Sitarist Anoushka Shankar left ‘devastated’ after Air India trip ends with cracked instrument

Anoushka Shankar, the internationally renowned sitarist and daughter of the late maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar, has criticised Air India after discovering her sitar severely damaged following a recent flight with the carrier. Shankar said she was left heartbroken when she opened the case to find multiple cracks on the instrument, despite having paid an additional handling fee intended to ensure its safe passage.

In a video shared on Instagram, she said she first suspected the instrument was unusually out of tune before realising the extent of the damage when she tried to play it. She noted that this was her first time flying with Air India in many years and expressed disappointment that such harm had occurred to an Indian classical instrument on the country’s flag carrier. Shankar said she had flown globally for over fifteen years without experiencing anything similar.

She questioned how such extensive damage could have taken place despite using special protective cases and paying the required fees for careful handling. In her caption, she described herself as devastated and disturbed, stating that the condition of the sitar suggested wilful disregard.

Her post drew a wave of support from fans and fellow artists. Comedian Zakir Khan said the incident was extremely heartbreaking, while music composer Vishal Dadlani also expressed sympathy.

The incident comes at a time of significant professional success for Shankar, who recently received multiple Grammy nominations for Chapter III: We Return to Light, her collaboration with Alam Khan and Sarathy Korwar.