Pt. Ram Narayan, the best known living sarangi exponent of India, passed away on 9th November at his residence at Bandra in Bombay. He was 96 and was the recipient of the Padma Vibhushan and the Sangeet Natak Akademi awards among many more.
He had played the sarangi in films like Pakeezah, Mughal-E-Azam, Taj Mahal and Kashmir Ki Kali. It was Pt. Ram Narayan who showed the world that the sarangi need not always be a mere accompanying instrument but could also be played solo.
The maestro had three children — sarod player Pt. Brij Narayan, Aruna and Shiv, all of who are musicians. Brij Narayan’s son, Harsh, is a sarangi player, taking after his grandfather.