Even before Jagjit Singh came along, ghazal maestros like Begum Akhtar, Mehdi Hassan, Ghulam Ali were lauded, but ghazal as an art form largely remained behind the lofty doors of mehfils of the elite and was accessible to only those who possessed a finer sense of music, or could afford it. Besides, ghazals were based on classical ragas, which didn't really cater to everyone's taste