Air India to Anoushka Shankar: ‘We deeply regret the distress’ – Offers compensation, vows policy overhaul
New Delhi: Grammy-nominated sitarist Anoushka Shankar shocked fans when her precious sitar arrived cracked after an Air India flight. She called out the airline for careless handling despite special fees and protective cases.
Now, good news: repairs are underway, Air India has apologised with compensation offers, and fans hope for better policies ahead. Will her instrument be ready for the India Chapters tour?
Initial shock and public outcry
Anoushka Shankar first shared her heartbreak on Instagram, posting a video of the damaged sitar with deep cracks. “Devastated and truly disturbed by @airindia’s treatment of my sitar. How on earth does damage like this happen without willful disregard?” she captioned. In the video, she said, “This was my first time flying Air India in a long time. 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.” She added, “How have you done this? I have special cases, you charge a handling fee, and yet you’ve done this?”
The post went viral, drawing support from celebrities. Comedian Zakir Khan commented, “This is extremely heartbreaking.” Composer Vishal Dadlani wrote, “God, that’s heartbreaking! I’m so sorry.” Singer Papon added, “Genuine care feels so rare these days… this is so heartbreaking.”
Positive repair update
In a fresh Instagram update, Anoushka expressed gratitude and shared hope. “First of all, THANK YOU, everyone, for your commiserations and support after my sitar was damaged on a flight this week. I have an incredible update- which is that it MAY be saved! I’m holding my breath whilst the truly amazing Ajay Rikhiram @rikhiramoriginals works on repairing my precious instrument, and I’m fervently hoping it will be brought back to life in time for my upcoming India Chapters tour,” she wrote. Fans praised Ajay Rikhiram, a skilled instrument maker known for sitar repairs.
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Air India’s response and promises
Thanks to fan comments and shares, Air India reached out quickly. “ALSO, thanks to all your comments and shares, @airindia has reached out with apologies, an offer to compensate for the repairs and promises of a policy change after a full investigation into how this happened,” Anoushka noted in her post. An airline spokesperson said, “We are concerned to learn of a valued guest’s experience with their musical instrument on a recent flight with us. We understand its cultural and personal significance, and deeply regret the distress this incident may have caused.”
She hopes this leads to real change. “Hopefully they will follow through, as it’s not enough if it’s just me who gets the support. I hope this can mark a change in the way musical instruments and all other precious goods are handled, giving them the care they deserve. I will keep you posted on all fronts! Mainly, please keep your fingers crossed that my instrument will be ok!”
This story highlights the need for better care of musical instruments in air travel, especially for artists like Anoushka, daughter of Pandit Ravi Shankar, amid her Grammy buzz for Chapter III: Return to Light.”
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