Indian composer and santoor player Pandit Shivkumar Sharma died due to a cardiac arrest at the age of 84 on Tuesday. According to The Indian Express, he had been diagnosed with kidney problems and hadbeen undergoing dialysis for the past six months. Condoling his demise, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote on Twitter: Our cultural world is poorer with the demise of Pandit Shivkumar Sharma Ji. He popularised the Santoor at a global level. His music will continue to enthral the coming generations. I fondly remember my interactions with him. Condolences to his family and admirers. Om Shanti. Sharma was known for collaborating with iconic flutist Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia. The popular duo, known asShiv-Hari, composed music for several Bollywood films in the 1980s and 90s. Also Read:From Ricky Rej to AR Rahman: List of Indians who won Grammy Awards The duo's music has been featured in popular films including 'Chandni' (1989), 'Lamhe' (1991), 'Silsila' (1981) and 'Darr' (1993). Sharma also composed the background music for a scene in 'Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baje', a 1956 film starringV. Shantaram and Sandhya Shantaram. Also Read:Bappi Lahiri death: Legendary singer's top songs In 1967, along with Chaurasia andguitarist Brij Bhushan Kabra, Sharma produced 'Call of the Valley', a classical album containing six tracks that revolve around a day in the life of a shepherd residing in the valley of Kashmir. The album was recorded under the EMI label. Also Read:Rest in glory: Bollywood pays tributes to legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar During his classical music career, Pandit Shivkumar Sharma was felicitated with several prestigious awards including thePadma Shri in 1991 andthe Padma Vibhushan a decade later. He toured all across the world with his son, Rahul Sharma, performing at classical shows with large audiences. Also Read:Who was Pandit Birju Maharaj, famous Kathak dancer dead at 83? Sharma was revered for popularising the santoor, a complextrapezoid-shaped instrument comprising 25 bridges and a total of 100 strings. The instrument is a variation of Iran's santur.