Raja sir’s work is unparalleled: Pankaj Udhas

“Every single stage feels like a new musical challenge for me, it excites me. The challenge is to get every single one in the audience to enjoy the show,” he adds. 

The singer, who immortalised songs like Chithi aayi hai, Chandi jaisa rang hai tera and Aur ahista , says Chennai, being the city where he performed his first solo performance, holds a special place. A fan of Tamil film music of the 60s and 70s, he considers Ilayaraja’s compositions works of pure genius and unparalleled. 

“I am more of an old school kind of person. I really like Ilayaraja sir’s music and Rahman’s old music. My favourite Tamil song is Kanne kalaimane… sung by SPB.” Pankaj Udhas is one of the few singers who evolved to accommodate the music industry’s digital shift. 

“The shift to digital was a necessity, but I miss those old days. Physical records were more laborious, but we gained so much in the form of revenue and audience. I think the digital medium is less personal and less favourable in terms of revenue as well. But the current generation is using technology to great advantage. Auto tunes are an example. They have made it easier and a lot more convenient to create music,” he explains. 

Is he worried about the dearth of ghazals in Bollywood films? “Ghazal has been a traditional genre of music always. Movies have their own different needs. I feel it’s the music director’s wish and the script’s demand that determines a film’s music. 

So, I don’t think film music sensibilities affect ghazals,” he asserts. Referring to his upcoming projects he says, “I recently performed a ghazal symphony at Shasnmuka Nandam Hall in Mumbai. We are working on releasing the performance as a DVD now.”