Legendary Indian virtuosic performer of Santoor Pt. Shivkumar Sharma passed away at the age of 82 on Tuesday morning due to cardiac arrest at his Pali Hill house in Mumbai.
He was also suffering from renal complications for some time and was receiving dialysis regularly. He was active before his death and was all set to perform in Bhopal next week.
Several eminent personalities have expressed their condolences at Sharma’s demise
The Prime Minister of India Sri Narendra Modi expressed his grief by citing that the world has become poor after losing Pandit Shivkumar Sharma and fondly looked back at his interactions with him.
He tweeted “Our cultural world is poorer with the demise of Pandit Shivkumar Sharma Ji. He popularized the Santoor at a global level. His music will continue to enthrall the coming generations. I fondly remember my interactions with him. Condolences to his family and admirers. Om Shanti. “
https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/1523927993848107010
The Chief Minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee tweeted “Sad to know about the demise of Pundit Shiv Kumar Sharma, eminent Santoor player and internationally celebrated Indian music composer. His departure impoverishes our cultural world. My deepest condolences,”
https://twitter.com/MamataOfficial/status/1523926699447963649
Sarod maestro Amjad Ali Khan mourned the death of Sharma citing it as a personal loss.
He tweeted “The passing away of Pundit Shiv Kumar Sharmaji marks the end of an era. He was the pioneer of Santoor and his contribution is unparalleled. For me, it’s a personal loss and I will miss him no end. May his soul rest in peace. His music lives on forever! Om Shanti,”
https://twitter.com/AAKSarod/status/1523920666810253312
Sachin Tendulkar tweeted “Saddened by the demise of Pundit Shivkumar Sharma ji. I was fortunate to witness his santoor performance live. Deepest condolences to his family, friends & fans of his art. May his soul rest in peace.”
https://twitter.com/sachin_rt/status/1523940732901289984
Pundit Shivkumar Sharma’s body was kept at the Pali Hill house mansion and was shifted to Abhijit Cooperative Housing Society in Juhu for the public to pay their last respect till 1 pm.
His last rites were fulfilled at Pawan Hans Crematorium in Vile Parle on Wednesday.
Several eminent film and music artists such as Amitabh Bachchan, Shabana Azmi, Javed Akhtar, and Jaya Bhaduri were there on Wednesday to pay their last respects to him.
He is survived by his wife and his two sons, an acclaimed Santoor player Rahul Sharma, and Rohit Sharma.
Pundit Shivkumar Sharma was born in Jammu and Kashmir and is credited with bringing the Santoor, a Persian origin instrument into the global stage.
He collaborated with Indian flutist Shri Hariprasad Chaurasia on several music compositions for films under the name ‘ Shiv Hari’ and composed music for Shilsila (1981), Darr (1993), Lamhe (1991), Chandni (1989), etc
He was awarded the Padmabhushan in 2001, the Padma Shri in 1991, and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1986.
