The entertainment industry is in mourning following the loss of Pankaj Udhas, the voice that touched millions with his soul-stirring ghazals. Actor Anupam Kher, a contemporary and admirer of Udhas, took to social media this week, sharing his heartfelt tributes and personal anecdotes in a video that encapsulated the somber mood of many.
“Pankaj Udhas ji. Why do some people leave like this?” Kher began, his words heavy with emotion. He proceeded to reflect on the nature of relationships with those whose presence seems intermittent yet indelible. For Kher, Pankaj Udhas was such a figure—a personality rarely met but always leaving a resplendent memory trail. The actor was confronted with this harsh reality upon learning of Udhas’s passing, a revelation that enveloped him in a montage of cherished interactions.
Kher delineated the persona of Pankaj Udhas with fondness, describing him as a wonderful individual ever-gentle in his speech, brimming with love, and perpetually seen with a smile that seemed to be a permanent fixture. To Anupam Kher, the smile of Pankaj Udhas was more than a simple facial expression—it was an emblem of the man’s benign spirit and an iconography in itself.
Kher’s narrative then intertwined with a musical homage as he mentioned ‘Cchitthi Aayi Hai,’ a poignant track synonymous with Udhas’s vocal prowess. “’Ab cchitthi nahi aayegi,’ I’ve listened to this song from him many times,” lamented Kher—highlighting that no new letters in the form of songs would be forthcoming; the silence in the wake of the singer’s voice now amplified. Kher reminisced about the moments shared, chance encounters on flights to America, not scheduled but serendipitous, which yielded tender conversations and deepened his respect for the gentle and good-hearted soul that was Udhas.
As he continued to express his sorrow, Kher shared an intimate aspect of how Udhas’s departure was not merely the loss of a legend but was personal. The void felt was akin to solitude, as one by one contemporaries and loved ones recede into the horizon. Each departure from the artistic fraternity is a sorrowful event, but the passing of some create a chasm that reverberates through the hearts of those left behind.
In a touching reflection on the continuity beyond the confines of the earthly realm, Kher envisioned Udhas in the company of other departed souls, including his father and the beloved actor and director Satish Kaushik, regaling them with his melodious ghazals in the afterlife. “Now you will perform for the people in heaven…” Kher said, suggesting a continuum where art transcends life and death.
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As the screen fades on the piece to camera, the sentiments vocalized by Anupam Kher resonate deeply with fans, friends, and family of Pankaj Udhas. In paying this homage, Kher not only memorialized a beloved singer but immortalized the essence of a man who, through his music and gentle nature, will continue to smile in the collective memory of those who admired and cherished him.
