On World Music Day, the singer announced the release of her documentary on digital platform.
The national award-winning documentary is directed by Deepti Gupta and produced by Sona Mohapatra.
Sona says: "As a woman, I've been told where the lines are all my life. The lines I cannot cross: don't sing loudly, don't voice your opinion, don't shout back at bullies, don't 'mis-behave'.As a singer, artiste, performer and producer, I've been making my way in a man's world and the rules are skewed in their favour. I've been told to 'shut up' for bringing this up."
Sona asserts that as a woman she has to face a lot of restrictions and through this documentary she wants to give a response to all those diktats.
"This film is my response to those diktats, those affronts. This film also gives space to the female gaze and showcases an artiste, me and my music in all her unfiltered, raw glory. This is also a film about my passion for truth-seeking through my art, about the conflict between the medieval and the new, between stagnation and change, and about our right to exist with voices that are loud, fearless, and yes, impolite," she adds.
Deepti shares about the film: "This film is not just about my friend Sona but about a woman whose relentless pursuit for equality has resulted in an inspiring journey which is part protest and part music. A woman who has been told to not take up so much space in public discourse, to back down, stick to music, cover up, but mostly, to 'shut up'. "
"Sona shows by example that all women can stand their ground no matter how hard they are pushed back. As one of the first female cinematographers in India working in a male-dominated profession, I relate with Sona's story at so many levels and am sure, a lot of other women will too as they deal with millennia of patriarchy at every step, every single day," she concludes.
The film focuses on feisty singer Sona Mohapatra's fearless fight against patriarchy despite multiple threats.
'Shut Up Sona' is set to premiere on July 1 on ZEE5.
Singer Sona Mohapatra too jumped into the #MeToo campaign with a series of tweets directed against fellow singer and colleague Kailash Kher.
Tweeting on her experience with Kailash when both of them had met to collaborate for a song, Sona revealed that the singer had kept his hand on her thigh while telling her how beautiful she is. Besides, Kailash also remarked she has been lucky to marry a singer, not an actor.
(1) I met Kailash for coffee in Prithvi Café to discuss a forthcoming concert where both our bands were playing & after the usual, a hand on my thigh with lines likes, your so beautiful, feel so good that a ‘musician got you’ (Ram) not an actor. I left not soon after. (1) https://t.co/Cfz8Hf4sdP
— SONA (@sonamohapatra) October 9, 2018
Meanwhile, two other women including a woman journalist who tweeted how Kailash had put his hand on her thigh and had insisted that she should accompany her.
Kailash Kher
From a journalist in Muscat pic.twitter.com/6edAfH0S6T
— Sandhya Menon (@TheRestlessQuil) October 5, 2018
Kailash, on the other hand, has already issued an apology and said he has much respect for women and never ever can think of doing such grievous and disrespectful acts.
Sona also tweeted about an incident during which she was asked by Kailash to stop sound check and come to his room. Surprisingly Sona neither got trolled nor received any backlash for her tweets.
(2) That did not deter Kailash Kher though. On landing in Dhaka & on my way to the venue with the organisers, keeps calling me & when I don’t pick up, calls the organisers phone to get through to me & asks me to ‘skip’ the soundcheck & join him in his room instead to ‘catch up’ https://t.co/beBehXBLup
— SONA (@sonamohapatra) October 9, 2018
“She is neither born in Odisha nor can read the language, still sings Odia songs and bhajans. She might have mispronounced some words of the song. No one comes out to protest when the head of the state himself distorts the language and is known for vulgar pronunciations. Why should a singer be targeted?" questioned Patnaik.
Meanwhile, protestors under the banner of "Sachetan Nagarik Manch" today burnt the poster of Sona Mohapatra in front of Swargadwar in Puri and demanded her apology for the mispronunciation of certain words of the bhajan.
The Manch requested the State Culture Department to remove the video of the song from YouTube. Earlier on Monday, president of the manch, Prasanna Das had filed a complaint against Sona at the Singhadwar Police Station for hurting the sentiments of Odia community.
