Pankaj Udhas is among the singers who made ghazals part of mainstream music in India. His music videos like 'Chandi Jaisa Rang' and 'Aur Ahista', released at a time when Indi-pop was having its moment, became huge hits. They also helped kick-start the careers of some actors, like John Abraham and Sameera Reddy.

John Abraham, who had appeared in the music video for Pankaj Udhas' song Chupke Chupke aeons ago, had mentioned that he is grateful to the ghazal maestro. "I look up to him as a mentor because when I came into this industry as a model, the first person who graciously featured me in his music video was Pankaj Udhas sir,” says John. He said so at a concert by Udhas where he rendered some of the ghazals penned by Pakistani poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz.