Ghazal maestro Pankaj Udhas pays heartfelt tribute to the doyen of Hindustani classical music, Pandit Jasraj
As told to Sonia Lulla (MID-DAY; August 18, 2020)

My first interaction with him was in the mid-'70s, when I was struggling to find my feet. After that, I met him frequently. He was full of love and blessings, and always motivated people. My most recent memory of him is from this February: The sons of famous qawwali duo Shankar-Shambhu hold an annual felicitation event, the Shankar-Shambhu Awards, where they honour a musician of high calibre. This year, they gave the award to Pandit Jasraj ji. At the age of 90, here was a man who was so alert. He held my hand as we made our way to the stage, and for the entire duration that I spoke about him, and his speech that followed, he didn't let go of my hand.

I won't forget how he expressed his love for me.

He was the doyen of classical singing. Indian classical vocalists feel orphaned today. Artistes like him are not born anymore. At 90, he had the same dedication for music that he did 50 years ago. He dedicated himself to the upliftment of the genre.

I had worked on an album with Sadhana Sargam, who was Pandit ji's student. I recall [being mesmerised] as soon as she began singing. I told her she was fortunate to have learnt from him, and that I wish I too had a chance to be his student. His [superior] method of teaching is evident in the success of his disciples. [He was a great teacher] because he had an understanding of Indian classical music, and was well-versed with our scriptures and Vedas. Hence, he knew the techniques of classical singing, which also involves voice culture. The technique includes voice modulation, breath-control and the perfect pronunciation. If you've worked with Pandit ji, you are likely to be well-versed with ragas. Only someone who is familiar with them can do justice to them. We will miss his presence, but his music will live on in the hearts [of his fans].

Singer Pankaj Udhas, who completed 40 years in the industry, reminds us that Ghazals — the genre he pioneered — should go through a revival
Sanskrita Bharadwaj (HINDUSTAN TIMES; March 22, 2020)

As a young girl growing up in the ’90s, it would be an anomaly if you didn’t gush over John Abraham in Pankaj Udhas’ music video for Chupke Chupke, or if you didn’t empathise with Sameera Reddy’s in Aur Ahista. Udhas, in the Indian context, is a Ghazal singer beyond recognition. Not only a prolific singer, he had a certain flair for coming up with romantic and mushy, yet unusual videos for all his songs.

This year, the maestro has marked 40 years in the industry. A feat, he says, he’s proud of as he never thought he could be “popular”. “My passion for this form of music is absolutely pure. Even today, I never get tired of the genre. I genuinely believe that it is my passion and hard work which has paid off,” he adds.

Back in the day
The singer, who comes from a family where everyone was into music in some way or the other, says, “My father used to play an instrument called the dilruba. It is closer to a sarangi and he played it like a hobby. I have two elder brothers — Manhar and Nirmal Udhas. They’re both well-known singers. Manhar has sung quite a few popular film songs. I am the youngest of the three, so, I grew up learning a lot from them. I took it up from there, and then, internally decided that I wanted to sing. I completed my school and college education. The point is that I grew up in an era, where there were only two music labels available and to get a deal with them was like winning an Oscar. You had to really prove yourself. I was lucky to be able to record a film song at only 20 years of age, for a film called Kaamna (1972), the music for which was composed by Usha Khanna. I sang a nazam; it was a beautiful one. After that, I struggled hard to get a break.”

He admits that at one point he had plans of “giving up”. “I felt I should look for an alternate vocation in life, because it was not working out. I took a break and went away to Canada for some time. I thought of making a living there. You wouldn’t believe… within three to four days of my arrival in Canada, I ended up singing. I did many concerts there. I realised two things. Firstly, I could hold an audience of 600 to 700 people for three hours by singing Ghazals. Secondly, I gathered tremendous confidence about being able to entertain people,” he elaborates.

The market in Canada, Udhas says, was limited and he knew his future and destiny lay in India. So, he packed his bags and came back.

Udhas grew up in the era of the radio. For him, there were no other means of listening to music. “We had a radio at home that kept playing most of the time. Two singers who really inspired me were Begum Akhtar and Lata Mangeshkar,” he says.

Four decades
The singer, who lent his voice to cult songs like Chitthi Aayi Hai (Naam; 1986), has performed all across the world and has also made an impact in Bollywood and Indie music through his songs. He is witness to the change that music has gone through, especially in India, over the years.

“The business model of music has changed tremendously since I started my career in 1980. Back then, it was a brick and mortar business of CDs and cassettes. Although it was difficult to 'make it big', if you were good, 60,000 cassettes could be sold out within five days of the song being out. The revenue generated also went on in promoting and giving a space to new artistes. But, today, we have reached a point in the music business where not enough revenues are made. If you do a single or an album, you put it on iTunes. But India is still not ready to use a credit card and purchase music online. There are online payment options, but at the grassroots, buyers are still not using it,” Udhas explains.

Will times change?
There is a known concept, Udhas says, that television does not work anymore. “I feel it still does. It is very effective. Television drove my music videos as well. The other important elements are various social media apps, where you create your channel and try to make a base. Bollywood, of course, is still big,” he says.

According to Udhas, YouTube needs to be used more effectively. “I have my own channel and I have more than 1,00,000 subscribers as of now. I was a little late and a little slow on it, but what I have tried to develop is a certain side of my personality. I think there should be informative programmes about Ghazal singers and Ghazals. That could be a way to keep the genre alive,” the singer signs off.