US Edition‘Devastated’: Musician Anoushka Shankar Calls Out Air India After Her Sitar Gets Damaged During Flight
Anoushka Shankar accused Air India of mishandling her sitar despite paid fees, marking the first damage in over 15 years of air travel, she said on Instagram.
- On Dec 04, 2025, multiple Grammy-nominated sitarist Anoushka Shankar publicly called out Air India after finding severe damage to her sitar following a recent flight.
- Anoushka Shankar alleged the sitar damage showed "wilful disregard" by Air India and said she paid an additional handling fee during her first flight with the carrier in years.
- Showing the instrument up close, Anoushka Shankar shared a video on Instagram, where she said, `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 this was my first time flying Air India in a long time. 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. You guys charge a handling fee and yet you've done this,'` confirming visible cracks and the damage following her flight.
- The post prompted swift reactions from the music community, as fans and fellow musicians urged Air India to respond, calling the incident heartbreaking and increasing pressure on the airline.
- Her recent Grammy nominations mean Anoushka Shankar gains visibility with "Daybreak" nominated for Best Global Music Performance and Chapter III: We Return to Light for Best Global Music Album at the 2026 Grammy Awards ceremony, February 1 at Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles.
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NewsDrumAnoushka Shankar's sitar damaged on A-I flight, airline says it is investigating
Anoushka Shankar's sitar damaged on A-I flight, airline says it is investigating A ''devastated and truly disturbed'' Anoushka Shankar has said her sitar was damaged on an Air India flight, telling the airline in a social media post that ''even an Indian instrument isn't safe with them'' and this is the first time in 15 or 17 years that this has happened. The high-profile musician posted a video on Instagram on Wednesday showing a deep crack thr…
Anoushka Shankar accuses Air India of breaking her sitar in transit- Watch video
Anoushka Shankar, the acclaimed sitar virtuoso and Grammy nominee, took to social media with a heavy heart after her beloved instrument suffered serious damage during an Air India flight, despite her investment in special care for its transportation.
Musician Anoushka Shankar slams Air India after sitar gets damaged
Musician Anoushka Shankar on Wednesday, December 3 called out Air India after her sitar was damaged while she was on a flight. She questioned the Air India management regarding mishandling of the instrument. The musician shared a picture of the damaged sitar on her Instagram and captioned it, “Air India, how has this happened.” Also ReadMohammed Siraj accuses Air India Express of leaving passengers in limbo The musician further said she found …
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