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SITAR VIRTUOSO ANOUSHKA SHANKAR ANNOUNCES NEW ALBUM AND 2023 NORTH AMERICAN TOUR

CHAPTER I: FOREVER, FOR NOW

(leiter/october 6, 2023/ pre-order ), featuring: producer arooj aftab & multi-instrumentalist nils frahm ., a noushka shankar records at leiter’s famed funkhaus recording studio in berlin, the first installment of three mini-albums throughout 2023/2024, london, england  — friday, september 15, 2023 —  acclaimed sitar virtuoso, producer, and composer  anoushka shankar  officially announces a new mini-album,  chapter i: forever, for now , and a three-week north american tour from october 3 – 22, 2023. released by leiter, the label run by  nils frahm  and  felix grimm ,  chapter i: forever, for now , will be available on vinyl and via all digital platforms from october 6, 2023. her first release since december 2022’s standalone single, “in her name,” which commemorated the 10th anniversary of the 2012 gang rape in delhi of  jyoti singh pandey , the mini-album also follows  between us… , her live album for leiter earlier the same year, recorded with  jules buckley  and the  metropole orkest  and nominated for a  grammy award  for  “best global album”  in 2023.  forever, for now , will be preceded by the digital release of its first single, “stolen moments,” on june 30, 2023, and its second single, “daydreaming,” featuring nils frahm, on friday, september 15, 2023 ( link to video teaser ). , recorded at leiter’s studio in berlin’s celebrated  funkhaus  complex, the four new tracks make up the first chapter in a trilogy of mini-albums shankar will write and release as an evolving story between tours. featuring guest appearances by  nils frahm  (piano, glass harmonica, harmonium, slit drum),  gal maestro  (bass), and  magda giannikou  (accordion),  forever, for now  was produced by  arooj aftab , with whom shankar had previously collaborated on “udhero na,” from the deluxe edition of aftab’s  vulture prince  album. it, too, was nominated for a  2023 grammy award , this time for  “best global music performance”  — bringing to nine shankar’s tally of grammy nominations to date — and their creative reunion for  chapter i  proved especially liberating. “i wanted recordings that express moments,” the sitarist says, “not my analysis of those moments from a future vantage point, which often happens when working on albums over a longer period.” .

Forever, For Now ‘s dominant mood is set by the bewitching stillness of the opening “Daydreaming” (featuring  Nils Frahm ), a fresh take on a traditional Karnatik lullaby. “I remember my mother and grandmother singing it to me as a child,” Shankar reminisces, “and one-day last summer, while I was in the garden with my two sons and my sitar, I was strumming when one of my sons got tired and lay down in my lap. As I started finding this melody from childhood, he fell asleep, and I remember trying to savor the moment’s beauty. This song is a snapshot of the afternoon sun through leaves, roses in bloom, a child dozing on his mother’s lap, the preciousness of a single moment fully lived and witnessed. This whole Chapter is about that feeling, being completely in the fullness and transience of a single moment, coming to forever — for now.” 

