At thirteen, she made her performing debut in sitar and began assisting her father in all his concerts worldwide.

Meet Anoushka Shankar, accredited by TIME for ‘injecting freshness and energy into a somewhat stuffy art form, and broadening its appeal for a younger generation’.

You mastered the sitar at a very young age. Was it a difficult feat?

Technically, the sitar is one of the most difficult instruments in the world because of the sheer size of the neck, the physical discomfort of the sitting position, the cuts on one's fingers and the complexity of the instrument. It's important to keep at it with an instrument that is this daunting. It helps tremendously to have a guru to guide you through the process, but to be successful you have to love the music and love playing the instrument.

Have you always aspired to be a musician?

Yes! If I didn't get into sitar, my second choice has always been the piano. I started playing the two at around the same time and initially the piano had a greater hold on me. Other than music, I was interested in acting (stage, not film) and philosophy.

Does being the daughter of a great musician come with ‘perks’?

Well, I would have to work much harder if I did not have this advantage. But to last, one has to have a basic talent.

You once mentioned that your second solo album Anourag was special. What makes it special?

My father has made a guest appearance on the last track, in which I accompany him the way I do at concerts. I don't think he has ever performed on someone else's album before. That’s what makes it so special.

When you begin a concert, are you nervous because the audience think of you as Ravi Shankar’s daughter?

I hardly get nervous. If I do, it is when I am playing for an extremely knowledgeable audience.

Can you recall any one memorable audience reaction?

Some years ago, there were two concerts in Spain and Italy that my father had to cancel at the last minute because he was unwell. They asked me to go instead, and I was terrified because replacing my father is impossible! I was really nervous before both concerts because I knew I had so much to live up to. As it were, they gave me standing ovations at both concerts. But what really shocked me was that they didn't stop clapping until I came out to do encores! That was very special; I will never forget it.

What prompted you to act in Dance Like A Man?

Well, acting seemed like fun. The role was very simple though I had to learn Bharatnatyam for three months before I faced the camera. I had learnt Bharatnatyam until I was thirteen-years-old. Then I lost practice. However, I was quite comfortable with acting even though it was a small role. I did the film for the experience, not to launch a full-fledged career in acting.

What's the difference between Anoushka the sitar maestro and Anoushka the woman?

Because of the genre of music I'm involved with, sometimes I find myself having to play myself down to fit into the good-little-Indian-girl prototype. As a person, I'm louder, freer and more fun loving than people would expect from a classical musician! On the whole though, I don't believe in an "image," so I've never tried to be something other than me; what people see of me really is me, just a quieter version!

What is the music you unwind with?

I listen to a lot of Goa trance, flamenco, Western classical and artists like Sting, Madonna, Massive Attack and Tori Amos.