Anoushka Shankar clarifies Rishabh Rikhiram Sharma was not Ravi Shankar’s 'last disciple': “There is some misunderstanding”

She went on to explain the long-standing relationship between their families, noting that familiarity may have contributed to the confusion.

• Anoushka Shankar: Rishabh Sharma wasn't Ravi Shankar's disciple
• Sharma learned from Parimal Sadaphal, not formally Ravi Shankar
• Anoushka wraps up her India tour, marking 30 years in music

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Sitarist Rishabh Rikhiram Sharma has frequently been described as the “last and youngest disciple" of the legendary Ravi Shankar — a title he has referenced in multiple interviews while reflecting on his musical path.

However, Ravi Shankar’s daughter and globally acclaimed sitar exponent Anoushka Shankar has now addressed the narrative, clarifying that Sharma was never formally initiated as her father’s disciple.

In a recent conversation with Humans of Bombay, Anoushka spoke candidly about what she described as a misunderstanding surrounding his mentorship.

She said, “Rishab is really talented and he is clearly speaking to people in a really wonderful way. I think there is some misunderstanding about his guruship. He learnt very intensively with someone very dear to me, one of my father’s senior disciples Parimal Sadaphal, and he had a couple of lessons with my father, very informally, with Parimal uncle also in the room."

She went on to explain the long-standing relationship between their families, noting that familiarity may have contributed to the confusion. “We knew him from childhood because he was the son of our instrument maker Sanjay Rikiram Sharma. So somehow that has gone blown up into some story of him being his last disciple or the youngest disciple, which isn’t true. But he is super talented and deserves all success with or without that story."

Earlier, Rishabh Rikhiram Sharma had shared his own recollection of how Ravi Shankar came into his life as a guiding presence. Speaking to Bani Anand, he detailed how a recording of his early performance reached the maestro.

He said, “My father Sanjay Rikiram took over my Guruji’s sitar work after my grandfather’s demise. From my first live concert, a video reached Guruji. He saw that video and called my dad and said, ‘Is this your son you are telling me about?’ My father said yes. Guruji said, ‘Whenever I am in Delhi, please bring him over.’ Once we were there, Guruji was like, ‘OK, take out your sitar and play for me a little bit.’ I played and then he picked up his guitar and played the same composition."

Also read: Arijit Singh joins Anoushka Shankar at after-party in Kolkata post their Kolkata concert

While the differing accounts have sparked discussion online, Anoushka’s remarks highlight the nuances between formal discipleship and informal guidance within the traditional guru-shishya parampara.

Meanwhile, Anoushka Shankar is currently wrapping up her Chapters Tour 2026 across India, marking 30 years of her musical career. During her recent Kolkata performance, she was joined by Arijit Singh and percussionist Bickram Ghosh for a special extended 20-minute collaborative set, delighting the audience with a memorable live moment.