Right from the outset, shankar’s intention over the three releases was to work with a different producer on each mini-album, and aftab was an obvious candidate for these inaugural sessions. “i’d always thought she was brilliant,” shankar recalls, “and working together on ‘udhero na’ confirmed our collaborative chemistry. i love the genre-fluid world anoushka creates with thoughtful arrangements and sonic spaces. i also value it in my work, but she does it differently. i was drawn to that different voice, that different color.” , for aftab, this was an opportunity to enlarge upon their earlier collaboration, except in greater depth and, of course, together. “i was ecstatic when anoushka asked me to produce her new material,” she says. “i wanted to be sure that we created a minimal ambiance composed but very space-giving and free, one that felt without time but not without pulse. anoushka tells us an unhurried story on each song, and we hear beautiful characters coming and going, like nils on glass harmonica or fluttering magda giannikou on accordion. juxtaposing gal maestro’s flamenco bass timing sensibilities against anoushka’s classical sense of timing without making them meet in the middle, or one person follow the other, resulting in a stunning musical dialogue.” , shankar had already visited leiter’s studio once, discovering its famed acoustics for herself while jamming with frahm. “there’s a romance to a room with that kind of recording history and scale,” she enthuses, and the stars aligned when she and aftab agreed it was also the most convenient venue to reunite for a week during their endless travels. they began with a blank slate, aside from “little half ideas and unformed melodies.” it took just two days to rough out three of the four songs. “in the months before we met in berlin,” shankar continues, “we had talked extensively about what we hadn’t heard in my work before, which was formative in how i approached my playing. once in the studio, arooj was a clear, warm, and generous producer, and the creative process instantly flowed.” , also on hand those first two days were frahm, whose role, shankar elaborates, “was subtle but magical. he was so present and open, moving around his instruments very inspiringly.” in particular, he joined aftab in coaxing the exquisitely paced, delicately arranged ‘stolen moments’ from shankar’s original, haunting melody. “exploring space and silence is not something that’s always been comfortable for me, and i allowed myself to hold back and not just play notes for the sake of it. it felt like a recording from truly listening and responding to the moment.” , frahm can be detected on two further tracks, his piano softly underpinning the soothing opener, “daydreaming,” his glass harmonica and slit drum providing a foundation for the remarkable “what will we remember” during whose nine minutes — which are based upon “madhuvanti,” a hindustani evening raga — shankar gently explores a graceful alaap, unfurling increasingly energetic flurries of sitar notes to create an astonishing, hypnotic mirage. the mini album concludes with “sleeping flowers (awaken every spring),” a showcase for her fluid, lavish dexterity, but always at  forever, for now ‘s heart lies the memory of that enchanting afternoon in shankar’s garden, her son drowsy in her lap, the sun moving at its own sleepy pace towards sunset, one of those seemingly insignificant yet unforgettable moments that, like her music, mysteriously transcends transience. where  chapter ii  will take us remains to be addressed. , for more information regarding anoushka shankar, please visit:  anoushkashankar.com, anoushka shankar, chapter i: forever, for now , track list: , 1. daydreaming (feat. nils frahm), 2. stolen moments, 3. what will we remember, 4. sleeping flowers (awaken every spring) , label: leiter, release date: october 6, 2023 catalogue no: ltr027, format: vinyl / digital , listen: leiter.lnk.to/foreverfornow visit:  leiter-verlag.com, anoushka shankar — north american tour (autumn 2023):, october 3, 2023 — storrs ct — jorgensen center , october 5, 2023 — ridgefield, ct — ridgefield playhouse , october 6, 2023 — bethesda, md — strathmore music center , october 7, 2023 — new york, ny — pioneer works , october 8, 2023 — boston, ma — berklee performance center , october 10, 2023 — montreal, qc — place des arts, theatre maisonneuve , october 11, 2023 — ottawa, on — national arts center, southam hall , october 13, 2023 — chicago, il — cso symphony center , october 14, 2023 — toronto, on — koerner hall, october 15, 2023 — vancouver, bc — chan shun concert hall , october 17, 2023 — seattle, wa — moore theater , october 18, 2023 — san francisco, ca — herbst theater , october 20, 2023 — santa fe, nm — lensic center , october 21, 2023 — orange, ca — musco center for the arts , october 22, 2023 — northridge, ca — great hall at the soraya, artist website, related articles more from author.

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Sitar Legacy

Anoushka Shankar

OCT 18 | Anoushka Shankar

Oct 18, 2023

Herbst theatre.

PLEASE NOTE: This page is an archive of a past production Please visit our calendar for all upcoming SFJAZZ shows.

Original show description below.

The urge to build bridges flows through sitar star Anoushka Shankar’ s veins. The daughter of legendary sitar master Ravi Shankar, she was raised straddling east and west, moving between London, Delhi and California. She performs music from her career as captured on her latest album, the GRAMMY-nominated 2022 live recording Between Us .

A dedicated acolyte of her father who has immersed herself in classical Hindustani music, the nine-time GRAMMY nominee has forged an independent identity by collaborating with a vast array of artists from jazz icon Herbie Hancock and violinist Joshua Bell to the DJ duo Thievery Corporation, rock band Jethro Tull and Asian Underground pioneer Karsh Kale.