“Sona Mohapatra has sung the song very badly. At least 13 words of the song have been intentionally pronounced wrong. The whole attempt is to earn fame overnight. She has repeatedly played with the sentiments of Odia people and so far has sung three songs wrongly,” said Das, adding, the State Government should write a letter to YouTube to ban the video from its platform.
Also Read: Niranjan Patnaik comes out in support of Sona Mohapatra
Despite raging protests, the singer took to Twitter to point at her Raja attire which she wore during her performance and mentioned that it was an ode to tradition as she was promoting Odia and Odia culture.
https://twitter.com/sonamohapatra/status/1008971661037768704
https://twitter.com/sonamohapatra/status/1008977696381128704
https://twitter.com/sonamohapatra/status/1008982209666146305
The controversy surfaced after the singer posted a video of her live concert on YouTube on Monday. Soon after the post, users pointed out the pronunciation errors in the song written by Bhakta Salabega- a well-known Muslim devotee of Lord Jagannath.
According to the video posted by the singer, she is heard pronouncing Salabega as Salebega, Charana as Charane and Matta as Maatra.
Bhubaneswar: Singer Sona Mohapatra has brought allegation against the Madiyar Sufi Foundation claiming that she has been threatened by the organisation over her latest video.
In a series of tweets to the Mumbai police yesterday, the singer has alleged that the foundation has sent a notice asking her to remove her latest video from all communication channels on the grounds that it did not comply with the Sufi format.
Mohapatra further claimed that the foundation termed her video ‘Tori Surat’ obscene and objectionable.
https://twitter.com/sonamohapatra/status/990929904526155777
“I have received a threatening notice from the Madariya Sufi Foundation to remove the music video ‘Tori Surat’ from all communication mediums. They claim that the video is vulgar, will flare communal tensions,” Mohapatra tweeted to the Mumbai Police.
However, no FIR has been lodged by the singer in this regard.
Police said the foundation officials have been called up for questioning following which the next course of action will be taken.
Speaking to OTV, Mohapatra said, "The foundation thinks the video is blasphemous and want to frame criminal charges against me. They are harassing me. I have asked Mumbai police for help and they have been very helpful. I have police protection right now."
She further said, "The foundation has also called me a regular offender and says that they find another Video of me singing a Sufiana Kalam- Piya Se Naina insulting Islam because I’m dressed exposing my body and trying to fuel communal disharmony. The allegations are baseless."
In 2015, a complaint was filed against Sona for her rendition of Sambalpuri cult song "Rangabati".
The youth wing of BJP had lodged a complaint against singers Sona and Rituraj Mohanty at a police station in Sambalpur while another complaint was lodged by Odisha Surakhya Sena in Bhubaneswar.
In her post, Sona wrote, “Dear Kangana, I have always cheered loudly, in private & in public for you. Long, long before you turned queen et all but your current run across the airwaves regurgitating personal details of your love life over & over again, washing dirty linen in public & more so as part of a professional PR campaign before your film release is in bad taste.”
She also said the actress is doing a big dis-service to the causeof feminism and called the entire interview a ‘circus’.
However, this open letter has not gone well with many fans of Kangana. While some have said Kangana was openly ridiculed by the media once but no one supported her then and now when she is taking a stand in public, it is called a PR activity, others have said she is a ‘brave’ person and wouldn’t need a PR plan to speak out against a big actor on national media.
Kangana is well known for speaking fearlessly against the top notch members of Bollywood. She was even made fun of by actors Saif Ali, Varun Dhawan and filmmaker Karan Johar at a the IIFA awards recently. But apart from her fans, not many from the film industry were seen coming out in her support.
In a barrage of tweets on Friday, Mohapatra hit the present version of the song vis-a-vis her own performance in Coke Studio, which was criticized for ‘plagiarism and distortion.’
