Ghazal legend Pankaj Udhas was a proud Mumbaikar: 'I take it personally when someone talks ill of the city'

Mumbai is a city that singer Pankaj Udhas took pride in and saluted wholeheartedly for its resilience

Ghazal legend Pankaj Udhas breathed his last on Monday. Mumbai is a city that Pankaj Udhas took pride in and saluted wholeheartedly for its resilience for having come out on top in spite of many setbacks. Once, the ghazal maestro took a stroll along Kala Ghoda and talked about his album that was dedicated to Mumbai.

Pankaj Udhas on Mumbai

I take it personally when someone talks ill of Mumbai. It hurts to see the roads in such a bad condition and dirt everywhere. Yes, almost all the metropolitan cities of the world today are over populated. But what Mumbai really needs are a few open spaces. On Sunday evenings, you see families trying to find a place to relax. They find none and end up at Girgaum Chowpatty or Gateway Of India. We should look into building some sea-facing promenades for the middle class families that form a large part of the city.

City hangouts

Gateway of India has been my haunt back in college days. My friends and I would sit on the stonewalls bordering the sea and watch young boys jump into the sea during hot summers. Another place I frequented was this coffee shop at Warden Road. I used to stay in the vicinity with my parents and brothers. It was an upbeat area back then. It was called 'scandal point' because a lot of couples would hang around there (chuckles). And the only discotheque in Mumbai was Blow Up at the Taj. Believe it or not, I loved to shake a leg there.

Best known for 'Chitthi Ayee Hai' and 'Aur Ahista Kijiye Baatein', Udhas died in Mumbai on Monday following prolonged illness, his daughter Nayab said. He was 72.
Udhas -- who also made a mark as a playback singer in several Hindi films, including 'Naam', 'Saajan' and 'Mohra' -- died around 11 am at the Breach Candy hospital, a family source said. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, singer Sonu Nigam, composer Shankar Mahadevan paid tribute to the legend, as fans mourned the loss of an icon of Indian music.

"Exciting news! Mid-day is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!