Shivkumar Sharma dies at 84: How Yash Chopra believed in santoor legend, gave us Silsila, Lamhe, Chandni and Darr

Shivkumar Sharma’s picture taking part in a santoor will stay etched in our recollections for occasions immemorial. The music icon, who handed away on the age of 84 on Tuesday, has left behind a physique of labor that’s going to stay a benchmark in Indian classical music for generations. Sharma might be credited for popularising santoor in India, as his son Rahul Sharma continues to take the legacy ahead.

As India mourns the demise of the legend, we have a look again at Shivkumar Sharma‘s musical trajectory, which additionally catered to Bollywood.

Shivkumar Sharma was one half of the music composer duo Shiv-Hari with classical flautist and one other legend, Hariprasad Chaurasia. The music administrators gave quite a few memorable tunes to Hindi movies, together with some noteworthy classical notes.

Santoor participant Shivkumar Sharma and flute participant Hari Prasad Chaurasia. (Photo: Express Archives)

Shivkumar began his stint in films with the background rating in Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baje (1956), directed by V. Shantaram. He later recorded his first solo album in 1960.

He had beforehand spoken about Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baje. “Vasant Desai (music director) didn’t understand the technicalities of the santoor and generally left me to my devices to explore and play like I wanted,” he had instructed DNA beforehand.

The santoor legend added that V. Shantaram was immensely impressed by his work and ultimately supplied him his subsequent venture too — Toofan aur Diya. “I thanked him profusely and apologised saying I wanted to complete my education like my father wanted and went back to Jammu,” he stated.

Shivkumar’s first collaboration with Hariprasad Chaurasia was their idea album, Call of the Valley in 1967, together with guitarist Brij Bhushan Kabra. Soon after, Shivkumar and Hariprasad joined fingers as Shiv-Hari and composed music for his or her first movie, Silsila (1981). The Yash Chopra directorial starred Amitabh Bachchan, Rekha, Jaya Bachchan and Sanjeev Kumar. Shiv-Hari made Amitabh sing two tracks within the hit movie too — “Neela Aasman So Gaya” and “Rang Barse”. Shivkumar revealed that as an ode to Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baje, its bhajan “Jo Tum Todo” was included even in Silsila.

In his phrases, “We had no idea Silsila’s music would catch on the way it did.” He instructed PTI, “I remember when Yash Chopra asked me and Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia to compose music for Silsila, everyone thought he was taking a big risk by signing classical musicians. There is a difference between classical and film music. And it was a tremendous challenge to live up to (film music).”

For the subsequent a number of years, Shiv-Hari’s Bollywood collaborations remained with Yash Chopra. These included Faasle (1985), Vijay (1988), Chandni (1989), Lamhe (1991), Parampara (1993) and Darr (1993). They additionally made music for Sahibaan (1993) starring Rishi Kapoor, Sanjay Dutt and Madhuri Dixit.

Shivkumar Sharma and Hariprasad Chaurasia labored collectively for over a decade earlier than parting methods. “Hariji and me were doing films as long as it didn’t interfere with our classical music. Later it became difficult as both of us were touring,” he instructed DNA.

He stated in a PTI interview, “The shelf-life of music, songs is very short today. Old songs are still remembered and people like them even now. I doubt if any song of late has caught my attention.”

Shivkumar needed to decline Dil Toh Pagal Hai too, regardless of Yash Chopra sending him tickets to journey again from Jammu. But, Shivkumar’s expertise wasn’t simply restricted to his santoor. He as soon as revealed that he was even supplied a job in a movie. This was when he was recording for filmmaker Khwaja Ahmed Abbas. “He called me aside. I thought he wanted to tell me something specific but he offered me Saat Hindustani as an actor. ‘Dikhate-bolte bhi theek ho… kad-kaathi bhi sahi hai.’ (You look good, speak well. You even have a decent personality). I folded my hands and said I wanted to pursue music,” Shivkumar shared.

He stayed away from Bollywood put up Darr in 1993. He believed {that a} filmmaker’s style impacted the music, which was closely influenced by “Western beats and has more noise than melody.”

“We’re such great imitators of even mediocrity,” he believed. According to him, the present occasions lacked the “right kind of directors to work with.”

Shiv-Hari continued to do reside exhibits collectively even after giving up composing for films.

Shivkumar Sharma and Hariprasad Chaurasia obtained Best Music Director Filmfare nominations for Silsila, Chandni, Lamhe and Darr. The santoor legend was additionally bestowed with the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1986 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2001.