Niladri Kumar

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Indian sitar player and composer (born 1973)

title: "Niladri Kumar" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["hindustani-instrumentalists", "indian-male-composers", "indian-sitar-players", "living-people", "1973-births", "recipients-of-the-sangeet-natak-akademi-award"] description: "Indian sitar player and composer (born 1973)" topic_path: "society/religion" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niladri_Kumar" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Indian sitar player and composer (born 1973) ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox musical artist"]

FieldValue
nameNiladri Kumar
backgroundnon_vocal_instrumentalist
birth_date1973
originCalcutta, West Bengal, India
instrumentSitar
occupationSitar Maestro and Composer
website
imageNiladri Kumar.jpg
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| name = Niladri Kumar | background = non_vocal_instrumentalist | birth_name = | alias = | birth_date = 1973 | death_date = | origin = Calcutta, West Bengal, India | instrument = Sitar | genre = | occupation = Sitar Maestro and Composer | years_active = | website = | image = Niladri Kumar.jpg | image_size =

Niladri Kumar is an Indian sitar player and music composer. The invention of the zitar was done by him. He is known to be one of the most popular musicians of his generation, as stated by fellow sitar maestro Purbayan Chatterjee. Kamar has collaborated with many top musicians, such as Zakir Hussain, Arjit Singh, and John McLaughlin.

Early life

He was born to sitar player Kartick Kumar, a disciple of Ravi Shankar. He began learning the sitar under his father's guidance at the age of four. Kumar gave his first public performance at the age of six at Sri Aurobindo Ashram in Pondicherry.

Career

He was a part of the Masters of the Percussion tour alongside Zakir Hussain. Kumar has also worked with Jonas Hellborg and V. Selvaganesh on their album Kali's Son and with John McLaughlin on album Floating Point. Kumar has also worked with various music directors in Hindi cinema, including A.R. Rahman, Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy and Pritam. Niladri was conferred the Sangeet Natak Akademi's Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar, awarded to young musicians, in March 2007. Niladri has also won MTV Immies award for the Best Classical/Fusion Instrumental for his album If. The concept initiated from a travelling sitar, which was modified by Kumar to create rock guitar sound out of it. Kumar reduced the number of strings on the instrument from 20 to five. He also added an electric pick-up inside the instrument so that it would sound more like a guitar. His first full album composed using the instrument, titled Zitar, was released in 2008. Kumar wrote the first track for the album Priority in 2003. Over the next five years he improved the track and subsequent track by gauging audience reaction during live performances. He improvised the tracks adding components from various genres such as rock, electronic and lounge. He also won the MN Mathur Award in the 51st Maharana Kumbha Sangeet Samaroh for his contribution to Indian classical music in March 2013. He is currently the Dean of Maya Somaiya College of Performing Arts at Somaiya Vidyavihar University, Mumbai.

Discography

Albums

  • 2001: Together
  • 2002: Revelation
  • 2003: Dharohar
  • 2003: Saanjh Sur
  • 2003: If: Magical Sounds of Sitar
  • 2005: Sitar Gaze
  • 2005: Yoga Lounge (With Chinmaya Dunster)
  • 2006: Forever
  • 2006: De-Stress Revive (With Rupak Kulkarni)
  • 2007: Chillout Forever
  • 2007: Faith
  • 2008: Zitar
  • 2009: Priority
  • 2011: Together (With Talvin Singh)
  • 2013: Plucked
  • 2014: Sur Yajna

Films

Music direction

  • Shorgul (Tere Bina) - Hindi Movie (2016)
  • Niruttara - (All songs) Kannada Movie (2016)
  • Laila Majnu - (Ahista Ahista, Tum, Hafiz Hafiz, Sarfiri, Tum Version 2) Hindi Movie (2018)

Awards and nominations

::data[format=table]

YearAwardCategoryNominated workResultRef
2018Mirchi Music AwardsUpcoming Music Composer of The YearAahista-Laila Majnu
201964th Filmfare AwardsRd Burman Award For Upcoming Talent In Film MusicLaila Majnu
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References

References

  1. Vijaykar, Rajiv. (3 October 2008). "Zitar Power". The Indian Express Limited.
  2. Mitter, Siddhartha. (24 May 2006). "Indian drummers find fascinating rhythms". The New York Times Company.
  3. (2 March 2005). "More Indian food than music in the West". Rediff.com.
  4. "Niladri Kumar takes the sitar to space age". Rediff.com.
  5. (23 March 2007). "32 artistes get 'Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar'". The Hindu.
  6. (17 December 2005). "Mesmerising". Indian Express Newspapers Ltd.
  7. (29 August 2008). "Saregama offers history – and Priority too!". The Indian Express Limited.
  8. "Maya Somaiya School of Music & Performing Arts".
  9. (20 February 2019). "Winners at the Mirchi Music Awards 2019!".
  10. "Winners of the 64th Vimal Elaichi Filmfare Awards 2019".

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hindustani-instrumentalistsindian-male-composersindian-sitar-playersliving-people1973-birthsrecipients-of-the-sangeet-natak-akademi-award