Rishabh Sharma is not Pandit Ravi Shankar’s last disciple, clarifies sitar maestro’s daughter

Mumbai: Renowned sitarist Anoushka Shankar, daughter of legendary musician Pandit Ravi Shankar, has clarified that musician Rishabh Rikhiram Sharma was not formally the last disciple of her father, addressing a claim that has circulated online in recent years.

Speaking about the issue, Anoushka told Humans Of Bombay, there appears to be a misunderstanding regarding Rishabh’s training under Pandit Ravi Shankar. While she acknowledged his talent and growing popularity, she explained that he did not undergo formal guruship under the late maestro.

“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,” she said.

According to Anoushka, Rishabh did not undergo formal training under Pandit Ravi Shankar. She explained that he primarily learnt from Parimal Sadaphal, a senior disciple of the maestro, while only having a few informal lessons with her father.

“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 said.

She added that her family had known Rishabh since childhood because his father, Sanjay Rikhiram Sharma, was their instrument maker. Over time, she said, that connection may have led to confusion about his musical lineage.

“So somehow that has gone, blown up into some story of him being his last disciple or the youngest disciple, which isn't true,” she stated.

Despite setting the record straight, Anoushka praised his artistry, adding that he deserves success regardless of such labels.

How the claim gained attention

Rishabh Rikhiram Sharma has previously referred to Pandit Ravi Shankar as his guru in interviews and social media posts, describing a meeting with the legend as a life-changing moment. Captions on some of his videos also mentioned him as the “last disciple” of the late musician, which later sparked debate.

Rishabh, who comes from the well-known Rikhi Ram family of instrument makers, has built a dedicated fan following through modern sitar performances and music centred on mental health.