Following 2013’s Traces of You , which featured guest vocals from her half-sister and pop superstar Norah Jones came a series of increasingly accomplished releases including 2015’s pure Indian project Home , 2016’s Land of Gold , and her latest studio session Love Letters , recorded in collaboration with guests Alev Lenz, Shilpa Rao, Ibeyi, and Ayanna Witter-Johnson.

Tracks from these albums are represented on Between Us , a remarkable live document of a 2018 performance in the Netherlands featuring longtime collaborator Manu Delago on percussion along with Holland’s Metropole Orkest.

Combining myriad global influences with the melodic sophistication of northern India, Shankar takes the latest bold step in a world music legacy.

The sitar star and nine-time GRAMMY nominee performs music from her career as captured on her latest album, the GRAMMY-nominated 2022 live recording Between Us .

…her exquisite sitar playing… lives up to the virtuosity that made her the youngest woman ever nominated for a World Music GRAMMY.

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Anoushka Shankar sitar Arun Ghosh clarinet Tom Farmer bass Sarathy Korwar drums Pirashanna Thevarajah percussion

This is one of improvised music’s great players

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Saturday 06 April 2024

Anoushka Shankar

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Silk Street EC2Y 8DS London, UK 020 7638 4141 www.barbican.org.uk/

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Doors open: 19:00

Boundary-pushing sitar maestra Anoushka Shankar returns with a new quintet to perform music from her newly released mini-album and earlier gems that have been reinterpreted.

As her father Ravi Shankar had done, sitar player and composer Anoushka Shankar continues to open up new possibilities for the instrument. She has collaborated with musicians as diverse as MIA and Herbie Hancock.

Shankar returns to the Hall with a new quintet of musicians with whom she has carved out a multifaceted and dynamic sound. Premiered in India in 2022, this quintet has been hailed as one of the best ensembles to have toured with Shankar across her 28-year global performing career. The energy and camaraderie is unparalleled as Shankar leads the way in pioneering a new sound through inventive arrangements, sensitive virtuosity and a neoclassical approach.

Shankar and her quintet perform music from her newly-released mini-album and reinterpreted gems from her previous releases, including 2022’s GRAMMY-nominated live album Between Us.

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Anoushka Shankar

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National Symphony Orchestra Between Us...  featuring Anoushka Shankar & the National Symphony Orchestra

Concert Hall

The boundary-breaking sitar player, producer, film composer, and activist joins the NSO to perform dazzling arrangements of her music, including genre-defying works from her newest Grammy-nominated album  Between Us…

Wed. Jun. 14, 2023

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Wed. Jun. 14, 2023 8p.m.

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Presenting Sponsor

Jules Buckley , conductor and arranger

British-Indian-American sitar player, producer, film composer, and activist Anoushka Shankar follows in her father Ravi Shankar’s footsteps with her own unique take on the Indian instrument. Led by conductor and arranger Jules Buckley , the innovative artist joins the National Symphony Orchestra to perform dazzling arrangements of her music, including works from her newest Grammy ® -nominated album  Between Us…

Immersed from a young age on the world stage, and with more than a quarter-century’s performing behind her, Shankar is a singular, genre-defying artist across realms—classical and contemporary, acoustic and electronic.

With nine Grammy nominations under her belt, Shankar came to notable attention when her album Live at Carnegie Hall made her the first Indian woman and youngest-ever Grammy nominee in the World Music category. 

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“It goes without saying that Anoushka Shankar is a virtuoso sitar player.” The Guardian

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Anoushka Shankar

Sitar virtuoso Anoushka Shankar — the first Indian woman and youngest-ever Grammy nominee in the world music category — brings her new quintet to Symphony Center. As the daughter and student of the legendary Ravi Shankar, she is deeply rooted in Indian classical music and has blazed a singular path that encompasses inventive arrangements, sensitive virtuosity and a neoclassical approach.

• Venue Symphony Center
• Length 1 hour 30 minutes
• Program Book Read more

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Anoushka Shankar

12 january 2024.

In the Concert Hall

Achingly beautiful Indian classical and contemporary music, from the queen of sitar and her hotshot London five-piece. 

