20 Facts About Mehdi Hassan

Mehdi Hassan Khan, known as Mehdi Hassan, was a Pakistani ghazal singer and playback singer of great renown.

Widely considered one of the greatest and most influential figures in the history of ghazal singing, Hassan is referred to as the Shahenshah-e-Ghazal.

Mehdi Hassan is unique for his melodic patterns and maintaining integrity of the ragas in an innovative way.

Mehdi Hassan influenced generations of singers from diverse genres, from Jagjit Singh to Parvez Mehdi.

Mehdi Hassan earned numerous awards and accolades during his lifetime and remained a leading singer of Pakistani film industry, along with contemporary playback singer Ahmed Rushdi; it is estimated that Hassan sang for over 300 films during his career.

Mehdi Hassan was born on 18 July 1927 in the village of Luna, then located in the Jaipur State of the Rajputana Agency in British India but now in the Indian state of Rajasthan, into a family of traditional musicians.

Mehdi Hassan started training in classical music at the age of eight and completed his musical training with his father Ustad Azeem Khan and uncle Ustad Ismail Khan who were both traditional Dhrupad singers.

Mehdi Hassan started performing at a young age and by the time he was 18 years old, Mehdi Hassan is said to have mastered the classical singing forms of dhrupad, dadra, thumri, and khayal, and started performing at royal courts with his brother Ghulam Qadir.

Mehdi Hassan initially started working in nearby Chichawatni, in a bicycle shop Mughal Cycle House and later became a car and diesel tractor mechanic.

In 1957, Mehdi Hassan was again given the opportunity to sing on Radio Pakistan, primarily as a thumri singer and later as a ghazal performer, which earned him recognition within the musical fraternity.

Mehdi Hassan had a passion for Urdu poetry, and therefore, he began to experiment by singing ghazals on a part-time basis.

Mehdi Hassan recorded it in Pakistan in 2009, and Mangeshkar later heard the track and recorded her part in India in 2010, and the song was later mixed for a duet.

Mehdi Hassan suffered from a serious chronic lung condition for a few years before his death.

Mehdi Hassan received treatment for lung, urinary tract, and chest ailments at several hospitals in Pakistan for about 12 years prior to his death.

Mehdi Hassan suffered his second stroke soon after he returned from India which left him with speech impairments and limited his physical mobility.

Mehdi Hassan developed a severe chest infection and breathing difficulties in the days preceding his death.

Mehdi Hassan died of multiple organ failure on 13 June 2012 at Aga Khan University Hospital in Karachi.

Mehdi Hassan is widely regarded as one of the greatest singers in the sub-continent and is said to have revolutionized the way ghazals were sung.

Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani paid tribute to Mehdi Hassan, calling him "an icon who mesmerized music lovers" for decades.

Mehdi Hassan had been the recipient of numerous awards and recognitions: the Tamgha-i-Imtiaz granted to him by Gen Ayub Khan; the Pride of Performance bestowed on him by Gen Ziaul Haq; and the Hilal-i-Imtiaz conferred by Gen Pervez Musharraf.