Pankaj Udhas: I was nervous when I got back on stage after two years

On his birthday, Padma Shri Pankaj Udhas recalls how he felt the first time he returned to the stage after two years of the pandemic.

I am like a fish without water when I’m not on stage. I’ve been a performing artiste all my life and the last two years have been the toughest,” says veteran ghazal singer Pankaj Udhas, who has been performing back-to-back concerts in India and abroad ever since things opened up post the pandemic.

Pankaj Udhas

Ask how performing live feels like after a gap of two years and the Padma Shri recipient says, “Before the pandemic, there used to be a lot of confidence in me before any concert. But the pandemic phase was tough, even psychologically. Though I did my riyaaz regularly and tried to keep up and not get rusted, there was a lack of exposure to the stage and audience. So, when I got back on stage after two years with a concert in Rampur (Uttar Pradesh), I was really nervous. But when I went up on stage and saw 6,000 people cheering for me, I had tears in my eyes. It was a very emotional moment, as I was deprived of the stage for so long.”

So, has anything changed as far as the audience’s conduct at live shows is concerned? “They have become much more enthusiastic compared to the pre-pandemic days. They value your performance much more than before,” says Udhas, who turns 71 today. Sharing how he plans to spend his birthday, the singer adds, “Covid-19 is still around and people are still suffering. So I am not really in a mood to celebrate. I’ll have a low-key birthday with my family.”