READ: Anoushka Shankar Chat

rajneesh: Is it true that Ut Zakir Hussain and your father had a huge tiff during a concert in Mumbai about two years ago?

Answer: that was a pretty unfortunate event. it should have simply been a special concert, the first time they were playing together in 15 years. Zakir uncle had some problem with the sound we were not aware of, and unplugged his mic near the end of the show! my dad wasn't noticing this while playing and kept on playing, meanwhile i had no clue what to do....obviously then people got upset and wanted to hear Zakir uncle so a couple people started calling out for him...it was all very quick and confusing and needn't have become so messy...unfortunately it blown up by media and people who didn't realize what was going on- as a supposed argument between them about the tabla being too loud/quiet, which wasn't at all the case.

raj: how do you like India?

Answer: gosh! its such a broad question. i love India for the most part, and more than loving or feeling anything for it it simply IS my home, my history, my culture, and also of course the home of my music. so in some senses it's everything to me....also i've grown up living half in india and half abroad so it's a place i'm always thrilled to return to, for friends, family and so on...

nikhil.deshmukh: hey all hey anoushka

Answer: hello EVERYONE! Lots of helloes are being sent up don't think i'm ignoring!

harerama: hi anoshka.... do you have any plan to render the typical bollywood kinda music.?

Answer: no plan to do so no....doesn't mean i wouldn't love to do music for film....but anyway in general i don't make "mainstream" kinda music, it's not pop, it's not easy listening really....so automatically that means i wouldn't be making the type of "average" or typical Bollywood music. if there was an opportunity, for example an off-mainstream or Indy film that wanted the kind of music i make, i would love to be a part of it

sanj.kris: hi anoushka..!!....has your father taught you the sitar with the same discipline as he is with his other students..?

Answer: good question! absolutely, yes. in a lot of senses he softened while teaching me- i was a young girl who would have started crying had he lost his temper the same way he did with disciples previously! but the essence of teaching music was always the same, he had the same exacting expectations of me

eduj: wuld be too much to expect some kind of collaboration with norah sometime in the future :-) ??

Answer: hahahaha try the new album "breathing underwater" that's out right now! we've written a song together called "easy" that she sings and plays piano on and i'm on sitar, karsh is on guitar, bass....its a sweet song. don't know about a full-fledged album or anything but i hope you like the song!

santosh v: hey anoushka !!! I am pleased to meet you over chat...

Answer: thanks! nice to meet you too

santosh v: u r a gifted sitar player....

Answer: ah thanks very much!