*Proof of concession must be produced to obtain the concession price and may be requested at the door. Concessions are only available where indicated and may be subject to availability. $8.95 booking fee applies per transaction Prices correct at the time of publication and subject to change without notice. Exact prices will be displayed with seat selection.

The only authorised ticket agency for this event is  Sydney Opera House and Sydney Festival . For more information about Authorised Agencies, see the frequently asked questions below.

General Public tickets on-sale 12pm, Thursday 26 October 2023

Wheelchair accessible

There are a number of wheelchair and companion seating locations available.

To book accessible seating contact Box Office via email or telephone on: +61 2 9250 7777 (Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm AEST)

Find out more about  accessibility at Sydney Opera House

Run time The duration of this event is 75 minutes, without interval

Event duration is a guide only and may be subject to change.

Age Suitable for all ages. Children aged 15 years and under must be accompanied at all times. Infants under 2 may be admitted free of charge but must not occupy a seat.

The Opera House is committed to the safety and wellbeing of children that visit or engage with us. Read our   Child Safety Policy . Content Performance will contain haze smoke machines.

A triumph of atmosphere, songcraft and feeling, which had the audience entranced throughout The Telegraph

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The world’s finest sitar player returns

A virtuoso musician and composer, Anoushka Shankar and her hotshot quintet will fill the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall with a sublime and dynamic neoclassical approach to Indian music.  

A world music superstar with nine Grammy nominations to her name, Shankar studied sitar under the instruction of her father – the maestro Ravi Shankar – and has captivated audiences since the age of 13.  

Back in Sydney after her 2018 standout shows, she brings new material from mini-album Chapter I: Forever, For Now, alongside reinterpreted gems from her previous releases.   

Shankar leads the way in a five-piece of London instrumentalists, all startlingly talented solo artists in their own right, to perform hypnotic and achingly beautiful contemporary music that draws deeply from Indian classical roots and the lived experience of a global diaspora.

Presented by Sydney Festival

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Our foyers will be open 90 minutes pre-show for Concert Hall and Joan Sutherland Theatre performances, and two hours pre-show for Western Foyer venue performances. Refreshments will be available for purchase from our theatre bars. All Sydney Opera House foyers are pram accessible, with lifts to the main and western foyers. The public lift to all foyers is accessible from the corridor near the escalators on the Lower Concourse and also in the Western Foyer via the corridor on the Ground Level (at the top of the escalators). Pram parking will be available outside the theatres in the Western Foyer.

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Please check the  Transport NSW website  for the latest advice and information on travel. You can catch public transport (bus, train, ferry) to Circular Quay and enjoy a six min walk to the Opera House. 

The health and wellbeing of everyone attending the Opera House is our top priority. We’re committed to making your experience safe, comfortable and enjoyable, with a number of measures in place including regular cleaning of high-touch areas, air conditioning systems that maximise ventilation, and hand sanitiser stations positioned in all paths of travel. We remind our audiences and visitors to please stay home if you feel unwell. If you need to discuss your ticketing or booking options, contact our Box Office team on 02 9250 7777.

The health and wellbeing of everyone attending the Opera House is our top priority. We have a number of safety measures in place including regular cleaning of high-touch areas, air conditioning systems that maximise ventilation, and hand sanitiser stations positioned in all paths of travel. While face masks are no longer required, we ask all our patrons and visitors to practise good hygiene. Please stay home if you feel unwell and read more about our flexible ticket options .

The Sydney Opera House no longer requires patrons to show that they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

Ticket purchases and collection at our Box Office is discouraged and eTicket or postal delivery methods should be used, wherever possible. However, if you are collecting your tickets from the Box Office, we recommend doing this at least 60 minutes before the event starts. If you have already received your tickets, the venue doors will be open 45 minutes pre-show for Joan Sutherland Theatre performances, and 30 minutes pre-show for Western Foyer venue performances. Please take your seats as soon as you arrive. 

If you are late, we will seat you as soon as we can and, where possible, in your allocated seat. However, to reduce movement in the venue as well as minimise disruption to the performance and other patrons, ticketholders may be seated in an allocated latecomer’s seat. Please be aware that some events have lock-out periods. In these cases, latecomers will be admitted at a suitable break in the performance. On occasions, this may not be until the interval, or at all where there is no interval. 

