Navin is the great young master of the dholak (a double-headed hand drum), part of Indian folk tradition.  He studied dholak with his first teacher, his father Shri Shyam Rughuram Sharma.  Having taught him much, Shri Shyam then sent Navin to the great Ustad Allarakha (playing partner of Pandit Ravi Shankar; together they were essential in introducing Indian music to the U.S.) to study the tabla. 

Life being the great circle it is, Navin now finds himself playing with Allarakhha’s son Zakir, having already played with Zakir’s brothers Shri Fazal Quereshi and Shri Taufiq Quereshi, Pandit Anindo Chatterjee, Shri Ranjeet Barot, Shri Selvaganesh, Shri Shivamani, and the Maestro of the ghatam, the clay pot drum, “Vikku” Vinayakram. 

Navin has also worked extensively in Bollywood.