MUMBAI: Soulful soothing melodies coupled with heartwarming lyrics, is what ghazals are known for and when we talk about this genre, one name that immediately pops up is Pankaj Udhas. Famous for his soothing voice, Udhas has been one of the torch bearers for the genre, especially after Jagjit Singh passed away. With Bollywood rarely adding the genre to film music, ghazal singers are facing a tough time. However, a few platforms have also helped them gain recognition.

Commenting on Bollywood music the veteran singer said, “Today Bollywood uses only one pick up line like 'Chaar Bottle Vodka', ‘One Bottle down’, and the whole song does not make sense. The lyrics, melodies almost sound the same and the quality of music has gone down. This is primarily because music in films is used only for marketing purposes. After the producer gets a good collection at the box office for the first few days, he is not bothered about what happens to the music.”

Udhas feels fortunate to belong to an era where good music was something that was important, though a new comer had to struggle. According to him the trend that ghazals, as a genre, is attracting only those in the age group of 40 plus is changing rapidly. “It is unbelievable that in the last couple of years, we see a lot of youngsters making way to ghazal concerts and the trend is changing. This is not just in India, but also abroad, so we can say that there is a thirst for good music,” he explained.

Talking about the indie scene in India, he said that considering the state of Bollywood music, there is a need for something that has better music. “If you see the number of bands and the indie artistes that are coming up you will definitely come to a conclusion that there is no paucity of talent in India. Also it is obvious that not everyone wishes to join Bollywood. The difficulty for indie artistes is that he or she can go on struggling but no one might even take a notice of it. But now, with the growth of digital space, these artistes have come into the limelight.”

When asked if he has found his successor to take the ghazal genre to the next level he replied, “There are a lot of youngsters who have already decided to become ghazal singers. Through the program ‘Khazana Festival of Ghazals’, we promote them. Singers like Pooja Gaitonde are doing very well.”

Udhas will soon release a single through a digital platform.