“Where did ur Sambalpur/Odia pride vanish? Hypocrites much?,” said Mohapatra in a tweet.
https://twitter.com/sonamohapatra/status/883220573689663488
Mohapatra further clarified that, this is nothing to do with any artist, Shankarji, me or even Jitendra Haripalji.
https://twitter.com/sonamohapatra/status/883219199954477056
Also Read:Odisha keeps date with history as Asian Athletics meet kicks off
“Did it not occur to you that Jitendra Haripal could've been asked to sing at Bhubaneswar. Acting obsequious towards people who are not from your state & belittling, finding fault in your own is lack of self respect, dear Odiyas,” read one of her tweets.
https://twitter.com/sonamohapatra/status/883220573689663488
The popular Sambalpuri song was written by Mitrabhanu Gauntia and composed by Prabhudatta Pradhan and originally sung by Jitendra Haripal and Krishna Patel.
The fusion version of the song by Mohapatra and Rituraj Mohanty was aired on MTV Coke Studio Channel 4 on June 5, 2016.
Unlike Shankarjee, we didn't have the government of Odisha negotiating & facilitating a Bharat Milap with the original folk singer, said Sona.
https://twitter.com/sonamohapatra/status/883566442444181505
On the inaugural day of AAC2017, Shankar Mahadevan sung the song to huge applause at the Kalinga Stadium and called for the original singers on the state to seek their permission to sing the song. He had also requested the audience of Odisha to excuse him in case he did injustice to the song by way of wrong lyrics or music.
On the other hand original singer of the song and Padma Shri Jitendra Haripal criticized Sona over her tweets saying she has no right to comment on Rangabati song; she distorted the purity of the original song.
Hear the Rangabati song sung by Shankar Mahadevan:
https://youtu.be/08sNBXxiBQU
If Lord Jagannath and his ardent devotee Salabega are the reasons why singer Sona Mohapatra is being tagged as ‘a blot on Odias’; ‘a spoilt self proclaimed ambassador of Odias’ ; ‘a witch’; ‘a vamp’ ; ‘a half clad high heeled woman and what not’ - it’s a pity. Irrespective of whether there was anything sacrilegious, in mispronouncing a few words, Lord Jagannath who is the inner ruler of not only Odias but people across the globe, the epicentre of Hindu belief and existence, has since long been the nucleus around which, people have done many wrongs causing much more insult and damage. How much have we blurted on those issues?
Talking about language and pronunciation, we bear the loudspeakers bellowing songs on the Badadanda (Grand trunk Road where Jagannath temple is situated) tagged as Jagannath bhajans, every sentence of which is laced with vulgar words. It has become an endemic throughout the state. We are not insulted when the same so called bhajan lyrics are tuned to Hindi film music. We are not insulted with the flood of Odia slangs that the charioteer of the Trinity use, pointing fingers at women and men who gather to witness the annual sojourn of the lords. We are cool about all of it.
The Jagannath temple in Puri, one of the char dhams that assures us peace and place in heaven (sic), stinks of filthy language of the sevayats (servitors) who leave no stone unturned to misbehave with devotees, pass explicit vulgar remarks on women and tourists and touch women inappropriately and openly without fear of retribution because they take the holy abode as their personal fiefdom. Aided and abetted by a weak, timid administration, such absolutist is their reign, such unfettered is their high-handedness - even to the extent of atrocity- that many women dread visiting the temple particularly during rush hours. We accept it as way of life and are also cool about it?
People have the freedom to pray the Lord in their own ways. If Sona chose hers to sing Ahe Nila Saila, and faulted, let she. Going by her initial reaction to a media house whatsapp group (record of which is still with this writer), she had stated, we artistes learn and grow with such things, let this just be a conversation and not a controversy. We may not praise her effort, but we must not show her a lesser mortal.
She is a famed singer and not someone who needs raving and ranting to be in limelight. Devotion is an individual’s way of connecting to God and in her devotion she wore what she deemed fit while performing on the bhajan. Ila Arun has her way of dressing and Rekha Bhardwaj too takes to her way rendering Sufi songs.
Sona’s tweet “I will go full naked with higher ‘hills’ and show you Chandi’s true colours...” became the butt of discussion without paying any attention to what triggered it. In fact she was replying to a dirty comment on a public platform which stated ‘u had were a hafe naked gaun with high hill sandles, shame on you... (sic)’’ One cannot expect Sona to say, “thank you” to such statements. Highlighting something like “Sona wants to go naked” smells like a vilified campaign against her.
