Father was a disciplinarian

Being the daughter of a maestro and an iconic figure like late Pt Ravi Shankar, sitarist Anoushka Shankar has her own share of experiences of being scrutinised and constantly judged.

She insists that her life is no different from that of an ordinary, innocent girl. As a child, the musician suffered sexual and emotional abuse for several years at the hands of a man her parents trusted implicitly.

“Growing up, like most women, I suffered various forms of sexual abuse, groping, verbal abuse and other things, I didn't know how to cope up with or how to change. Every woman I have spoken to, has a similar story of humiliation, objectification or subjugation," said the Indian composer.

Speaking on the topic “Changing Mindsets" at Hindustan Times Leadership Summit, Anoushka shared, “As a woman, I am constantly grappling with fear. I am afraid to walk alone at night."

Starting at a very young age, she's charted her way through the music world with her soulful strings. “I debuted at an early age of 13 and was hitting the headlines the next day of my concert. But behind all this glitz and accolades, I was remotely aware of the pressure to perform at back of my mind," said the global artiste.

Talking about the equation that the father-daughter shared, Anoushka said, “We had some delineation within our relationship. He was a strict disciplinarian as a music guru but adoring and pampering as a father."

During the session, the sitarist pointed out Bollywood and the popular culture should focus on creating awareness about gender sensitisation rather than objectifying women and portraying her in the wrong light. “I am sick of the running theme of misogyny and sexualisation of women prevalent in the industry. Bollywood stars that have ill-treated their girlfriends continue to be heroworshipped in our country!" she said during a discussion where actor-turned-politicians Smriti Irani and Khushboo Sundar shared the panel.

“I am quite comfortable in watching the most intimate sexual scenes depicted in films as it is purely between two people but a song with suggestive lyrics make me feel uncomfortable in my own skin."

Anoushka, who's currently touring India with her 'Traces of You' concert, “It talks about how people leave behind their impressions on whosoever they encounter. This album is my second collaboration with my sister, Norah," said the proud sister.