For three decades, maestro Pankaj Udhas has been bringing the ghazal to life and elevating poetry. This evening, he commemorates 35 years of his musical journey with Ek Ehsaas, a live concert.
Through his time as a musician, the singer has also been closely involved with the Parent’s Association Thalassemic Unit Trust (PATUT), and proceeds from this evening’s concert will go towards the charity.
Founded by social worker Leela Moolgaokar, the non-profit works towards improving the lives of those afflicted with the blood disorder. “I was approached by Moolgaokar ji to do a fundraiser for PATUT in 1987,” Mr. Udhas recalls. “After realising how expensive the treatment for thalassemia is I decided to waive my fee.”
This evening, the singer will perform his classics like Chitthi ayi hai, Chandi jaisa rang hai tera, Chupke chupke and Jiye toh jiye kaise .
“Besides having a concert in June each year, we have also been organising a ghazal festival called Khazana for the past 16 years,” says Udhas. The two-day event, which claims to to be the only ghazal festival in the country, sees some of the most prominent musicians showcase their talent.
The ghazal has evolved significantly over time. Performances by artistes like Mehdi Hasan and Begum Akhtar saw the use of simple instruments like the tabla , harmonium and sarangi .
“Today, the sound packaging has changed,” explains Udhas. “With multi-tracks, we can play more instruments at once. Hence, the current sound of ghazal is different, more contemporary”, he says. But this adaptation hasn’t helped revive the art form’s popularity.
Udhas believes the explosion of Bollywood music in recent years has had a huge effect on Indian rock, pop, ghazal, folk and qawwali.
“All music today is an extension of Bollywood. Be it television or radio, they almost only play music from the Hindi film industry,” he says, adding even audio labels refuse to promote other genres. “This is the biggest negative for music in the country.”
Nothing compares to the ghazal’s ability to merge poetry and melody. And this is perhaps the reason why it will always have loyal fans, even if the numbers are decreasing.
Udhas is set to release his new album in July. “It has been an exhilarating journey. Very rarely does an artist get the opportunity to do what he loves for over 35 years. I look forward to many more,” he says.
Ek Ehsaas, by Pankaj Udhas, at The Nehru Centre, Mumbai this evening 7 pm. Tickets from Rs. 400 to Rs. 1,250
The writer is an intern with The Hindu
