Veteran music director Sardar Malik passed away after prolonged illness at a city hospital, family sources said on Saturday.

Malik, who was 81, was not keeping well for the past one year and died late on Friday night, the sources said.

A Dadasaheb Phalke award winner, Malik is survived by wife Bilkis and three sons, music director Anu Malik, Abu Malik and Dabu Malik.

The last rites took place on Saturday morning.

Malik, who was born in Kapurthala, came to Mumbai in the 1940s, and composed music for the movies Aulad, Thokar, Maharani Padmini, Saranga and Bachpan, among others.

He had over 600 songs to his credit as a music director.