Ravi Shankar was an Indian sitar virtuoso and composer, known for his pioneering work in bringing Indian classical music to the Western world. His distinct style, characterized by rapid finger movements and complex rhythms, helped popularize the use of the sitar in both Indian and international music scenes. Shankar collaborated with many Western musicians, most notably George Harrison of the Beatles, with whom he worked on the Concert for Bangladesh. His seminal works include the concertos for sitar and orchestra, as well as film scores for the 'Apu Trilogy' and 'Gandhi'.