 The occasional critic has, however, observed that Khan's imagination was often closer to the semi-classical thumri idiom than the austere dhrupad style prevalent in his times.He was a recipient of the civilian honour, the Padma Bhushan Award, in 1960.A son of the sarod player Nanneh Khan Bangash, Hafiz Ali grew up in a community of sarod players, and it is likely that he studied with his father and a number of his proximate disciples.