Grammy-nominated sitarist and composer Anoushka Shankar kicked off her India tour in Hyderabad on Friday — a city that, for her, carries both fleeting familiarity and deep personal memory. “Hyderabad is where my parents got married, at the Chilkur Balaji temple, when I was seven years old. That memory resurfaces every time I return, even though most visits of mine here have been usually brief,” she says. Ahead of her performance, Anoushka sat down with us to reflect on the past year, her evolving creative process, and what returning to India represents at this point in her life. Excerpts:
‘Recognition matters, but the music comes first’Anoushka, who is up for two Grammy Awards this year, has earned her thirteenth nomination for the track Daybreak and her fourteenth for the album Chapter III: We Return to Light. “Grammy nominations still bring a sense of professional affirmation, and I’m grateful for that. Receiving recognition is particularly meaningful because of how personal those works are. At the same time, my sense of being where I’m meant to be doesn’t come from awards. That comes from the work itself and from audience connection. The first few nominations feel monumental; over time, the feeling becomes quieter and calmer, but no less appreciated,” she says.
‘Looking back, the last year felt like a return to light’The past year has been an intense and fulfilling one. Since completing Chapter III, I’ve felt a strong sense of arrival, of returning to the light. The Chapters project, released over several years as three volumes — Chapter I: Forever, For Now (2023), Chapter II: How Dark It Is Before Dawn (2024) and Chapter III: We Return to Light (2025) — was always conceived as a long emotional journey rather than a single album.Releasing the music this way meant living with it over time, allowing each phase to unfold slowly and honestly. Touring all three chapters together has been something I’ve been building towards for years, and this India tour marks the first time I am presenting the entire trilogy live in the country. The music traces a wide emotional arc, from pain and rupture to healing, strength and joy, and bringing that full story to the stage now feels like a natural culmination of the past few years of work.
The value of your work isn’t about comparison. It’s about the fact that what you make could not exist without you, and someone out there needs exactly that.
Anoushka Shankar
‘Audiences today are willing to come towards the music’The idea of ‘translating’ Indian classical music for global audiences has changed significantly. Most of the time now, I’m performing in cities where listeners have a broad, global musical vocabulary. People are more open, curious, and willing to engage deeply, regardless of where they are. There are still moments though, when I introduce the sitar to entirely new audiences, on mainstream platforms or festival stages, and I value those deeply. What feels different now is that there’s less pressure to adapt or dilute the music. Audiences meet it on its own terms, and that shift allows for a more honest exchange.
Hyderabad is where my parents (Pandit Ravi Shankar and Sukanya Rajan) got married, at the Chilkur Balaji temple, and I was seven years old at the time. That memory resurfaces every time I return, and it gives the city a very personal resonance for me, even if my relationship with it is still unfolding
Anoushka Shankar
‘Young women don’t need to fit into a box’What continues to resonate most deeply is work that is unmistakably individual. I believe that each person has something unique to offer, shaped by their experiences, perspective and moment in time. There are always external pressures, around conformity, metrics, and visibility, but those belong to the business surrounding art. The art itself is something else entirely. Staying connected to what is authentic, especially as a woman navigating creative spaces, is what sustains a long and meaningful career.‘I’m excited by what is still unfolding’So much in the world is beyond our control, which makes the ability to live intentionally feel like a privilege. I feel more grounded now, standing firmly on my own two feet as a woman and as a person. I’m enjoying this phase of my life deeply: the relationship I have with my children, the freedom to shape how I work, and the space to live on my own terms. Musically and personally, I’m curious about where that sense of agency will lead next.
