Pankaj Udhas funeral: Zakir Hussain, Shankar Mahadevan pay last respects

Shankar Mahadevan, Zakir Hussain arrive for Pankaj Udhas`s last rites (Pics/ANI)

Legendary ghazal maestro Pankaj Udhas passed away on Monday, February 26 following prolonged illness. His last rites will be held today at his residence in Mumbai. Ahead of the funeral, several celebrities arrived to pay their condolences to the bereaved family.

Musicians Shankar Mahadevan and Ustad Zakir Hussain were spotted arriving at the house of the singer. Recalling the Ghazal maestro, Mahadevan told to the media, "He had a positive approach towards everything in life. May God give his family abundant strength to bear this big loss. I am in a state of shock."

A Padma Shri recipient, Pankaj Udhas passed away on Monday at the age of 72. The news of his demise was confirmed by his family via a statement. "With profound sadness, we inform you of the passing of Padmashri Pankaj Udhas on February 26th due to a prolonged illness. -- The Udhas Family," the statement read.

Pankaj Udhas was born on May 17, 1951, in Jetpur, Gujarat. In addition to ghazals, he was well-known for his film work. In 1980, he gained widespread popularity for his solo ghazal album 'Aahat'. Later, he recorded other successes, including Mukarar (1981), Tarrannum (1982), Mehfil (1983), and many more. Some of his popular renditions are 'Chitthi Aayi Hai', 'Chandani Raat Mein', 'Na Kajre Ki Dhaar', 'Aur Ahista Kijiye Baatein', 'Ek Taraf Uska Ghar' and 'Thodi Thodi Piya Karo'.

Anu Malik, who has worked with Pankaj Udhas on several songs recalled him as a man of wit and humour. "He was a very witty, humourous person and he used to smile a lot. He would roll on the floor with laughter when we would talk. He wasn't like other ghazal singers who were picky. He would sing any song. He loved his music and was proud of his singing. He was a great human being and he made his place in the field of ghazal like no other. I would also like to add that the music world, ghazal world, and music lovers have lost a shining star. He loved his two daughters, loved his wife, and was really proud of the house he made. He would do a lot of shows but was very humble and never arrogant. He was sorted. He always had kind words for everyone and would never talk bad about anyone else. He would only talk about music," Malik told mid-day.com.