Anoushka Shankar slams Air India: Multiple Grammy-nominated sitarist Anoushka Shankar has called out Air India after discovering severe damage to her sitar during a recent flight. The musician, who rarely speaks publicly in frustration, shared her disappointment through a detailed Instagram post and video on Wednesday (December 3), triggering widespread outrage among fans and fellow artists.
In the video, Anoushka is seen visibly shaken as she inspects her damaged instrument. At first, she assumed her sitar was simply out of tune. But moments later, she realised something far worse had happened.
Anoushka Shankar calls out Air India for damaging her sitar
She recalled, “First, I was looking at the top of my sitar and I thought it was really out of tune. After I tuned it, I picked it up to play and that’s when I realised…”
This, she noted, was her first time flying with Air India in nearly two decades, which only added to her disappointment. She emphasised the irony of the situation, saying, “You’re the country this music belongs to. This is the first time anything like this has happened to my instrument in 15 or 17 years.”
Her video then shows the cracks running across the delicate body of the sitar — a devastating sight for any musician, especially one who performs with hand-crafted classical instruments that cannot be easily replaced.
Calls out airline for negligence despite fees
Anoushka questioned how such serious damage could occur despite taking every precaution. She said, “How have you done this? I have special cases, you charge a handling fee and yet you’ve done this?”
Her caption echoed the same disbelief, describing herself as “devastated and truly disturbed” by the airline’s treatment of the instrument. She added that thousands of flights on other airlines had never caused even minor harm.
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Her post quickly spread across social media, prompting an outpouring of solidarity. Comedian Zakir Khan commented, “This is extremely heartbreaking,” while composer Vishal Dadlani wrote, “God, that’s heartbreaking! I’m so sorry.”
Comes amid fresh Grammy recognition
The incident arrived shortly after Anoushka earned multiple Grammy nominations for her latest project, Chapter III: We Return to Light. Created with Alam Khan and Sarathy Korwar, the EP has been nominated in the Best Global Music Album category at the 2026 Grammy Awards. Blending Indian classical depth with contemporary arrangements, the work marks another milestone in her celebrated two-decade career.
As support continues to build online, Air India is yet to issue an official response.