Legendary Pakistani ghazal singer Mehdi Hassan died today in a hospital in Karachi, his family sources confirmed.
Legendary Pakistani ghazal singer Mehdi Hassan died today in a hospital in Karachi, his family sources confirmed.
Mehdi Hassan had been unwell for the past 12 years, but his condition deteriorated further. He was reportedly suffering from lung, chest and urinary tract ailments.
Coming Up: Mehdi Hassan - Shahenshah-e-Ghazal
Noted Pakistani ghazal singer Mehdi Hassan, affectionately called Khan Sahib, was born on 18 July 1927 in Luna, Rajasthan.
Mehdi Hassan was groomed in music by his father Ustad Azeem Khan and uncle Ustad Ismail Khan, who were both traditional Dhrupad singers.
After the Partition of India, Mehdi Hassan's family migrated to Pakistan.
The struggle faced by the family finally eased when Mehdi Hassan was given the opportunity to sing on Radio Pakistan in 1957.
The 84-year-old singer is the voice behind evergreen ghazals like Ab Ke Hum Bichde and Patta Patta Boota Boota.
Hassan has a huge following in the subcontinent but cut back on his performances in the late 80s due to illness.
He wanted to visit India in 2010 for treatment and wished to meet Lata Mangeshkar, Dilip Kumar and Amitabh Bachchan. The visit could not take place and his earlier planned visit in 2008 was also cancelled in wake of Mumbai terror attack.
The legendary singer last performed in India in 2000.
Mehdi Hassan has been bestowed with the title "Shahenshah-e-Ghazal". He's also a former playback singer for Lollywood (the colloquial name for the Pakistan film industry, primarily based in Lahore).
Other tracks by the noted singer include Yeh Dhuan, Who Dilnawaz, Magghan Baat and Arz-E-Nyaz among many others.
