Santoor legend Pandit Shivkumar Sharma passes away

Legendary santoor player Pandit Shivkumar Sharma passed away in Mumbai due to cardiac arrest. He was 84. Pandit Shivkumar Sharma was suffering from kidney-related ailments for the past six months. He was undergoing dialysis as well. His funeral will be held today evening, as per the report.

Following his demise, PM Modi and several celebrities took to social media and mourn Pandit Shivkumar Sharma’s death.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the death of the legend and said, “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 (sic).”

Vishal Dadlani tweeted, “Yet another massive loss to music. #PanditShivkumarSharma ji is irreplaceable. His playing redefined the Santoor along with Indian music itself. His film songs with Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia ji as “Shiv-Hari” will also be beloved forever. Strength to his family, fans & students (sic).”

Singer and composer Jeet Gannguli shared a picture of Pandit Shivkumar and wrote, “The world of music has lost a genius musician, great visionary, santoor maestro and a wonderful human being —Pt Shivkumar Sharma. It’s an irreparable loss for Hindustani Classical Music. Om Shanti (sic).”

Pandit Shivkumar Sharma began learning santoor at the age of thirteen. His first public performance was in Mumbai in 1955. He has been credited with popularising the santoor.

Pandit Shivkumar Sharma received the prestigious Padma Shri in 1991, and the Padma Vibhushan in 2001. He composed music for several Hindi films, including Silsila, Chandni as well as Darr.