A Musician's Nightmare: Anoushka Shankar's Sitar Damaged by Air India, Again

Oh, what a nightmare for any musician, especially one as revered as Anoushka Shankar! Imagine your instrument, the very extension of your soul and livelihood, being handled with such carelessness that it returns to you damaged, perhaps beyond easy repair. That's precisely the heartbreak the celebrated sitarist shared recently, recounting how her beloved instrument suffered significant damage while traveling with Air India.

Taking to Instagram, a platform where many artists often lay bare their triumphs and tribulations, Anoushka didn't just report an incident; she expressed profound frustration and distress. "My sitar," she wrote, "my voice, my livelihood... damaged by Air India once again." Those words hit hard, don't they? They paint a vivid picture of the deep connection an artist has with their craft and the tools that enable it. It wasn't merely a piece of luggage; it was her lifeblood, mishandled and disrespected.

This isn't, tragically, an isolated incident for her. She specifically highlighted that this was "once again" with Air India, suggesting a pattern of negligence that must be incredibly frustrating. One can only imagine the sheer dread musicians feel when checking in their precious instruments, hoping against hope that they'll arrive safe and sound, only to be met with disappointment and costly repairs.

The sitar isn't just an instrument; it's a repository of cultural heritage, a symbol of generations of musical tradition. For Anoushka, carrying on her father Ravi Shankar's legendary legacy, the sitar is even more significant. To have such an emblem of art and heritage treated so carelessly is, frankly, an insult to the art form itself and to the countless hours of dedication poured into mastering it.

In response to her very public outcry, Air India did, predictably, issue a standard customer service reply on social media, asking her to DM them with her booking details. While a necessary step for official redress, it often feels like a hollow gesture in the face of such deep artistic and professional pain. It hardly conveys an understanding of the gravity of damaging an irreplaceable instrument.

And let's be honest, Anoushka Shankar isn't alone in this unfortunate struggle. We've heard countless stories from other eminent musicians, like Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, who have faced similar travails with various airlines. It truly begs the question: when will airlines, especially those purporting to represent a nation's culture, truly understand and prioritize the delicate nature and immense value of these instruments, not just as cargo, but as carriers of culture, emotion, and dreams? Here's hoping this incident prompts Air India, and indeed other carriers, to implement more thoughtful and careful policies for handling musical instruments, ensuring that artists can travel and create without this constant anxiety hanging over their heads.