Details of our right to refuse admission can be found in our  General Terms and Conditions for Tickets and Events.

In accordance with our venue security procedures, Opera House security will be scanning and checking bags under the Monumental Stairs, prior to entering the building. Bags will be scanned by an x-ray machine, and staff will wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) when handling your belongings, such as gloves. Cloaking facilities will be open 60 minutes pre-show for Concert Hall and Joan Sutherland Theatre performances, and 60 minutes pre-show for Western Foyer venue performances. However it is strongly encouraged that you travel lightly to minimise contact and queuing. Any bags larger than an A4 piece of paper will need to be checked into the Cloak Room.

The authorised agency for this event is the Sydney Opera House.

Only tickets purchased by authorised agencies should be considered reliable. If you purchase tickets from a non-authorised agency such as Ticketmaster Resale, Viagogo, Ticketbis, eBay, Gumtree, Tickets Australia or any other unauthorised seller, you risk that these tickets are fake, void or have previously been cancelled. RESALE RESTRICTION APPLIES. For more details, please refer to our  General Terms and Conditions for Tickets and Attendance at Events.

Please contact Box Office on 9250 7777 as soon as possible to advise if you can no longer attend.

Foyers will be open 90 minutes pre-show for Concert Hall and Joan Sutherland Theatre performances, and two hours pre-show for Western Foyer venue performances. Refreshments will be available for purchase from our theatre bars.

The venue doors will be open 45 minutes pre-show for Concert Hall and Joan Sutherland Theatre performances, and 30 minutes pre-show for Western Foyer venue performances.

Please bring a credit or debit card for any on site purchases to enable contactless payment. You’re welcome to bring your own water bottle but no other food and drinks are permitted inside our venues. Opera Bar, Opera Kitchen and Portside are also available for you to enjoy.

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Anoushka Shankar

New album chapter ii: how dark it is before dawn is out now listen here.

New Dawn Single Out Now

Anoushka's new song 'New Dawn' is out TODAY. It's the first single from her forthcoming mini-album 'Ch II, How Dark it is Before Dawn.' Pre-order album and download single HERE

LOLLAPALOOZA INDIA

Anoushka is playing LOLLAPALOOZA INDIA next January! She’ll be there with her brilliant quintet featuring Sarathy Korwar, Arun Ghosh, Pirashana Theverajah and Tom Farmer. Please get your tickets soon.

Ch.I: Forever, For Now, OUT NOW

Anoushka's new album, Ch.I: Forever, For Now, is out today and available wherever you like to get your music. The limited edition vinyl can be ordered HERE . Produced by the Grammy-decorated singer and composer Arooj Aftab, recorded by Antonio Pulli at Berlin's LEITER Studio, and mastered by the great Heba Kadry, Ch:I” Forever, For Now, is the first chapter in a trilogy of mini-albums, each exploring moments in time.

Daydreaming Single and Video Out Now

Anoushka's new single "Daydreaming" is available on all digital platforms today. It's the second single from her mini album "Chapter I: Forever, For Now" due to be released 6th October, the album can be pre ordered HERE . Watch video HERE

Anoushka Shankar Tour Dates and Tickets

Tickets for Anoushka's European 2024 tour are on sale now. There are still some tickets available for Anoushka's North America Tour next month. All dates and ticket links can be seen HERE

Anoushka Shankar New Single Releases Today!

Anoushka's new single 'Stolen Moments' is available on all digital platforms from today. Produced by Arooj Aftab, it's from her new mini album Chapter I: Forever, For Now due to be released on Leiter on 6th October. You can pre-order the album here

Anoushka Shankar Tour Dates Announced

Anoushka’s North American tour dates go live today! Formed for last winter’s India tour, Anoushka will be touring with her incredible new Quintet. Stay tuned for other big news coming up soon! For tickets and information please see here

Between Us...Digital Album Out Now

Anoushaka’s new album Between Us... is released today. The digital 7 – track album features her previously unreleased track ‘Jannah’. The album was recorded during live performances with Manu Delago and Jules Buckley. A beautiful vinyl edition and CD version is out on 16th September and is available for pre-order.

