Anu Malik’s first hit song, Kitaben Bahut Si (Baazigar; 1993), was originally sung by Pankaj Udhas. While the makers ultimately decided to go with singer Vinod Rathod’s version, the composer maintains that the late ghazal maestro was his first choice.

“I had chosen Pankaj ji for Kitabein. I asked him, ‘Sir aap gaaoge?’ and he very sweetly agreed. When I played it, he said, ‘The lyrics are by Zafar Gorakhpuri (poet), how did you turn a ghazal into a commercial song?’ I was taken aback by the compliment. He gave me a hug and said I would go places,” recalls the musician. “He was a star then, and he was a star when he died,” says Malik.

Having worked closely with the ghazal legend, Malik is yet to come to terms with the loss. He says, “I am anguished just like everyone else. 72 is too early an age to go.”

The humility and honesty with which Udhas operated reflected in his music. Ask the 63-year-old how the singer reacted when Rathod’s version was picked for Baazigar, and he says, “I had told him, ‘Pankaj ji, main ek album kar raha hoon because I have no work. If the song is picked for the film, a different voice will be used. He simply said, ‘Kya farak padta hai?’ He was completely okay with it.”

Calling Udhas “soft-spoken like late Mohammed Rafi sahab”, the composer adds that the music legend was open to singing any kind of song: “I think he was the only ghazal singer who never threw a tantrum ki yeh gaana gaaun ki nahin. Many singers just refuse to sing a track if it doesn’t fit their format. But, Pankaj ji could sing any song well.”