Recalling when Pankaj Udhas was nervous about returning to stage post-COVID-19 pandemic
Pankaj Udhas once recalled how he felt the first time he took the stage again after the COVID-19 pandemic had lasted for two years.
FollowOn February 26, 2024, legendary singer Pankaj Udhas passed away at Candy Hospital in Mumbai at the age of 72. He started his career in the 1980s and earned success as a ghazal singer. Despite being in the music industry for more than two decades, do you know he was nervous going back to the stage after the COVID-19 pandemic?
Pankaj Udhas was nervous about performing post-COVID-19 pandemic
Pankaj Udhas said, "I used to have a lot of confidence before any show, before the pandemic. However, the pandemic era was difficult—even mentally. There wasn't much exposure to the stage and audience, even though I attempted to stay up to date and not get rusted while performing my riyaaz regularly. I was therefore quite anxious to perform on stage for the first time in two years at a performance in Rampur, Uttar Pradesh. However, I was crying when I stepped up on stage and saw 6,000 people supporting me. I had been denied the stage for a very long time, so it was an extremely emotional event."
The late singer said that when he was not performing, he likened himself to a fish without water. He had spent his entire life as a performing artist, with the past two years being the most difficult. Ever before the pandemic broke out, Pankaj had been giving back-to-back concerts in India and outside.
Also read: Pankaj Udhas love story: When the late singer experienced love at first sight with wife Farida
About Pankaj Udhas
Indian playback and ghazal singer Pankaj Udhas is well-known for his contributions to Indian pop and Hindi films. In 1980, the ghazal album Aahat marked the beginning of his career. He went on to record several songs, including Mukarar in 1981, Tarrannum in 1982, Mehfil in 1983, Pankaj Udhas Live at Royal Albert Hall in 1984, Nayaab in 1985, and Aafreen in 1986.
Following his ghazal singing career, he received an invitation to sing in Mahesh Bhatt's film Naam. Udhas gained more notoriety for his singing in the 1986 movie Naam, when his song 'Chitthi Aayee Hai' shot to the top of the charts. India's fourth-highest civilian honor, the Padma Shri, was given to Pankaj Udhas in 2006.