They are performing at the Llangollen Festival tonight 8th July and Cheltenham Festival tomorrow so if you are in the area tickets are available.

LISTEN HERE

Llangollen Festival

Cheltenham Festival

Between Us… New Album Announcement & New Single OUT NOW

Today marks the release of a new Single! Land of Gold , written by Anoushka, Alev Lenz and Manu Delago and originally the title-track of Anoushka’s 2016 Grammy-nominated album, is out now in its new orchestral avatar. It’s performed by Anoushka on sitar, Manu Delago on handpan, the Metropole Orkest and conductor Jules Buckley, also the song’s arranger. This Single is part of a live album, Between Us… , which will be released worldwide digitally on 8th July and on Vinyl/CD on 16th September. It was recorded live in 2018 during a short run of shows in the Netherlands and features all-new arrangements of Anoushka’s works from across albums, plus the previously unreleased song Jannah .

Latest Release

https://leiter.lnk.to/foreverfornow

Released: October, 2023

• 29.05.2024 Vienna , Austria Weiner Konzerthaus (Anoushka Shankar, Manu Delago - Mosaik String Orchestra, Jules Buckley) Buy Tickets
• 03.06.2024 Dresden, Germany  Dresden Music Festival - Kulturpalast (Anoushka Shankar and Quintet ) Buy Tickets
• 04.08.2024 Igar, Hungary Dadpuszta - OZORA Festival (Anoushka Shankar and Quintet ) Buy Tickets
• 30.09.2024 Eindhoven, Netherlands Muziekgebouw (Anoushka Shankar and Quintet ) Buy Tickets

To read a list of Anoushka Shankar’s accomplishments is to read many life stories in one: masterful sitarist; film composer; impassioned activist; the youngest and first female recipient of a British House of Commons Shield ; the first Indian musician to perform live or to serve as presenter at the Grammy® Award with seven nominations under her belt, and the first Indian woman to be nominated; one of the first five female composers to have been added onto the UK A-level music syllabus.

Immersed from a young age on the world stage, with over a quarter-century’s performing behind her, she is a singular, genre-defying artist across realms - classical and contemporary, acoustic and electronic.

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Music show: Anoushka Shankar, the superstar sitarist

Posted: 1 April 2024 | Last updated: 1 April 2024

In this edition of arts24, Jennifer Ben Brahim meets nine-time Grammy-nominated musician Anoushka Shankar. She's a masterful sitarist and film composer as well as an impassioned activist, and has worked with the likes of Herbie Hancock, Patti Smith and even the Dalai Lama. Her love of composing beautiful blends of classical Indian music with contemporary sounds stems from growing up in a musical household. Her father was sitar virtuoso Ravi Shankar and her half-sister is Norah Jones. Anoushka is heading out on tour around Europe with the second instalment of her musical trilogy, "Chapter II: How Dark it is Before Dawn".

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Simone Ashley on Kanthony, Duetting With Zayn Malik, and Life Beyond Bridgerton

By Anoushka Shankar

In the last episode of Bridgerton Season 2, Kate Sharma furrows her brow as she glides across the dance floor in the arms of Anthony Bridgerton. It’s a barely perceptible change in expression, yet it conveys so much: longing, vulnerability, trust, and—finally—the admission of love. It was such a captivating detail that women, in the thrall of peak girlhood, began recreating the “eyebrow scrunch” for Instagram Reels.

“More chemistry than the periodic table” is how the internet characterized Kate and Anthony’s enemies-to-lovers arc. Sadly, the #Kanthony wedding and honeymoon happened off-screen, robbing viewers of the opportunity to see them start their life together as newlyweds. But our imagination takes flight as Simone Ashley exchanges her Regency robes for a sexy zardozi bralette-miniskirt set custom-made by Masaba Gupta for Vogue India’s May cover shoo t. Could this have been the outfit that relieved the viscount of his last remaining vestige of gentlemanliness? Could this have been Kate’s way of getting back at him for all the times he vexed (read: aroused) her? The red and gold embroidered outfit certainly seems like something Kate would wear under the cheeky pretext of inducting her new husband into her culture.

