New Delhi: Following Anushka Shankar’s recent comments in which she refuted claims that Rishabh Rikhiram Sharma was formally a disciple of her father Pandit Ravi Shankar, the young musician has issued an official statement clarifying his position.
26-year-old sitarist, composer and music producer Rishabh Rikhiram Sharma is known for blending Indian classical music with contemporary styles and presenting them in a youth-friendly format. In several past interviews, he has described himself as the youngest and last disciple of Pandit Ravi Shankar and has credited the maestro’s musical lineage and philosophy for shaping his artistic journey.
The controversy gained attention after Anushka Shankar addressed the issue in an interview with Humans of Bombay. While appreciating Rishabh’s talent, he clarified the misunderstanding he had expressed about his gravity.
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“I think it’s really wonderful to see the way the sitar has been brought onto the horizon,” he said. “Rishabh is really talented and articulates his thoughts brilliantly. But there is some misconception about his gravitas.”
He revealed that Rishabh had trained under his father’s senior disciple, Parimal Sadaphal, and had only a few informal teachings with Pandit Ravi Shankar.
He further added, “He also did some lessons informally with my father while Parimal uncle was also present in the room.”
Anushka further said that both the families have known each other for years, as Rishabh is the son of appliance manufacturer Sanjay Rikhiram Sharma. He said, “Somehow, it has been blown into the story of him being my father’s last or youngest disciple, which is not true. But he is extremely talented and deserves all the success with or without that story.”
Official statement of Rishabh Rikhiram Sharma
In response, Rishabh’s management issued a detailed statement saying that Pandit Ravi Shankar formally accepted him as a disciple through the traditional Ganda Bandhan ceremony in 2012.
The statement reads: “On January 3, 2012, at the Ravi Shankar Center (Saraswati Puja Hall), a private meeting was held at the express request of Pandit Ravi Shankar between 13-year-old Rishabh Rikhiram Sharma, his parents Sanjay and Manjul Sharma, his brother Mukul Sharma, Pandit Parimal Sadaphal, Shruti Sadamal and Panditji and his wife Sukanya Shankar.
Subsequently, on 2 January, Panditji made a personal call to Sanjay Sharma, requesting Rishabh’s presence for the Ganda Bandhan ceremony the next day. During the meeting, Panditji inquired about Rishabh’s prior musical training. Sanjay Sharma explained that Rishabh received guidance primarily from him and his school music teacher, Salim Kumar, and did not take formal initiation under any guru, with most of his education being self-directed through online study from the age of 10.
On reviewing Rishabh’s abilities, Panditji saw that such a talent required structured grooming and he, with family consent, expressed his desire to formally accept Rishabh as his disciple, given that he would guide him even if he had previously studied under some other guru.
Sukanya Shankar recalled that during her stay in the United States, she had shown Panditji a YouTube recording of Rishabh performing Raga Tilak Kamod at the Sanjay Rikhi Ram Vadya Parampara program in New Delhi on February 10, 2011. After reviewing the recording again on the morning of January 3, 2012, Pandit Ravi Shankar decided to accept Rishabh as a disciple and personally nurture his potential.
Panditji asked Rishabh to play the same raga, listened carefully, corrected the composition and conducted a formal recital lasting several hours. He clarified that although he may not always be physically present, Pandit Parimal Sadaphal will monitor the structured training with periodic remote reviews.
The session concluded with the formal Ganda Bandhan ceremony, during which Panditji tied the traditional red thread around Rishabh’s wrist and spoke about Dhatva Vidya, emphasizing that although the thread may break physically, the spiritual guru-disciple bond lasts a lifetime.
On 10 February 2012, at the Sanjay Rikhi Ram Vadya Parampara event held at the Kamani Auditorium, Pandit Ravi Shankar publicly introduced 13-year-old Rishabh Rikhiram Sharma as his youngest disciple on stage in the presence of Sukanya Shankar, Sharma family members, fellow disciples and the gathered audience. This was Panditji’s last public appearance in India before relocating to the United States.
Following the demise of Pandit Ravi Shankar in December 2012, Sukanya Shankar invited Rishabh to perform with other disciples of Panditji’s extended teaching lineage at the maestro’s memorial service at Nehru Park on 10 March 2013.
From 2013, Pandit Parimal Sadaphal continued the training of Rishabh Rikhiram Sharma under the guidance of Pandit Ravi Shankar. Additionally, Rishabh has studied from many eminent musicians, including Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Ustad Ashish Khan and others.
At the age of 17, Rishabh relocated to New York City to pursue graduate studies in Music Production and Economics at The City University of New York, continuing his musical development.