Insight bureau: Indian music composer and santoor maestro Padma  Vibhushan Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma passed away due to cardiac arrest at the age of 84. He was suffering from kidney related issues since past six months and was on dialysis.

His unfortunate demise has certainly left a void in the music industry. His admirers of his work and his talent are taking to social media to mourn his demise.

Sharma was recognized for using the santoor to play Hindustani classical music. The 1967 album Call of the valley was one of the largest selling Hindustani records of all time. He also composed music with Chaurasia for Hindi films, including silsila, Chandni and lamhe.

Shiv Kumar was awarded the Padma Shri in 1991 and Padma Vibhushan in 2001. He published his autobiography , Journey with a hundred strings : My life in music in 2002.