Pankaj Udhas died on Sunday, February 25. His family shared the devastating news on Monday, February 26. While the family said that he died of prolonged illness, singer Anup Jalota revealed that the Ghazal icon was battling cancer before his death. In a new interview, Anup said Pankaj was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and was getting treatment for it for the past two to three months.
“People have lost Pankaj Udhas, but I have lost a very dear friend today. We were friends for 45 years. We used to spend beautiful evenings together. In those days, Pankaj, me, and Talat Aziz were famous. We would work together,” Anup Jalota said, speaking with The Indian Express.
“The man who helped so many cancer patients, himself died of cancer. That is life. He had pancreatic cancer. I knew this for the last 5 to 6 months, and he stopped talking to me in the last 2-3 months, so I realized that his health was not okay. I feel very sad that this illness took his life,” he added.
The news of Pankaj Udhas’ death was shared by his family in a statement on Monday. The legendary singer was 72 years old. In a statement, they said, “With a very heavy heart, we are saddened to inform you of the sad demise of Padmashri Pankaj Udhar on February 26, 2024, due to a prolonged illness.” The family revealed that the funeral will take place on Tuesday, February 27, in Mumbai.
Pankaj Udhas was born on May 17, 1951, in Jetpur, Gujarat. He began his career by releasing a ghazal album named Aahat in 1980. Soon, he became synonym with ghazal music in India. In Bollywood, the ghazal singer sang the iconic track Chitthi Aayee Hai, for Sanjay Dutt’s film Naam. The film was directed by Mahesh Bhatt. The song became a rage and left everyone in tears. Pankaj released several albums and hosted many live concerts over the years which amplified his popularity. Pankaj Udhas was honoured with India’s fourth highest civilian award, the Padma Shri.
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