Old-world charm

Veteran ghazal singer Pankaj Udhas likes to keep his space traditional and still uses his 20-year-old walkman

The deafening silence of the room in which Pankaj Udhas does his riyaz is a bewildering contrast to the cacophony of the throroughfare on Mumbai8217;s Peddar Road, where the ghazal singer8217;s bungalow is located.

The room is incredibly old-fashioned and minimalist, what with the Sony walkman making its presence felt as the lone recording instrument. 8220;I record my compositions on tape and listen to them on the walkman which I bought 20 years ago,8221; says the singer.
The walls celebrate Udhas8217; glorious days. Two collages of frames of the singer with SD Burman, Amitabh Bachchan, Naushad, Lata Mangeshkar and Amjad Ali Khan adorn two walls facing each other. A stand-alone picture of the Beatles without Udhas in the frame is a diversion though. 8220;I grew up listening to their songs. They swept the music world during my youth,8221; he says.

Udhas swept the ghazal scene in the Eighties, evident in the framed collages of the covers of his golden and platinum albums 8212; Afreen, Naam, Tarrannum, Music India Legends and The Best of Pankaj Udhas series. A flattering list, just as the myriad awards, citations and honours that rest inside a floor-to-ceiling glass almirah. The only scroll missing there is the Padmashri that he received in 2006. That8217;s displayed in the drawing room.
8220;Motivation is great, but I don8217;t thrive on it,8221; Udhas clarifies, as he sits down for riyaz. 8220;I practise for an hour and a half daily. It keeps the vocal chords fit for singing,8221; he says.

Udhas composes everyday irrespective of whether or not he8217;ll use the song in an album. 8220;This is an art, not a 9-5 job that can be done within finite hours,8221; he says, seated comfortably on the wooden floor sans any mattress or carpet, strumming on his harmonium, ensconced by three sets of tablas and sitars. 8220;Wood works well for tabla as it loses its resonance if played on a mattress,8221; he says.
The studio can accommodate seven musicians and one poet. 8220;Some work on their poems alone and give me the final versions. Others like Mumtaz Rashid sit with me to decide the words,8221; he signs off.