Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma was a composer and renowned santoor player from Jammu. A maestro of Hindustani classical music he gained international recognition for playing and popularising the santoor in his own unique style. He forayed into Bollywood by composing the background score for one of the scenes in V. Shantaram’s film Jhanak Jhanak Payal Baaje in 1955. He turned composer along with flute legend Pandit Hari Prasad Chaurasia and went on to compose songs for films like Silsila, Faasle, Vijay, Chandni, Lamhe, Parampara, Darr, etc. He was a recipient of several national and international awards including the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1986, the Padma Shri in 1991 and Padma Vibhushan in 2011. He died in Mumbai in 2022 of a cardiac arrest after suffering from kidney-related issues.