Mehdi Hassan was one of the glorious names of Past who shall be always cherished for his contribution to Music esp. Ghazals. Born as Indian  , he migrated to Pakistan in 1947.  He was a Singer, composer, Harmonium Player and the icon of Ghazal in India and Pakistan Film Industry. He was 16th generation of hereditary musicians hailing from the Kalawant clan of musicians. His Father Ustad Azeem Khan was a renowned  Dhrupad singer of his time. His Uncle Ustad Ismail Khan was equally famous.
Mehdi was born at a small village Luna in Rajasthan on July 18, 1927. After the Partition of India, 20-year-old Hassan and his family migrated to Pakistan and suffered severe financial hardships. Mehdi hasan had to repair bicycles and work as a mechanic to make ends meet but all the hardships were unable to discourage his love of music.
Hassan started to perform at a young age and the first concert of dhrupad and kheyal with his elder brother is reported to have been held in Fazilka Bungla, near present DC House (1935) of Undivided Punjab. After the Partition of India, 20-year-old Hassan and his family migrated to Pakistan and suffered severe financial hardships..
Mehdi had a passion for Urdu poetry, and therefore, he began to experiment by singing ghazals on a part-time basis. . He  got a chance to sing Ghazals and songs at Radio Pakistan Karachi in 1952, where his uncle Ismael Khan was established as a music director. He cites radio officers Z.A. Bukhariand Rafiq Anwar as additional influences in his progression as a ghazal singer. Gradually, he became one of the most popular ghazal singers in Pakistan and the neighbouring India.
In 1964 his ghazal for a film Farangi, “Golon mein rand bharay†gave him a major break and he never looked back after that. He gave playback to all the film heros of the 60’s and 70’s.
He was acknowledged as the king of Gazals the world over after singing some of the most memorable Ghazals like “golon mein rang bhare†“daikh tu dil ke jan†and “ranjish hi sahi.
He was famously known as the “King of ghazal”, and was highly regarded in the Pakistan  and Indian film industry.  He was not only bestowed with all the highest civil awards in Pakistan but also received the Saigol Award in India in 1979 and the Gorkha Dakhshin Baho Award in Nepal in 1983.
Following a severe illness in the late 1980s, Mehdi Hassan stepped down from playback singing. Later due to severity of his illness he completely departed from music.
In October 2010, HMV released “Sarhadein” in which probably the first and last duet song Tera Milana featuring Mehdi Hassan and Lata Mangeshkar was released. This song was composed by Mr. Hassan himself written by Farhat Shahzad. Mr. Hassan recorded it in Pakistan in 2009, and Lata Mangeshkar later heard the track and recorded her part in India in 2010 and later mixed together for a duet.
He had been suffering from a serious lung condition for the few years before his death in 2012. There were rumors of his death on January 13th 2012. However, his son Asif Mehdi confirmed that the death rumors were incorrect, and that he was responding to treatments and recovering.
Mehdi Hasan passed away at around noon on 13th June, 2012 at Agha Khan Hospital Karachi after suffering a 12-year long tenure of lung, chest and urinary tract diseases.
In his remembrance, listen to this epic song composed by him… Rafta Rafta Woh Meri Hasti ka saaman ho Gaye
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