The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, has expressed grief on the demise of veteran music composer, Naushad Ali.

In a message, the Prime Minister said that with Naushad Saheb's departure, an era of melody and virtuosity has come to an end. 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.

Despite being an uncompromising stickler for the grammar of classical music, Naushad Saheb also had an amazing grasp of the popular mood. As a pioneer of various musical trends and mentor of numerous musical prodigies, Naushad Saheb has virtually shaped the broad contours of film music in our country. Generations of music lovers will continue to enjoy his soulful and haunting melodies for years to come, Dr. Singh added.