Pankaj Udhas is a ghazal singer who hails from Gujarat, along with his siblings Manhar Udhas and Nirmal Udhas. He started his career with a release of a ghazal album titled " Aahat " in 1980 and subsequently recorded many hits like "Mukarar" in 1981, Tarrannum in 1982, Mehfil in 1983, Pankaj Udhas Live at Royal Albert Hall in 1984, Nayaab in 1985 and Aafreen in 1986 after seeing his unprecedented success as a ghazal singer all over the world, he was invited by Bollywood to appear and sing for "Naam". Udhas rose to further fame for singing in the 1986 film Naam, in which his song "Chitthi Aayee Hai" became an instant hit. After this success he gave playback for many Hindi films. Numerous albums and live concerts around the globe brought him great distinction as an accomplished singer.In 2006, Pankaj Udhas was awarded the coveted Padma Shri, India's fourth highest civilian award.