Internationally acclaimed sitar player Anoushka Shankar has criticised Air India after finding her sitar broken following a recent flight.
The British-American sitar player of Indian descent, who decided to fly with the airline after many years, shared an emotional video on Instagram expressing her shock and disappointment at how her instrument was handled.
In her video, 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 realized (that it was broken).
“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.
“How have you done this? I have special cases. You guys charge a handling fee and yet you’ve done this,” Anoushka said.
In her Instagram caption, she wrote, “Devastated and truly disturbed by @airindia’s treatment of my sitar. How on earth does damage like this happen without willful disregard? It feels especially sad given that I’ve flown Air India after a long time, and it seems an Indian instrument can’t be safe with them- after all the thousand of flights taken on other airlines without even a peg going out of tune.”
The post, uploaded on December 3, has received wide attention online, with many fans expressing support and urging Air India to respond.
One Instagram user said: “@airindia how dare you!! You have no idea the hours and weeks and money we spend making sure these unreplacable sitars are safe. Truly shocked and saddened by this.”
Another said, “This is absolutely AWFUL!! I am so terribly sorry this happened!!! Holding you – and your precious, precious sitar – close in my heart. Unbelievable negligence by Air India … unconscionable.”
A third user wrote: “Hollly what nowww!???? My heart was racing… this has to go public… literally the unteenth time i’m seeing stories like this from them.”
