Mumbai His fans feel that the world of ghazal is left with a void with the passing away of "immortal" maestro Mehdi Hassan, who died in Karachi Wednesday.
From Shreya Ghoshal to Anupam Kher, they all mourn his death, but feel his songs will keep him alive forever.
Hassan died after a prolonged illness. He was 84.
"We have grown up with his music. We have learnt a lot from his style and techniques. It is sad that he is gone, but the way he was living for past few years was not a life. So it is good for him that he is gone. My husband and I met him when we had gone to Pakistan. I will always remember his ghazal - 'Ranjish hi sahi," Chitra Singh told IANS.
Many others took to Twitter to pay respect to the singer, who sang soulful numbers like "Ranjish hi sahi" and "Abke bicchde khwaabon mein mile".
Here's what they had to say:
Shreya Ghoshal: Mehdi Hassan saab is no more. The voice, who made many music lovers and lovers find an expression of their hearts' stories, is gone. R.I.P. Saddened beyond comprehension.
"Jagjit ji (Jagjit Singh), now Mehdi saab. The voices who kept the legacy of ghazals alive are gone... This void can never be filled ever again."
Anupam Kher: Very saddened to hear about my favourite ghazal singer Mehdi Hassan's demise. As a student I had gate-crashed into Pakistan Embassy to listen to him. RIP.
Kailash Kher: Another Legend (Mehdi Hassan) has gone from this world. Lagta hai ghazal ka suraj dukhon ke baadalon ne dhak diya (It seems the sun of ghazals is hiding behind clouds of sadness).
Shankar Mahadevan: RIP Mehdi Hassan saab, huge loss to the world of music. Your voice is immortal though.
Madhur Bhandarkar: Emperor of ghazals no more... R.I.P Mehdi Hassan. You will be missed sorely!
Kabir Bedi: Saddened that Ghazal King Mehdi Hassan passed away. What a phenomenal impact he made with his unique voice and style!
Manoj Bajpayee: Ghazal King, one of my favourites, Mehdi saab passed away. May his soul rest in peace!
Meiyang Chang: My dad loved Mehdi Hassan saab. He was his biggest musical influence, and as a result, my first. RIP huzoor, your voice shall never fade away.
Dia Mirza: RIP Mehdi Hassan saab. Your songs are eternal