Sitar prodigy Anoushka Shankar is cautiously optimistic after her cherished sitar sustained significant damage on an Air India flight. She took to Instagram to share her dismay, detailing the extensive damage and lamenting the ‘willful disregard’ it seemed to indicate. Shankar highlighted her extensive travel history with the instrument without incident, making this event particularly disheartening. Responding to the situation, Air India has initiated a thorough investigation into how the damage occurred, acknowledging the cultural and personal importance of the sitar. The airline has offered to compensate Anoushka Shankar for the full cost of repairs. Encouragingly, Shankar announced that a skilled artisan is currently undertaking the restoration. She is hopeful the sitar will be revitalized for her forthcoming ‘India Chapters’ tour. Furthermore, Shankar shared that Air India has apologized and promised to re-evaluate their procedures for handling musical instruments, a positive step that she hopes will benefit all artists. The global music community has rallied behind Shankar, underscoring the importance of careful handling for irreplaceable instruments.
