As someone who has observed music as a complex, difficult art form, playing music for fun is beyond the ken of this writer. Yet, for many musicians, the medium remains a space of comfort. As the last disciple of the late Pandit Ravi Shankar, Rishab Rikhiram Sharma seeks to share this musical space with his audience.

Sharma’s Sitar for Mental Health at the Royal Opera House this week is an example of this concept. “I realised the importance of mental health in 2020. I lost my grandfather, and was also battling anxiety. It led me to seek counselling,” the sitarist admits. He found comfort in an old friend — the sitar. “Sitar for mental health began as a way for me to deal with my own anxiety.  It has always been my coping mechanism. But I have learned that music is an empathetic transaction with others,” Sharma remarks.