Mumbai, Feb 26,2024- Acclaimed playback singer and ghazal maestro Pankaj Udhas (72) passed away here after a prolonged illness, a close associate said on Monday.

Udhas was suffering from cancer, and was undergoing treatment at a private hospital for some time now.

The Gujarat-born singer was awarded the Padma Shri in 2006, and is known for rendering many hit songs in Bollywood in Hindi and other languages.