Madam Lalpari this is vajan not a morden song what u had were a hafe naked gaun with high hill sandles.Shame on u .You r from odisha. This song represents our culture,who gave d right to destroy it.chori upre se sinachhori.Odia jati pain tume gote kalanka.
— bibhu prasad swain (@bpswain1979) June 20, 2018
Oye, shut up you & your lot of illeterates. Have had enough of you & your moronic vomit on my timeline all of the last few days. I’ll go full naked with higher ‘hills’ & show you Chandis true colours if you don’t shut up. She doesn’t wear clothes btw. ??? https://t.co/4qiiAz8Wcg
— SONA (@sonamohapatra) June 20, 2018
During a summit, Sonu talked about why so many songs are being remixed these days. "Sometimes, I feel like it would be better if I was from Pakistan. At least I would get offers from India," he joked.
He also said: "If you say, 'Anu Malik met me this morning', that's fine. You accused him without any proof; let's accept that too. Had he (Anu Malik) wanted to say anything, he could have said a lot. But he did not.
"If I say that you misbehaved with me, you will ask me for proof. But there's no proof, right? Despite that, people are respecting the accusers, who are tarnishing Anu Malik's name. But how can you ban him? How can you snatch his bread and butter? How can you torture his family?"
Following Sonu's comments, Sona, who had accused Anu of sexual misconduct, tweeted on Wednesday that she felt "so let down hearing him talk like this".
The wife of composer Ram Sampath also wrote: "So much sympathy for a millionaire losing work? So much empathy for his privileged family being 'tortured'? How about scores of girls and women he tortured? Multiple testimonies not proof enough?"
"Not 1 but possibly 100 plus women and men can attest to Anu Malik's deplorable abusive behaviour. I guess Mr. Sonu Nigam expects all these women/underage girls to - a)strap recording devices b) carry spy cams, other proof gathering devices because they have much to benefit defaming him?"
On Sonu's Pakistan comment, she said: "Are Arijit Singh, Badshah, Vishal Dadlani from Pakistan though?
"You've had your moment under the sun dear. India anoints a new 'Male Super Star' every 3/4/5 years without fail. Don't blame the Pakistani artistes. Also do not mix up art and music with politics and idealogy."
While "maintaining the decorum", Sonu responded to her tweets by saying: "The respectable lady vomiting on Twitter, is the wife of someone who I consider very close to me, so although she has forgotten the relationship, I'd like to maintain the decorum."
"Koi jaanvar hee hoga jo MeToo movement ko support nahi karta hoga
(Only someone who is an animal won't support #MeToo)."
Women with "frankness and courage, shaming their oppressors", is a refreshing sign of changing times, he pointed out.
"Women have been long oppressed throughout the course of history and it's high time to end this mindset of treating them like properties or trophies, and now they walk hand-in-hand and shoulder-to-shoulder with men," Sonu said in a statement to IANS.
He also asked: "it's okay to accuse someone, but to punish someone? How is that right? Isn't it the job of the law to punish?" (So aarop lagana sahi hai...par saza dena? Ye kaise sahi hua? Saza dena toh kanoon ka kaam haina?)
He also spoke about lynching.
"Agar public ka saza dena theek hai, toh phir garib, maasoom insano ka, ek pagal bheed ke dwara gau maas hone ke shak mai ya chori, rape ya bacche churane ke shak mai, peet-peet kar mar dalna bhi sahi hai?"
"Isn't it a fact that while 99% of the #MeToo movement has been dignified, a small percentage is indulging in media lynching without letting law take its course, especially when all of us in the society have supported the movement?" he asked, talking about the movement which is against sexual harassment and assault.
"Every issue doesn't need quarrelling around it forever. Look at the positive side. Men, henceforth, have learnt to 'behave' with women. Some strong women's sacrifice has done the magic. And that paves the way for a peaceful and safe work environment in the present and for the future. After the shaming and exposing, we should let the law take its course."
He continued: "On one hand, there is an accuser, on the other there is a witness and in the middle there is a person who gives the punishment. And on the other side, the accused. If only you are the accuser, witness and person who gives out the punishment, then you should also get the punishment."
