Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has condoled the death of veteran music composer Naushad Ali and has said that "an era of melody and virtuosity has come to an end".
"Despite being an uncompromising stickler for the grammar of classical music, Naushad saheb also had an amazing grasp of the popular mood", Singh said in a condolence message.
As a pioneer of various musical trends and mentor of numerous musical prodigies, Naushad has virtually shaped the broad contours of film music in the country, he said, adding that generations of music lovers would continue to enjoy his soulful and haunting melodies for years to come.
"In his long and illustrious innings, glittering with memorable compositions in classics like Mughal-e-Azam, Baiju Bawra, Mother India, Ganga Jamuna,Anmol Ghadi and many others, Naushad saheb scaled phenomenal heights in the pantheon of popular music", he added.