Santoor maestro Pt. Shivkumar Sharma passes away
Mumbai: Renowned Santoor player, Pandit Shivkumar Sharma, passed away in Mumbai due to cardiac arrest on Tuesday, May 10, 2022. He was 84.
According to his secretary, Sharma died at his Pali Hill residence in Mumbai between 8 to 8:30 am on Tuesday. Though suffered from renal ailments, he was quite active and even had a show scheduled in Bhopal city next week.
“He had a severe heart attack in the morning… He was active and was to perform in Bhopal next week. He was on regular dialysis but was still was active,” a family member told media.
Sharma is survived by wife Manorama and sons Rahul, also a Santoor player, and Rohit. Born in Jammu in 1938, the Padma Vibhushan holder took the musical instrument to an international stage and infused the folk instrument from Jammu within the music and film industry.
Pt Shivkumar Sharma received several accolades, including the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1986, followed by the Padma Shri in 1991, and the Padma Vibhushan in 2001.
Several celebrities and fans paid tribute to the maestro on social media. “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,” PM Modi tweeted.
(Avya Mathur)