When musician and Bridgerton fan Anoushka Shankar arrives on set to interview Ashley for this story, the actor is in the middle of a shot and doesn’t notice her walk in. “That’s fine, I’m happy to just look at her,” says Shankar, watching appreciatively as Ashley strikes a flurry of poses. Afterwards, they get down to talking shop, growing up South Asian, and representing their heritage through the arts.

Anoushka Shankar: I watched the first season of Bridgerton with my mum when we were in lockdown. When your season released, I called her and said that I would come stay with her for the weekend so we could binge it again. Mum’s Tamil, so having you at the center of the show was wonderful. Season 3 comes out soon. What can you tell us about it?

Simone Ashley: Everyone knows this season belongs to Penelope and Colin, but when we meet Kate and Anthony again, she has softened quite a bit. She’s growing into her role as viscountess. Gosh, it feels like we filmed that season a lifetime ago. I’ve done other projects since then and feel like a different person, if I’m being honest.

By Irene Kim

By Christian Allaire

Jonathan Bailey as Anthony Bridgerton and Simone Ashley as Kate Sharma in Bridgerton Season 3, Episode 1.

It’s the same with music. Often, I’ll make an album and it’s a whole year later that we release it or tour with it. I feel like I have to bring myself back to that state of mind to talk about it because I’ve already moved on from it in my head.

In theater, you have six to 12 weeks to immerse yourself in a character because you go into their world every night. For me, that’s when I can really reach the full potential of a character. Of course, there are movies where you have quite a bit of time to prep before you go in. Cillian Murphy, for example, read and listened to Oppenheimer’s lectures for six months before the shooting commenced. One of the films I finished last year was a psychological thriller based on a true story with a complicated plot. It’s been a year since we wrapped up shooting, but even now I think of all the different ways I could’ve done it.

I have to remind myself that I need to approach some things like an oil painting and others like photography. It helps me let go of things and be quicker when the project demands it. Do you have any experience being on stage, Simone?

I learned classical singing and piano when I was young and did a lot of musical theater at the beginning of my career. But I was drawn to film. I started booking more work in movies and fell in love with that world. I’m also fortunate to come of age in the Netflix generation, which gives people the kind of opportunities that they wouldn’t have received earlier, like having an Indian girl as a lead and exploring diverse plot lines that support the LGBTQIA+ community and Black and brown folk. Recently, I’ve felt like I want to explore my musical roots a bit more. All these different signs have been coming up, indicating I should return to the piano, like the duet I did with Zayn Malik for 10 Lives . I’ve also been auditioning for more stage work. I definitely want to do Broadway. West End theater is one of the hardest things an actor can do. One-and-a-half to three months of performing onstage every single night? I have the utmost respect for anyone who can do that.

I know what you mean, because as musicians we perform every night when we’re on tour. It’s a difficult lifestyle, even though it fulfills the soul. Speaking of difficulties, how tough has it been for you to navigate the kind of fame that came with Bridgerton ?

I’m keeping my head down as much as I can. Life after Bridgerton has been so exciting. I was doing all these unbelievable things, like going to the Met Gala and shooting fashion editorials. It was a whirlwind. There were days when I would think, “What is going on?” I struggled to admit that I was overwhelmed because I’m a person with such clarity. I know exactly what I’m doing and what I want. I remember sitting with my team at the beginning of the year and saying, “I want to focus on work.” Bridgerton comes out this month, and there’ll be two other films I worked on releasing this year as well, which are very different. Because I’m interested in music, I want to ask you how it feels to perform the same songs every night when you’re on tour. Granted, they’re different audiences, but what’s the experience like?

Coincidentally, my process as a musician is to think like an actor. I might write a song inspired by heartbreak, falling in love, or bereavement. But after years, it just becomes a song. I don’t remember that visceral experience every time. But something lives in the song and it’s up to me to tap into that emotion like an actor would. So I might be very buoyant and giddy in that phase of my life, but in that moment of playing a song, I’ll tap into whatever emotion it demands.

