Curated By: Chirag Sehgal
Last Updated: February 27, 2024, 15:45 IST
Vidya Balan attends Pankaj Udhas’ funeral. (Photos: Viral Bhayani and Sneh Zala)
Pankaj Udhas’ funeral took place on Tuesday. Besides Vidya Balan, several other celebrities including Zakir Hussain and Shankar Mahadevan were also seen offering tributes for the singer.
Vidya Balan was forced for a selfie by a fan when she visited Pankaj Udhas’ residence on Tuesday afternoon to pay her last respects to the ghazal maestro. In a shocking video that surfaced on social media, Vidya was seen arriving at Udhas’ residence when a fan rushed towards her and insisted for a selfie. Even though the actress team did not allow the man to take a selfie, he insisted for a picture. However, Vidya maintained her calm and did not respond to the fan.
Pankaj Udhas’ funeral took place on Tuesday. Besides Vidya, several other celebrities including Zakir Hussain and Shankar Mahadevan were also seen offering tributes for the singer. In some of the videos that surfaced online, Udhas’ wife and daughter were also seen crying inconsolably.
Pankaj Udhas passed away on February 26 in Mumbai after a ‘prolonged illness’. In a statement issued to the press, the family 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.”
Later, singer Anup Jalota revealed that Pankaj was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and had been battling the same for the last two to three months. “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 told The Indian Express.
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 synonymous with ghazal music in India. In Bollywood, the ghazal singer sang the iconic track Chitthi Aayee Hai, for Sanjay Dutt’s film Naam. 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.
Rest in peace, Pankaj Udhas!
