Anoushka Shankar Calls Out Air India Over Damaged Sitar

Renowned Musician Left “Devastated” After Flight Incident

Multiple Grammy-nominated sitar maestro Anoushka Shankar has strongly criticised Air India after discovering significant damage to her sitar following a recent flight. Despite paying an additional special handling fee to ensure the safety of her instrument, Shankar said she was left “devastated” and questioned how such negligence could occur.

Musician Shares Her Shock and Anger

Taking to Instagram, Anoushka — daughter of the legendary Pandit Ravi Shankar — recounted the upsetting moment she realised her instrument had been mishandled. She first noticed that her sitar was unusually out of tune but soon discovered multiple cracks along its body. In her video message, she expressed disbelief, saying this was the first time in 15 to 17 years that any airline had damaged her instrument. The musician highlighted the irony of the incident by stating, “You’re the country this music belongs to.”

‘How Have You Done This?’ — Shankar Questions Airline’s Carelessness

Shankar emphasised that she always travels with specially designed protective cases and even paid Air India’s handling fee, yet the damage was extensive. Pointing at the cracks in her video, she publicly demanded answers: “How have you done this? I have special cases, you charge a handling fee and yet you’ve done this?”
Her post was captioned with a strong message expressing that she was “devastated and truly disturbed” by the airline’s treatment of her prized instrument, questioning whether such damage could happen without “willful disregard.”

Artists and Fans Express Support

The video quickly sparked outrage among fans and fellow artists.
Comedian Zakir Khan called the incident “extremely heartbreaking,” while music composer Vishal Dadlani commented, “God, that’s heartbreaking! I’m so sorry.” Many urged Air India to respond responsibly and compensate for the damage.

Incident Occurs Amid Grammy Spotlight

The timing of the incident has drawn even more attention, as it occurred just weeks after Anoushka Shankar secured multiple Grammy nominations for her new album “Chapter III: Return to Light.” Created in collaboration with sarod player Alam Khan and percussionist Sarathy Korwar, the album earned a nomination for Best Global Music Album.
Shankar, known for blending classical Indian musical traditions with contemporary global influences, remains one of the most celebrated voices in world music today.

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Sorit Chaudhary

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