Music director Ravi dead

Mumbai, March 8 (IANS) Renowned music director of yesteryear, Ravi Shankar Sharma, popularly called as 'Ravi' passed away here late Wednesday night, according to family sources.

He was 86 and had been ailing since some time when he breathed his last at his Santacruz residence.

He is survived by his estranged son Ajay and daughter-in-law Varsha Usgaonkar, a former leading Marathi and Hindi films actress.

Ravi's end came just four days after he celebrated his 86th birthday among a few friends and relatives.

Noted for his heart-touching, soft, melodious and soulful tunes, Ravi's songs and immortal music are hummed even today, decades after he composed them, giving them an ageless character.