Manish Tewari condoles death of legendary singer Manna Dey

Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari on Thursday condoled the death of legendary singer Manna Dey.

"It is extremely sad day. He gave a voice to the dreams of millions of millions of Indians," Tewari said.

"It is extremely sad that he is not with us today. The other legend has passed away. It is a great loss for the film industry and for music lovers," he added.

Dey has died at the age of 94 at a Bangalore hospital following a recurring lung infection and renal failure early this morning.

Dey leaves behind two daughters, his wife Sulochana predeceasing him in 2012.

Born Prabodh Chandra Dey on May 1, 1919, the versatile singer began his playback career in 1943 with the film Tamanna and has sung over 3,500 songs in Hindi, Bengali, Assamese and other regional languages.

The Government of India honoured him with the Padma Shri in 1971, the Padma Bhushan in 2005 and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2007.

Dey's greatest hits include 'Ae meri zohrajabeen' from the film Waqt (1965), 'Puchho na kaise bitayi raina' (Meri Surat Teri Ankhen, 1963), 'Pyar hua ikrar hua' (Shree 420, 1955) and 'Ek chatur naar' (Padosan, 1968).