In Portrait (2002)

"It is almost impossible to condense anyone's life into three hours, let alone that of an iconic artist, so three cheers to BBC Opus Arte for this 2DVD set. "Between Two Worlds" is a substantial 10-part documentary, telling the sitar player's life story up to his 80th birthday celebrations in 2000. The film is littered with archive footage, including the young Shankar performing with his brother's dance troupe, an emotional reunion with his teacher and guru Baba Allauddin Khan, and his celebrated collaborations with musicians such as Yehudi Menuhin and The Beatles. The second part features Shankar performing with a group of Indian musicians, including his daughter Anoushka, at the Union Chapel in London, 2002. The atmosphere and the intimacy of the performance is well captured. A 19-minute introduction to Indian music and the sitar, delivered by Shankar, rounds off the set. The booklet provides a useful introduction to Shankar as well as biographies of his fellow performers." (Rebecca Agnew, Amazon)