MUMBAI: Just as India was mourning KK, it lost another musical maestro. Santoor player, Pandit Bhajan Sopori was a renowned music composer who hailed from Kashmir. He passed away on Thursday. The legend was 74 years old and was undergoing treatment at the Fortis hospital in Gurugram.

Sopori is survived by his wife and two sons. One of his sons, Abhay is a Santoor player too and his second son is Sorabh. The maestro’s last rites will be held in Delhi on Friday at the Lodhi Road crematorium.

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Reportedly, as told by his son Abhay, Pandit ji was diagnosed with colon cancer last year and was admitted to the hospital, three weeks ago. The immunotherapy treatment didn’t work out for him and he deteriorated.

Sopori was a recipient of many accolades and awards throughout his career and even received the Padma Shri in 2004, the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1992 and the Jammu and Kashmir State Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016. Sopori learnt western classical music from the Washington University and Hindustani music from his father and grandfather.  

Many came forward on social media to pay their respects. In May, the legendary Santoor player Pandit Shivkumar Sharma also died, succumbing to a cardiac arrest. India lost many musical maestros this year.

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Credits: Hindustan Times