NEW DELHI, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- Indian film industry Bollywood's legendary music composer Khayyam passed away late on Monday night at the age of 92.
The composer, whose real name was Mohammed Zahur Hashmi, gave himself the nickname Khayyam when he entered the film industry.
He breathed his last at a hospital in southwestern city of Mumbai, the hub of India's film industry.
Khayyam, who started his career at the age of 17, gave unforgettable melodies in hundreds of films for more than six decades. Music composed by him is still adored by today's young generation.
During his illustrious career, Khayyam won a number of awards, both from the film industry and the country's civilian awards, in recognition of his immense contribution to entertainment industry.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled his death, saying he will not only be remembered for his compositions but also for supporting upcoming artists.
"India will remain grateful to Khayyam Sahab for giving us some of the most memorable compositions, which will be remembered forever. He will also be remembered for his humanitarian gestures to support upcoming artists. His demise is extremely saddening," tweeted Modi.
Top Bollywood stars also mourned the great loss. Amitabh Bachchan tweeted in his memory "A legend in music, a soft spoken amiable soul, one that contributed to several films and some of the more important ones of mine, passes away. Prayers Condolences."
