- Rishabh Rikhiram Sharma claims to be the last disciple of Pandit Ravi Shankar
- Anoushka Shankar denies Rishabh was formally a disciple of her father
- Rishabh trained intensively under Parimal Sadaphal, a senior disciple of Ravi Shankar
Rishabh Rikhiram Sharma, a sitarist and music producer from the Rikhi Ram lineage of instrument makers, has a separate fan base among music lovers. From being the first sitarist to perform solo at the White House to advocating music as a therapeutic tool for emotional well-being, the musician carries forward a culturally rich classical tradition. He has, however, often called himself the last and youngest disciple of Pandit Ravi Shankar – a claim recently opposed by the legendary musician's daughter, Anoushka Shankar.
Rishabh Rikhiram Sharma has often revealed in past interviews how a conversation with Pandit Ravi Shankar marked a turning point in his musical journey. Nullifying his claims, however, Anoushka Shankar mentioned that he was never formally a disciple of her father. “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,” Anoushka told Humans Of Bombay.
Although Anoushka praised Rishabh's talents, she clarified, “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.”
“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,” she continued.
When Rishabh Rikhiram Sharma Called Himself "The Last Disciple Of Pandit Ravi Shankar"
In a video uploaded on his official Instagram handle, Rishabh Rikhiram Sharma can be seen playing the sitar. While the tunes are magical, it was his caption that instantly grabbed the attention of many.
The side note read, “Music can heal, believes 24-year-old sitar player Rishab Rikhiram Sharma, who belongs to a family of luthiers and is the last disciple of late sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar.”
Take a look:
When Rishab Rikhiram Sharma Spoke Of His Lineage With Ravi Shankar
In a previous conversation, Rishabh revealed his deep-rooted connection with Pandit Ravi Shankar. Calling the legendary musician his guru, he told Bani Anand that Ravi Shankar had once called his father, Sanjay Rikiram, and asked him to bring Rishabh to him. “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,” he shared.
Talking about the turning point in his life, Rishabh shared, “After that, he turned to my parents and said, ‘With your permission, your kid has a lot of talent, I would love to be his guru and teach him,' and I saw my parents' jaw drop to the floor because God himself had come down and said, ‘Can I teach your child?' So my dad didn't have the courage to ask him. For him to offer to be my guru was amazing.”
On the work front, Anoushka Shankar is currently on her Chapters Tour 2026 in India, marking 30 remarkable years of celebrating music.
