Bhavani Shankar (1956 – 30 December 2023) was an Indian pakhawaj drum player.

Pandit Bhavani Shankar Kathak
Background information
Born	1956 (1956)
Died	30 December 2023(2023-12-30) (aged 66–67)
Genres	Hindustani classical music, film score
Instrument(s)	Pakhawaj

Bhavani Shankar was born into a musical family, beginning his study of pakhawaj and tabla at the age of eight. His father Babulalji was a renowned Kathak performer, a style of Indian classical dance. He played with many Indian artists including bansuri player Hariprasad Chaurasia, santoor player Shiv Kumar Sharma and tabla players Zakir Hussain and Anindo Chatterjee. In later years he made his mark as a composer for films and experimental fusion projects.^{[citation needed]}

Shankar died from a cardiac arrest on 30 December 2023.^[1]