S.M.M. Ausaja, author of the book Bollywood In Posters, chanced upon the memorabilia of Pt. Ravi Shankar, recovered from a battered old leather suitcase which was dumped at a scrap dealer’s shop close to Mahim railway station in Bombay. The memorabilia includes the late sitar maestro’s musical notations, letters written by him, photographs, press cuttings of the 1960s, autographed brochures, etc. The suitcase also contained photographs showing Ravi Shankar’s first wife, classical singer Annapurna Devi, and albums of sketches by their son, musician and graphic artist Shubhendra ‘Shubho’ Shankar. Shubho passed away in California in 2012. Annapurna Devi died in Bombay in 2018.
Ausaja chanced upon the suitcase while he was scouring around for vintage film posters, booklets and pictures.