(Ek taraf hota hai aarop lagane wala, aur ek hota hai gawah, aur beech mai hota hai saza dene wala. Aur dusri taraf hota hai aaropi. Agar aap hee aarop lagane wale hai, aap hee gawah hai, aap hee saza dene wale hai, toh phir saza paane wale bhi aap hee hone chahiye.)
"Long live women empowerment."
Addressing to Sona again, he said: "And respected lady, as far as my jibe about better off being born in Pakistan is concerned, go see the interview properly, and make sure I was talking for the entire fraternity, including the singers from abroad, and not myself.
"And would not like to say anything about the names you have mentioned to compare me with, but all I can say is that I chose to stand my ground and be a part of the collective movement to implement the Constitutional Amendment, that your husband too has been a part of, with us. And you have been a witness to it all.
"So, choose your words with some conscience. And as for me, having had my moment, well thank you for the love. I'm very grateful to God for it," he concluded.
Earlier on Wednesday, he had also said that he has immense respect for artistes from all over the globe, including Pakistani singers.
"I have always been of the opinion that everyone should be welcomed in India. I'm very friendly with Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and Atif Aslam. Shafqat Amanat Ali has a lovely voice and I'm of this belief that everyone must get equal respect in our country, but in the same breath, I'd like to add that Indian artistes should be given the same facilities as their foreign counterparts. If that doesn't happen, then it's unfair," Sonu said in a statement to IANS.
"In recent years, the music business has evolved and most artistes belong to a certain music company. The company earns by charging a percentage from its artistes' remuneration which is a great business strategy and is working well for all concerned. My only point was that this same percentage rule should apply to foreign artistes as well, only for the sake of equality and transparency of all artistes from all over the world in our country," he added.
Sona interacted with the media at a press conference for Zee TV's singing reality show "Sa Re Ga Ma Pa" along with her co-judges Wajid Khan, Shekhar Ravjiani here on Wednesday.
The "Piya se naina" singer was one of the first artistes from the music industry who made allegation against big names like Kailash and Anu when the #MeToo fire raged in India.
Asked whether she will take legal recourse for the matter like some other women have taken in their respective cases, she said: "The truth is that the ongoing campaign has got collective voice. This movement is happening all around the country.
"Along with the women, there are good men as well who want to see the change in the society. So, I am not the only one who is speaking about it. I think anyone, including the media, can file a complaint against these kinds of cases because nobody needs to be a bystander in this issue. A lot of people have found the courage to talk about their experience after I shared my story on social media."
Sona said she didn't think about her music career before sharing her own experience.
"I appreciate Zee TV and 'Sa Re Ga Ma Pa' who gave opportunity to outspoken individual like me to judge their show because when I shared my story, I didn't think about how it will impact my singing or my musical career as it was for the bigger cause of a better future for the country.
"We all want that our country should move towards a positive direction and the garbage gets thrown out of the system and society. We are looking forward to such kind of evenings where we will have genuine celebrations and I think we are all counting on better days." Sona said.
"Sa Re Ga Ma Pa" will see a confluence of musical genres as contestants from the across India will share the stage.
On that, Sona said: "We have performers from various music genres like ghazals, classical, folk and pop on this show. This time, we haven't set an age bracket for the contestant on the show. I think it gets boring when you hear only one type of singing when we have so much diversity in our country.
"The makers of the show have chosen their judges from different backgrounds of music to create that balance on the show. Sometimes, we don't agree with each other's opinion and speak our mind. So in that process, we get to learn from each other. I think this edition of 'Sa Re Ga Ma Pa' will be remembered as usual for its talent."
Mohapatra, who was seen sporting a bright orange layered pleated dress made of a fabric called Kotpad with natural dye, entered the stage dancing to the song "Tere ishq nachaya" sung by her. She even sung a few lines of the song "Aja ve" live for the audience.
The designers, whose collection was titled Mrs Nair's High Tea showcased a total of 23 ensembles, which included layered dresses, capes, Ikat woven frock dresses, pants and off shoulder gathered tops.
