Grammy-nominated sitarist Anoushka Shankar has voiced her profound disappointment and dismay after discovering significant damage to her sitar following an Air India flight. Taking to Instagram on Wednesday, Shankar, the daughter of the legendary Pandit Ravi Shankar, expressed her shock at the incident, stating that this was the first time in 15 to 17 years that her instrument had been damaged during travel.
Shankar, a British-American musician known for her innovative work across classical and contemporary genres, revealed that the sitar sustained a long, deep crack despite being packed in a hard case and transported with a paid handling fee. In her Instagram post, she questioned how such damage could occur without "wilful disregard". She further lamented that after flying with Air India again after a long time, "it seems an Indian instrument can't be safe with them". She has taken thousands of flights on other airlines without even a peg going out of tune.
In a video shared on social media, Shankar showed the extent of the damage, explaining that she initially thought the sitar was simply out of tune. However, upon closer inspection, she discovered the significant cracks running across the instrument. "First, I was just looking at the top of my sitar, and I thought it was like really out of tune. And after I tuned it, I picked it up to play and that's when I realised…,” she said while showing the damage. She also questioned the airline's handling procedures, stating, "How have you done this? I have special cases, you charge a handling fee and yet you've done this?".
Shankar described herself as "devastated and truly disturbed" by the incident. She highlighted the irony of the situation, pointing out that "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".
The incident has sparked widespread reactions from fellow musicians and fans, with many expressing solidarity and demanding accountability from Air India. Comedian Zakir Khan commented, "This is extremely heartbreaking," while music composer Vishal Dadlani wrote, "God, that's heartbreaking! I'm so sorry". Musician Anvita Shankar added, "This is unbelievable. How terribly @airindia must've handled the sitar for this to happen inside those secure hard cases!!?? I'm so sorry".
The incident has also reignited the debate surrounding how airlines handle fragile musical instruments. Shankar's revelation comes as she is nominated in two categories at the 2026 Grammy Awards: Best Global Music Album for 'Chapter III: We Return to Light' and Best Global Music Performance for 'Daybreak'. As of now, Air India has not yet issued a public statement addressing the incident.
