In the summer of 2024, my mother sent me a reel on Instagram in which a young man in his mid-twenties was playing a beautiful rendition of “Tum Hi Dekho Na” from the movie “Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna” on his sitar. The tune was so melodious that I saw that 90-second reel for around 20-25 minutes. This made me curious, and I searched more about this talented musician. While searching for this tune on the internet, I learned that the artist’s name was Rishab Rikhiram Sharma, a sitar player and the last disciple of the legendary Pt. Ravi Shankar.

This is how I got to know about Rishab’s music and his journey into this realm. His music made a quiet impact on me, and as soon as he announced his India tour, I knew I had to see him live. Rishab performed to a sold-out crowd in Delhi’s Indira Gandhi Arena, and for almost 2 hours, he mesmerized everyone with his charm, talent, and soulful music.

From the first note of Tilak Shyam, it was evident that this was not going to be an ordinary sitar recital. With gentle strokes and a steady rhythm, Rishab built a meditative atmosphere. He let the raga unravel gradually, with grace and depth. The meends were elegant, the jod section stretched with care, and his taans flowed like poetry. It was the perfect way to open the evening, rooted in tradition, calm yet commanding. However, before he began his performance, he started the night with a little exercise where he told a crowd of 14,000 to inhale and exhale by putting one hand on their heart, and the other on the belly. This was to relax everyone so that they could enjoy the music wholeheartedly. But it seemed he did that to calm himself as well before the performances began, and the atmosphere started getting a bit more energetic.

After the melodious introduction to Tilak Shyam, Rishab Rikhiram Sharma looked more relaxed and started performing on his popular tracks. First came Shiv Kailashon Ke Vaasi, a powerful composition inspired by Lord Shiva’s cosmic abode. The artist transitioned from the calm of Tilak Shyam to the intensity of devotion. The slow-burning tune was spiritually rich, and as the other instruments joined in, the performance lifted into another realm. It wasn’t just technical brilliance, it was the way he communicated devotion through every pluck and pause. People didn’t just hear the music, they felt it. It was one of the performances that brought a tear to many eyes, not because of how intense it was, but because of how pure it was.

Meanwhile, Roslyn, a delicate original composition, was quiet and inward-looking. That piece had restraint, melancholy, and vulnerability. The silence between the notes spoke as loudly as the notes themselves.

And then came the unexpected: a sitar rendition of Kal Ho Na Ho. He began the performance by telling the audience to snap their fingers in a rhythm for a while, and no one knew what was going to come. However, he took everyone by storm as soon as he hit the first note. There’s always a risk when you take something iconic and emotional as this Sonu Nigam classic, and interpret it on a classical instrument. But Rishab didn’t just pull it off, he elevated it. The melody flowed beautifully on the sitar, and by the time he reached the chorus, people were lost in people were lost in a wave of memory and meaning. It was deeply nostalgic and a clear nod to how versatile Indian classical instruments can be.

He also gave a tribute to his teacher, Pt. Ravi Shankar, by playing one of the most extraordinary songs, Saare Jahaan Se Accha, on the sitar. In that moment, Rishab became a bridge between the old and the new, the purist and the popular.

(Image Courtesy: @rishabsmusic/Instagram)

The mood suddenly shifted when he played another of his popular tracks, Chanakya, which brought in a completely different energy. It was sharp, full of strategy, just like the man it’s named after. This is where Rishab didn’t hold back, and his storytelling through the sitar shone. Each taan felt like a well-thought-out argument in a debate. The audience was hooked, and applause erupted midway—not something you usually hear during Indian classical concerts. But that’s the Sharma effect. He makes classical music feel immediate and urgent. Just when we thought the emotional waves had crested, Rishab brought out the final act of the night—Taandav. And it wasn’t just a finale, it was a storm. It was pure adrenaline, and the hall vibrated with the energy.

As the show ended,  we all felt we had seen something special. But, as a journalist, I needed to know how others felt. So, I talked to people and they shared how they felt. For Neeti, a resident of Noida, this show was “beyond anything she expected.” Moreover, she felt that the tunes he played were “incredibly calming and therapeutic, and felt like a gentle reset” for her “mind and soul.” Meanwhile, for Samyak, it was an “emotional rollercoaster” performance that brought tears to his eyes. In reality, it was not just a performance, but a therapy session.

What makes Rishab Rikhiram Sharma so impactful is not just his command over the sitar—it’s his ability to make classical music feel alive, relevant, and emotionally direct. For anyone who doubts whether classical music can still move today’s audiences, this concert was a clear, hard-hitting answer. Rishab is not the future of Indian classical music. He is its present, burning bright with passion, power, and precision.

Rishab Rikhiram Sharma is currently touring India.