Sitar for Mental Health Tour, new & unreleased music: Rishab Rikhiram Sharma on his ongoing tour and sonic healing
More than a decade has passed since sitar maestro and bharat ratna pandit Ravi Shankar introduced 10-year-old Rishab Rikhiram Sharma on stage when he first performed as his disciple. As fate would have it, Rishab would be the last disciple of the late sitar legend. Now, decades later, Rishab is echoing his learnings and amplifying the sitar’s beauty, grace and importance through his performances worldwide, including one at the US White House a few years ago.
Rishab’s originals have also become a staple in many playlists. Hits like Chanakya, Kautilya and Shiv Kailash have garnered lots of streams and plays online. Rishab has now quickly become one of the biggest musical artistes to find an intersectionality between Indian classical music and the importance of mental health through his popular Sitar for Mental Health Tour. The 2025 India tour, with shows in Delhi and Mumbai being well recieved, is now underway and has witnessed many Bollywood celebs like Mira Kapoor, Bhumi Pednekar and Shriya Pilgaonkar in attendance. We catch up with him to talk about what people can expect this time around, his insights into the growing interest in the intersection of music and wellness, his fabulous outfits and much more…
What is the Sitar For Mental Health Tour looking like this time around?
It’s going to be the biggest tour that we’ve done till now, but it is also the biggest sitar performance that anyone has seen. However, the focus of the tour will remain the same — promoting mental health wellness through the sitar and ancient forms of sound medicine, which is called raga therapy — raga chikitsa. I’m so excited also to perform some new music this time. We are launching a new song called Temple Burn, which I’ll be releasing in the coming weeks!
Earlier, you have delved into your journey of dealing with your mental health and its connections to the origins of this show. Now, how much more meaningful and rewarding has this tour become for you?
I feel like conversation is very important and sharing your story normalises something that’s stigmatised. For example, if I’m a person with the mic in my hand and everyone’s listening to me, I hold the responsibility to very truthfully convey my story while also talking about things which have worked for me. With no shame, I have been admitting that I was going through anxiety and depression, which I still do. It’s not like it’s a one-time affair. It’s as common as cold. Depression can hit you anytime. It’s just that we don’t know about it. That’s the part of awareness that you have to make people aware of — if you’re not feeling a hundred percent, if you’re feeling low and sad, it’s completely okay. Therefore, I feel like there are a few people who would look up to me and take my advice. If they’re feeling low or aren’t feeling a hundred percent themselves, they will reach out for help because I did so as well. If someone looks up to someone else, they do influence them and they need to use that position very responsibly and for the greater good.
Considering the focus on mental well-being, will you be continuing the pre-show meditation this year and what do you see as its benefits for those attending?
Yes, of course! We have a very special meditation this time. It’s going to be a guided meditation, but I won’t be playing the sitar. I’ll be playing the surbahar, which is the father of the sitar. It is twice the weight and size of the sitar! It is crafted for meditation and very deep alap and exploration of ragas by my father Sanjay Rikhi Ram. And let me tell you, this instrument is like a dinosaur now. Very few people around the world play it.
I have spent the last few months just holding it up and playing a few notes (laughs). So, I’m going to be fiddling around on that instrument and I hope to bring out that meditative experience that this instrument has the power to provide and just make everyone feel good.
There’s a growing interest in the intersection of music and wellness. How do you see this field evolving in the future?
There’s a lot of scope here. I see a lot of apps and a lot of new IPs that have come out as people are realising the importance of mental health. Such methods are like more holistic medicine. Using sound as a medicine is a very interesting concept. And there are years and years of data that backs up how music works as therapy. It is also is something that we are experimenting with — how the sound of sitar affects your brain. I feel like there’s a huge potential for making personalised guided meditations through AI. I’m just excited to see how the AI universe will change therapy and mental wellness.
Your outfits and henna art add much value to your performances. Are there any specific designs you choose for your shows?
I love to design and sketch silhouettes. Though, I’m a really bad artist. My sketches are horrible and kudos to the designers that I work with who even accept my drawings (laughs). But obviously for every show I have a different vision, as I had last year. But this year, the scale is on a different level. So, we are designing outfits for every show and I’m very excited to be collaborating with different designers. I’ve been talking to them and we are just shortlisting people we would like to work with! Some new henna designs are also coming up!
You also became the first artiste to perform at UNESCO World Heritage Site — Patan Durbar, Kathmandu. What was that experience like?
I think, I was already on stage when they told me that! I was deeply honoured because it was such a landmark place in Kathmandu and a very busy one at that! I was showered with so much love in Nepal. I can’t wait to go back there again!
Your vocals have also become a big contribution to the success of your originals. Do you plan to implement more of that talent in future projects?
You won’t believe, I have a whole vocal album that I haven’t put out! That’s a problem with me — I never put out music (laughs). I would say that I have only put out 10 percent of the music that I have sitting on my computer. However, I love singing, even though I don’t consider myself a singer. I hum a little bit, here and there. Music is about what comes from the deepest place in your heart. I never wanted to do fancy things with my vocals. If you just keep it simple and melodious, people will love it and keep coming back to it.