Ravi Shankar was a legendary sitar player and composer from India. He was known as the 'Sitar Star' and was one of the most influential figures in Indian classical music. He was a master of the sitar, a stringed instrument that is popular in Indian music, and his style of playing was highly influential. Shankar was also a composer, having written numerous works for both the sitar and other instruments. He was awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honor, in 1999.