A sitar concert used to mean a seated hall and a polite audience. On 21 March 2026, at Mumbai's Mahalaxmi Racecourse, it meant more than 20,000 people, film themes reimagined on sitar, and Deepika Padukone, Gauri Khan and Tara Sutaria in the crowd.
Who he is
Rishab Rikhiram Sharma is the youngest, and last, disciple of Pandit Ravi Shankar. He comes from Rikhi Ram's Music, the Delhi instrument-making family. His concert format, Sitar for Mental Health, pairs ragas with open conversation about anxiety and emotional wellbeing, drawn from his own experience.
The 2026 India tour
His 2025 India dates were postponed because of geopolitical tensions. The 2026 tour made up for it: ten cities between March and April, opening in Bengaluru on 15 March and running through Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, Chennai, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Chandigarh and Kolkata before a New Delhi finale. Team Innovation produced it with District by Zomato.
The instrument everyone filmed
The tour debuted SITARA, billed as India's first LED-enhanced electric sitar. His father, master luthier Sanjay Sharma, built it after the 2024 tour, partly for the visual show and partly to make the instrument easier to travel with.
Why it matters
Indian classical music has rarely sold racecourse-sized crowds to audiences under 35. A sitarist who treats a concert like a stadium show, without diluting the raga, has made the form feel current.
Disclosure: Rishab Rikhiram Sharma is available for bookings through GIST Talent. See the profile.
