concerts,” says Udhas.

The Padma Shri winner adds that he has constantly been reinventing himself and his music. And he says that the music industry has such a huge range that one end of the spectrum may not be familiar with ghazals at all.

“Even though the common belief is that people do not listen to ghazals at all, but since the advent of social media, I have realised that the number of people who listen to ghazals is unbelievable. I have never made any bones about it but we all know that in India, there is nothing more popular than Bollywood and cricket. And in the field of entertainment, no one has ever come anywhere close to Bollywood, and that has been the case for years. So, we have to accept it with a pinch of salt or sugar. Cinema music has always prevailed but ghazals have been part of our very old tradition. And you have to accept the fact that a style of music, which has been around for 400 years, must have something to offer otherwise, it could not have been around for so long,” says Udhas.

The singer adds that he feels elated when he sees youngsters on social media singing covers of his popular ghazals.

“This genre has its own charm and attraction. In my 40 years of career, I have seen times when ghazals used to top every chart, and I have also seen times post 2000s when people barely listened to this genre. So, I have seen both the extremes, but now again, in 2020, there is a vast audience for this form of music because somewhere, Bollywood music has faltered. Bollywood music which was always known for its melody and poetry has somehow taken a back-seat because somehow, the element of good poetry and good melody is missing. Most of the music that we listen to today, is not up to the mark. I am sorry to say but ghazals have always been a second choice, but I am happy that at least, it is a second choice so that when the whole world gets tired of listening to Bollywood, they can resort to this genre,” concludes Udhas.