Twenty-four hours ago [9th February 2026], I watched Anoushka set a stadium on fire with a lit sitar at the closing concert of the India segment for her Chapters Tour. This evening, she lounges beside me, diminutive but emitting a steady radiance, her now signature fringe and bob freshly washed, giving directions in surprisingly good Bengali. It feels as good a time as any to start a conversation about the city.

KEP
When were you last in Kolkata?

AS
My last show was in 2018. I haven’t been back since then.

KEP
The last time you played at this venue though, Kolkata was still Calcutta.

AS
I have a memory of my dad [Pandit Ravi Shankar] doing a special concert as part of the commemoration. I think the government asked him to write a song as a celebration of Kolkata. I remember a little bit of it. It was like “Kolkata, Kolkata… [Anoushka sings softly in Bengali] something something…’

KEP
Was it a choice to end this India tour in Kolkata?

AS
When I heard Kolkata could be the end, I was like, 100%. It felt right. I knew it would just mean a lot to finish here.

KEP
Does the language or city ever feature in your music?

AS
A lot of the time in my improvisations, I bring in things like the Bengali boatman songs that I used to play with my father. They’re just in me. Here’s a really weird one. When my first kid was a baby, the lullaby I hummed to him and wrote for him was in Bengali. The continuation comes through generations.