Anoushka Shankar has publicly called out Air India after discovering severe damage to her sitar following a recent flight. The internationally acclaimed musician, who had chosen the airline again after several years, expressed shock and deep disappointment over the mishandling of her cherished instrument.
'How on earth does damage like this happen?'
Anoushka Shankar shared a video showing her frustration after discovering her broken sitar. Taking to Instagram, she posted a heartfelt video describing the moment she realised something was wrong.
She shares, "First, I was just looking at the top of my sitar, and it was like really out of tune, and after I tuned it, I picked it up to play, and that's when I realised. This was my first time flying Air India in a long time. You're the country this music belongs to, and this is the first time anything like this has happened to my instrument in 15 or 17 years. How have you done this? I have special cases. You guys charge a handling fee, and yet you've done this."
ALSO READ | Who is Vaibhav Chawla? Delhi startup founder shares emotional post on shutting down Wherehouse.io
Her message captured both disbelief and frustration, especially because of the cultural and personal significance attached to the sitar. In her caption, she wrote, "Devastated and truly disturbed by @airindia's treatment of my sitar. How on earth does damage like this happen without willful disregard? It feels especially sad given that I've flown Air India after a long time, and it seems an Indian instrument can't be safe with them - after all the thousands of flights taken on other airlines without even a peg going out of tune."
Who is Anoushka Shankar?
Anoushka Shankar, daughter of Ravi Shankar and Sukanya Ranjan, is also renowned for her diverse musical collaborations and seven solo studio albums. With fourteen Grammy nominations and a historic presence at the awards as a performer, she remains one of the most respected global ambassadors of Indian classical music.
The airline hasn't issued any statement yet.
