Popular ghazal and playback singer Pankaj Udhas died on Monday at the age of 73 due to a prolonged illness, his family has announced.

Udhas, whose career began in 1980 with the release of a ghazal album named Aahat, died around 11 am at the Breach Candy hospital in Mumbai, reported PTI. His last rites will be held on Tuesday.

Udhas rose to fame for his memorable ghazals, including “Chitthi Aayi Hai” from the movie Naam, “Na Kajre Ki Dhar” from the film Mohra and “Chandi Jaisa Rang Hai Tera” from Ek Hi Maqsad, in addition to “Ek Taraf Uska Ghar” from Udhas’ solo album Nasha and “Ahista” from the album Stolen Moments.

After the family’s announcement, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences to Udhas’ family and said his “departure leaves a void in the music world”.

“We mourn the loss of Pankaj Udhas Ji, whose singing conveyed a range of emotions and whose Ghazals spoke directly to the soul,” Modi wrote in a social media post. “He was a beacon of Indian music.”

Singer Sonu Nigam took to social media to share a photo of Udhas and write that one of the “most important part” of his childhood was lost.

Actor Manoj Bajpayee also paid tribute to Udhas.

Union minister Anurag Thakur expressed his condolences to the singer’s family and friends. “His career, spanning more than 4 decades, enriched our music industry and gifted us with some of the most memorable and melodious renditions of gazals,” the minister said.

“His demise is an irreparable loss to our music world,” Thakur added.

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik also paid his tribute to Udhas. Patnaik said that the veteran singer’s “soothing voice and emotive renditions touched the hearts of millions”.