NEW DELHI: Sitarist and neo-classical innovator Rishab Rikhiram Sharma brought his India tour to a close in New Delhi on Sunday, in the presence of Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and Rajya Sabha MP Rajeev Shukla.
The evening began with a welcome address by his parents, followed by a meditative breathing session, before expanding into an immersive exploration of ragas including Bihaag, Kedar, Tilak Kamod and Shyam Kalyan, performed on SITARA — a next-generation electric sitar.
He also presented a contemporary reinterpretation of a global track from Dhurandhar, which quickly captivated the audience. The performance evolved into a genre-blending medley, combining sitar, percussion and shehnai, while incorporating elements from “FA9LA”. He paid tribute to Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan with excerpts from “Man Atkeya Beparwah De Naal”.
His expansive setlist featured original compositions such as Shankara, Shiv Kailash, Burning Ghat, Belua and Roslyn, alongside reimagined pieces like Harry Potter x Game of Thrones and Bollywood favourites including Kal Ho Naa Ho, Zara Zara and Tumhi Dekho Naa, keeping a multi-generational audience engaged.
The concert concluded with Chanakya, Kautilya, Venkateswara and Tandavam, earning a standing ovation and marking a fitting end to the tour.
During the event, Sharma also greeted Chief Minister Gupta, with organiser Team Innovation sharing a video of the interaction on Instagram.
The New Delhi finale followed performances across cities including Bengaluru, Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Chandigarh and Kolkata. The tour was produced by Team Innovation and Zomato’s District platform.
(With inputs from ANI)