Air India Delhi-Bengaluru flight suffers tail strike while landing at Bengaluru Airport
Air India flight AI2651 was grounded after the incident. It had 179 people on board
Renowned sitar virtuoso Anoushka Shankar has voiced her disappointment with Air India after her precious instrument was damaged during a flight. The Grammy-nominated musician shared her experience on Instagram showing her sitar and explaining the extent of the damage.
In a video, Anoushka described the moment she discovered the harm. “At first, I noticed the top of my sitar seemed out of tune,” she said. “After tuning it, I picked it up to play. And that’s when I realised this was my first time flying Air India in a long while. In 15 or 17 years of traveling with this instrument, nothing like this has ever happened. How could this happen when I have special cases. And you charge a handling fee?”
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She added in the post’s caption, “Devastated and truly disturbed by @airindia’s treatment of my sitar. How does damage like this happen without carelessness? I’ve flown thousands of times on other airlines without a single peg going out of tune. It’s sad that an Indian instrument isn’t safe with its own national carrier.”
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Anoushka’s sitar is a central part of her musical journey. She is popular for blending classical Indian music with contemporary and electronic. Her international acclaim recently came into highlight at the 68th Grammy Awards where she received multiple nominations.
Her single ‘Daybreak’ earned a nod for Best Global Music Performance, while her collaborative album “Chapter III: We Return To Light” made with Alam Khan and drummer Sarathy Korwar was nominated for Best Global Music Album.
Sharing the news on Instagram, Anoushka wrote, “Today is a day of contrasts. A horrific migraine AND news of my 12th and 13th Grammy nominations all in one afternoon. I’m beyond grateful, even from my horizontal position in this darkened room. Being nominated alongside the incredible @alamsarode and @sarathykorwar makes it all the sweeter.”
The upcoming 2026 Grammy Awards ceremony will take place on Sunday, February 1, at the Crypto (dot) com Arena in Los Angeles, with CBS airing the show and Paramount+ streaming it live.
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