The beautiful thing about being an artist is that you grow with your craft. I’m in my 20s, so life in general is a roller coaster of emotions, experiences, and lessons. I’m able to apply all of them to my work.

It’s been heartening to see more and more South Asians walk through the doors of a very insulated industry. Bridgerton is one of the biggest examples of that, because you’re playing a character that was adjusted to accommodate your heritage. Was there any pressure being in such a high-profile space and having to represent the Indian community?

Not really, because I’m an actor. I’m not traveling far and wide to India to save the country. But when you watch and read up on the history of India and what her people have gone through, it does feel heavy. Representing Indian women has been such a joy. Ninety-nine percent of the people who recognize me and come up to me are women of color, and that’s the best feeling because they’re so excited for me. They’ll hug me and tell me how cool it is to see brown women onscreen. It makes me feel safe and seen, and even though I may be on a street in London, I suddenly don’t feel like I’m part of a minority community. I know that there can be pressure on women who are representing their communities in the arts. Maybe one day I will do a project where it’s like, I need to get this right. But for now, I’m able to just feel happy and celebrate it.

I struggled with that, probably because I play an instrument that represents Indian culture. It made me conscious of simple things, like doing an interview in jeans as a teenager and how that would be at odds with my image as a female sitar player. I had a whole growth process of teaching myself to believe that the instrument is mine, and the way I play it and present myself while playing is only my human expression. Did you face something similar, playing characters so far removed from your South Asian heritage, as both Kate and Olivia [from Sex Education ] are quite sex-positive? When I got my period, I stopped going to the music room—it also doubled up as the prayer room—until we examined this practice and agreed it was crazy. To see your characters express uninhibited desire and pleasure is so beautiful.

Actually, I came from an incredibly conservative family where nobody spoke about their emotions or feelings. I think that suppressed me so much that I ended up making crazy choices. I spent a lot of my childhood in California and grew up watching Tarantino movies and listening to rock and roll. Neither of those things are conservative and maybe that had an effect on me. I’m quite an expressive person. I felt very comfortable with all my scenes in Bridgerton and Sex Education . Having said that, there is also beauty in stillness, in what is not said and what is not shown. I would love to play a character that explores the kind of sexuality and confidence that doesn’t have to be so in-your-face onscreen.

It’s so interesting that we have a common cultural experience. I was born in London, grew up in Williston for the first few years of my life, had a few years in India, and moved to California when I was 11. We also met at the Dior show in Mumbai last year. Did you get to travel around India after? Have you spent any time in India?

I went to Mumbai when I visited India for the first and last time, some 12 or 14 years ago. When I got off the plane and had to get my passport stamped at immigration, I almost felt like apologizing to the officer when he asked me when the last time I’d come to India was. He looked at me like…

“Bad diaspora, bad diaspora”?

Yeah. I’ve just been busy and it never came up. But then I landed in Mumbai for the Dior show and it ended up being one of the best trips of my life. I know everyone says this, but there really is something for everyone going to India. It’s that mysterious, beautiful spirit where you feel like you’ve been awakened by something. If you’re an Indian returning to your homeland, it’s really powerful. The Dior show was on my birthday, and my mum was so emotional that I was spending it in India. I want to go back with my boyfriend this winter. I can’t wait to do work that allows me to explore more of the country.

I’ve traveled to India consistently all my life, but as a single parent and a touring musician, I’ve done shows and gotten out immediately. I don’t feel like I’ve been connecting with the pulse of India the same way I used to as a teenager, when I’d spend months in the country. Going to the Dior show was a tipping point for me because it was the first time in a long time that it felt like being there was important, and I wanted to make space for it. I also loved what you wore to the event. Simone, before you go, I’m curious about your long-term plans. Do you have the desire to write, direct, or produce films?

I do. I have a comedy coming out this year—my first time as an executive producer—and it was a nice introduction to that world. I got to have creative input, which felt amazing. So many actors are producing their own things now. People are realizing that they can simply make things themselves. I want to fulfill as many roles as I can and have fun in front of the camera before getting behind it. But when the time comes, sure, writing and directing—why not?

This story appears in Vogue India’s May-June 2024 issue.