---
name: "Ravi Shankar"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/ravi-shankar"
fi1m_id: "ravi-shankar"
imdb_id: "nm0788170"
tmdb_id: 13745
wikidata_id: "Q103774"
roles: ["Composer"]
born: "7 April 1920"
died: "11 December 2012"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 4
average_fi1m_score: 85
average_over: 4
updated: "2026-09-25T08:53:35.541513+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Ravi Shankar

## Identity

Ravi Shankar

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/ravi-shankar
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** ravi-shankar
- **IMDb ID:** nm0788170
- **TMDB ID:** 13745
- **Wikidata ID:** Q103774
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ravi_Shankar, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q103774, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0788170/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/13745

Composer. Born 7 April 1920 in Benares, Benares State, British India [now Uttar Pradesh, India]. Died 11 December 2012.

## Details

- **Work:** Composer
- **Born:** 7 April 1920, Benares, Benares State, British India [now Uttar Pradesh, India]
- **Died:** 11 December 2012
- **Active:** 1955–1982
- **Also known as:** Robindro Shaunkor Chowdhury, Ravindra Shankar Chowdhury, Rabi Śaṃkar
- **Frequently works with:** [Satyajit Ray](https://film.one/person/satyajit-ray.md), [Kanu Banerjee](https://film.one/person/kanu-bannerjee.md), [Karuna Banerjee](https://film.one/person/karuna-banerjee.md)
- **Academy Awards:** 1 Oscar nomination
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1950s 89 (3), 1980s 73 (1)
- **Score spread:** 3 at 80+, 1 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Genres:** Drama 4, History 2
- **Screen time:** 9 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $79m across 4 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ravi_Shankar, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q103774, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0788170/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/13745

## Streaming the US now

- **HBO Max:** [*Pather Panchali*](https://film.one/film/pather-panchali.md) (93), [*The World of Apu*](https://film.one/film/the-world-of-apu.md) (91), [*Aparajito*](https://film.one/film/aparajito.md) (84)
- **Amazon Prime Video:** [*Gandhi*](https://film.one/film/gandhi.md) (73)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Biography

Ravi Shankar was an Indian composer and sitar player. He composed the original music for Satyajit Ray's *Pather Panchali* (1955), *Aparajito* (1956) and *The World of Apu* (1959), as well as for *Gandhi* (1982), where he shared credit with George Fenton.

Shankar was born on 7 April 1920 in Benares, British India, and died on 11 December 2012. He also composed for *Charly* (1968) and *Alice in Wonderland* (1966).

*Sources: imdb.com, discogs.com, filmmusic.com.*

## On Fi1m (4)

- *Gandhi* (1982), Fi1m 73, Original Music Composer, Music — [page](https://film.one/film/gandhi.md)
- *The World of Apu* (1959), Fi1m 91, Original Music Composer, Music — [page](https://film.one/film/the-world-of-apu.md)
- *Aparajito* (1956), Fi1m 84, Original Music Composer, Music — [page](https://film.one/film/aparajito.md)
- *Pather Panchali* (1955), Fi1m 93, Original Music Composer, Music — [page](https://film.one/film/pather-panchali.md)

## Complete filmography (29)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *The Receptionist* (2023), Music Director
- *Devathai sonna kavithai* (2014), Sound
- *Ravi Shankar: Between Two Worlds* (2001), as Sitar
- *Khayal* (1987), Actor
- *Genesis* (1986), Original Music Composer
- *Gandhi* (1982), Original Music Composer — Fi1m 73, [page](https://film.one/film/gandhi.md)
- *Touristen in Sri Lanka - Blickwechsel* (1979), Sound
- *Yehudi Menuhin, chemin de lumière* (1970), Actor
- *Moments with the Maestro* (1970), Music
- *Sex and the Animals* (1969), Music
- *Charly* (1968), Original Music Composer
- *Viola* (1967), Music
- *Alice in Wonderland* (1966), Musician, Original Music Composer
- *Chappaqua* (1966), as Sun God · Original Music Composer
- *Swapno Niye* (1966), Original Music Composer
- *The Psychedelics* (1966), Music
- *The Psychedelic Experience* (1965), Music
- *Megh* (1961), Music
- *The World of Apu* (1959), Original Music Composer — Fi1m 91, [page](https://film.one/film/the-world-of-apu.md)
- *The Sword and the Flute* (1959), Music
- *Kalamati* (1958), Music
- *The Philosopher's Stone* (1958), Original Music Composer
- *The Flute and the Arrow* (1957), Original Music Composer
- *A Chairy Tale* (1957), Music
- *Kabuliwala* (1957), Original Music Composer
- *Aparajito* (1956), Original Music Composer — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/aparajito.md)
- *Pather Panchali* (1955), Original Music Composer — Fi1m 93, [page](https://film.one/film/pather-panchali.md)
- *Neecha Nagar* (1946), Original Music Composer
- *Dharti Ke Lal* (1946), Music

