Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai
Mumbai, Feb 21: Sitarist and music producer Rishab Rikhiram Sharma has issued a detailed statement countering claims made by Anoushka Shankar regarding his association with legendary maestro Ravi Shankar.
The controversy began after Anoushka, in a recent interview, clarified that while Rishab is talented, her father was never formally his guru. She said he had trained intensively under Pandit Parimal Sadaphal, one of Ravi Shankar’s senior disciples, and had only a couple of informal lessons with her father.
Responding to the remarks, Rishab’s team released an official statement asserting that he was formally accepted as a disciple by Pandit Ravi Shankar in 2012 through the traditional Ganda Bandhan ceremony.
According to the statement, on January 3, 2012, a private meeting was held at the Ravi Shankar Centre (Saraswati Pooja Hall) at the express request of the maestro. Present at the meeting were 13-year-old Rishab, his parents Sanjay and Manjul Sharma, his brother Mukul Sharma, Pandit Parimal Sadaphal, Shruti Sadamal, and Ravi Shankar along with his wife Sukanya Shankar.
The statement said that the meeting followed a personal phone call from Ravi Shankar to Sanjay Sharma on January 2, 2012, inviting Rishab for the Ganda Bandhan ceremony the next day.
It further detailed that Sukanya Shankar had earlier shown Ravi Shankar a YouTube video of Rishab performing Raag Tilak Kamod at a Sanjay Rikhi Ram Vadya Parampara event in New Delhi in February 2011. After reviewing the recording again on the morning of January 3, 2012, Ravi Shankar reportedly decided to accept Rishab as his shishya.
During the session, Rishab was asked to perform the same raag. The maestro listened attentively, demonstrated corrections and conducted a formal lesson that lasted several hours. The ceremony culminated in Ravi Shankar tying the traditional red thread around Rishab’s wrist, symbolising the lifelong spiritual bond of guru and disciple.
The statement added that Ravi Shankar clarified that while he might not always be physically present, Pandit Parimal Sadaphal would supervise Rishab’s structured training, with periodic reviews.
Rishab also stated that on February 10, 2012, at a Sanjay Rikhi Ram Vadya Parampara event at Kamani Auditorium in New Delhi, Ravi Shankar publicly introduced him on stage as his youngest disciple in the presence of Sukanya Shankar, family members and fellow disciples. This event was reportedly the maestro’s final public appearance in India before relocating to the United States.
Following Ravi Shankar’s demise in December 2012, Rishab claimed he was invited by Sukanya Shankar to perform at the maestro’s memorial gathering at Nehru Park on March 10, 2013, alongside other disciples.
From 2013 onwards, the statement said, Pandit Parimal Sadaphal continued Rishab’s training under the guidance and directives of Ravi Shankar, a mentorship that continues to date.
Earlier, speaking to Humans of Bombay, Anoushka had said that Rishab was known to the family since childhood as the son of their instrument maker Sanjay Rikhi Ram Sharma. She stated that the narrative of him being Ravi Shankar’s “last” or “youngest” disciple was not accurate, though she acknowledged his talent and wished him success.
The exchange has sparked discussion in classical music circles over lineage, tradition and the sanctity of the guru-shishya parampara in Indian classical music.