Ustad Bismillah Khan Sahib (Urdu: استاد بسم اللہ خان صاحب; Telugu:ఉస్తాద్ బిస్మిల్లా ఖాన్; March 21, 1916 – August 21, 2006) was an Indian shehnai maestro. He was the third classical musician to be awarded the Bharat Ratna (in 2001), the highest civilian honour in India and gained worldwide acclaim for playing the shehnai for more than eight decades Bismillah Khan was perhaps single handedly responsible for making the shehnai a famous classical instrument.