Born into a family of luthiers, Rishab Rikhiram Sharma has always been around music. However, his identity as a sitarist has been shaped by much more than just his lineage. With soulful sitar melodies, henna-stained hands, and conversations on healing and mental health, the young musician is redefining Indian classical music. This confluence of energy has led to his initiative, Sitar for Mental Health. Mental Health Awareness Month, celebrated annually in May, is still a month away, but Sharma’s performance tomorrow at the Dome SVP Stadium in Worli, using the sitar as a medium, couldn’t have come at a better time.

So, what drew him to the sitar? “I didn’t choose sitar. In a way, sitar chose me,” shares Sharma, who has been trained by celebrated Indian sitarist and composer Pandit Ravi Shankar. Having found peace through sitar during a challenging phase in life, Sharma decided to build a community where music and mental health became one.