## Gallery

- ![Ravi Shankar](https://film.one/media/person/117803/gallery-87bb265ce123.jpg) Ravi Shankar — Markgoff2972, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/60/Ravi_Shankar.jpg/1280px-Ravi_Shankar.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Pandit Ravi Shankar and Sukannya Shankar at the inauguration of Rekha Chitram, 22 February 1991, with Rekha Chakraborty and Arun Kumar Chakraborty.](https://film.one/media/person/117803/gallery-ca48d69e16bd.jpg) Pandit Ravi Shankar and Sukannya Shankar at the inauguration of Rekha Chitram, 22 February 1991, with Rekha Chakraborty and Arun Kumar Chakraborty. — Anurekhac7, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/37/01_Ravi_Shankar_Inauguration_1991.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![The photo contact sheet, identified as A2427 by the White House Photographic Office (WHPO), is housed at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library, a branch of th (1974)](https://film.one/media/person/117803/gallery-8a8f3451fda4.jpg) The photo contact sheet, identified as A2427 by the White House Photographic Office (WHPO), is housed at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library, a branch of th (1974) — David Hume Kennerly, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/24/Ford_A2427_NLGRF_photo_contact_sheet_%281974-12-13%29%28Gerald_Ford_Library%29.jpg/1280px-Ford_A2427_NLGRF_photo_contact_sheet_%281974-12-13%29%28Gerald_Ford_Library%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![The photo contact sheet, identified as A2431 by the White House Photographic Office (WHPO), is housed at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library, a branch of th (1974)](https://film.one/media/person/117803/gallery-b5bbe30b6a93.jpg) The photo contact sheet, identified as A2431 by the White House Photographic Office (WHPO), is housed at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library, a branch of th (1974) — David Hume Kennerly, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5d/Ford_A2431_NLGRF_photo_contact_sheet_%281974-12-13%29%28Gerald_Ford_Library%29.jpg/1280px-Ford_A2431_NLGRF_photo_contact_sheet_%281974-12-13%29%28Gerald_Ford_Library%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![The photo contact sheet, identified as A2432 by the White House Photographic Office (WHPO), is housed at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library, a branch of th (1974)](https://film.one/media/person/117803/gallery-8eb2600ed971.jpg) The photo contact sheet, identified as A2432 by the White House Photographic Office (WHPO), is housed at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library, a branch of th (1974) — David Hume Kennerly, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b7/Ford_A2432_NLGRF_photo_contact_sheet_%281974-12-13%29%28Gerald_Ford_Library%29.jpg/1280px-Ford_A2432_NLGRF_photo_contact_sheet_%281974-12-13%29%28Gerald_Ford_Library%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Guru Sanchita with Bharat Ratna Pandit Ravi Shankarji (2012)](https://film.one/media/person/117803/gallery-7cda183fb91f.jpg) Guru Sanchita with Bharat Ratna Pandit Ravi Shankarji (2012) — TechnoAyan, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/dd/Guru_Sanchita_with_Bharat_Ratna_Pandit_Ravi_Shankarji.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)

## Awards

### Academy Awards — 0 won, 1 nominated

- 1983: Best Original Score (nominated), for *Gandhi*

### Other awards — 13 won

- Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award 2013: Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (won)
- Tagore Award 2012: Tagore Award (won)
- Grammy Award for Best Global Music Album 2001: Grammy Award for Best Global Music Album (won), for *Full Circle: Carnegie Hall 2000*
- Bharat Ratna 1999: Bharat Ratna (won)
- Polar Music Prize 1998: Polar Music Prize (won)
- Praemium Imperiale 1997: Praemium Imperiale (won)
- Ramon Magsaysay Award 1992: Ramon Magsaysay Award (won)
- Fukuoka Asian Culture Prize 1991: Fukuoka Asian Culture Prize (won)
- Padma Vibhushan 1981: Padma Vibhushan (won)
- Grammy Award for Album of the Year 1972: Grammy Award for Album of the Year (won), for *The Concert for Bangladesh*
- Grammy Award for Best Chamber Music Performance 1967: Grammy Award for Best Chamber Music Performance (won), for *West Meets East*
- Padma Bhushan 1967: Padma Bhushan (won)
- Sangeet Natak Akademi Award 1962: Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (won)

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/ravi-shankar