Latest Update: Renowned ghazal singer Pankaj Udhas passed away at the age of 72 earlier today. The singer died due to prolonged illness at Mumbai’s Breach Candy Hospital on February 26. Udhas was active for over four decades and sang some evergreen songs including Chitthi Aayee Hai and Chandi Jaisa Rang Hai Tera among others.

When Pankaj Udhas claimed Bollywood pays no attention to Bollywood music

In an old interview, Pankaj expressed concerns over Bollywood's diminishing focus on music, stating that it has significantly lowered the industry's standards. In an interview with IANS, Udhas shared that music's relevance in Bollywood has dropped, with songs primarily serving as promotional tools rather than integral components of films or scripts.

The singer said in 2015, "Bollywood pays no importance to music. The importance of music has become practically zero in Bollywood. Songs in movies are used only to promote the film. People used to listen to good music and poetry earlier, because the songs were woven into the script and were also quite relevant to the script. Nowadays, the songs in cinemas are not relevant to films at all. The standard of music has been reduced to the level of pedestrians and there is nothing that we can do about it.”

Pankaj says the lack of revenue is hampering the quality of the music industry

Highlighting the financial challenges faced by the music industry, Udhas pointed out the disparity in revenue generation, particularly between Bollywood productions and independent music labels. He said, "Most of the audio labels have absolutely no revenues out of any music which they produce unless it is produced by Bollywood. This is because Bollywood has the money to spend. Due to lack of revenue, there is a serious dearth of novelty.”

Despite the financial constraints, Udhas expressed optimism about the potential of digital platforms to facilitate innovation and reach audiences.