The entire collection was done by a traditional dyeing process called Aal, which is used in Odisha. The colour palette had soft hues like white, blue, reds and browns.
Talking about the collection, Mohapatra told reporters here: "I am proud to be here...It would be interesting to share with you also that the garment I am wearing took 16-20 days to dye. It's an all natural dye. The more you wear these garments, the colour starts getting darker and deeper, which is such a rare thing."
The highlight of the show was the use of shoes. Models were seen sashaying in their beautiful garments paired with Oxford brogues and knee length boots.
Talking about the cuts and techniques, Vikrant said: "The cuts are very basic. One can wear at various functions. Techniques used were more of pleating, quilting and a lot of handwork has been done."
The show was followed by Pinacle a brand by Shruti Sancheti. The designer's collection was titled Folklore. The collection had a bohemian vibe with a dash of feminine vintage mood. The range had hand woven textiles like fluid silk, woven cotton and sheer chanderi.
The collection saw a huge use of soft hues of white, apricot, caramel, orange, ocean blue and muted indigo in cuts such as maxi and midi dresses, pleated skirts, off shoulder blouses and dresses, wide legged pants and asymmetrical reversible jackets.
The five-day fashion gala, which commenced on Wednesday will conclude on Sunday.
An eye for an eye leads to lynchings and road rage incidents and is just not his style, said the singer who ignited twin controversies last week.
He said during a media summit that it would be better if he was from Pakistan so he would get more offers from India. Nigam also attracted attention with his verbal spat with Sona Mohapatra on #MeToo movement.
"I am very concerned about the country's anger. There has to be some decorum. The kind of language people use is unbelievable. The kind of language she (Sona) used, there is so much hatred. I maintained my decorum in all my statements. We need to smile and be a little easy," Nigam told PTI.
The 45-year-old said he became a victim of sensational headlines and their viral effect on social media.
"When I want to communicate something I will say what I know or believe in. I will speak the truth. Eye for an eye is not my style of dealing with things. This leads to mob lynching, road rage," he added.
With his comments on Pakistan drawing flak, Nigam issued a statement saying he has immense respect for global musicians, including Pakistani singers, but wishes for Indian artistes to be given same facilities as their foreign counterparts.
He said he made the remarks in response to a question on the current situation of the country's music industry.
"I was asked about how the business of music functions in India. I was just giving them a clear understanding of the business status right now. These days music companies want to own the singers so when the artiste performs the companies get a cut from that," he said.
"... The companies have this rule for Indian singers but not for the talent coming from Pakistan or any other country," he added.
Nigam asserted that singers from Pakistan were his friends and he has been the only one in the last 20 years to criticise those banning Pakistani singers.
"I don't believe in the banning politics. Having said that, if Indian singers are made to follow a certain rule, the same system should be implemented on people from abroad," he said.
At the summit, Nigam was quoted as saying that Anu Malik, his longtime friend, was accused without any proof and had maintained a dignified silence on the #MeToo allegations.
Mohapatra voiced her disapproval with Nigam for his comment on Anu. She had earlier called the music composer a "serial predator".
"The respectable lady vomiting on Twitter, is the wife of someone who I consider very close to me, so although she's has forgotten the relationship, I'd like to maintain the decorum," Nigam had said.
Mohapatra, who is married to music composer Ram Sampath, retorted that addressing her relationship with a man to describe her identity speaks a lot about his "conditioning and world view".
Nigam said his comments on #MeToo movement and Anu were misconstrued.
"It is an evil thing to try to bring out something so negative from something so positive. One person is saying common people should decide the punishment for a culprit, the other person is saying law should decide. Common man should not have the right to punish the culprit. It will be a riot like situation if common man decides to give the judgement and punishment."
He added that he has two sisters and had seen them going through a lot.
"Why will I justify something which will harm any woman? Shaming is perfect, but to decide the punishment is not right. Let the law do its duty. Misconstruing my words like this is evil. But it's a part of life," he said.
The singer-actor reiterated his views on last year's 'azaan controversy', saying his comments were not directed towards any religion but at the use of loudspeakers.
"It was the headline which was given... 'Sonu against azaan'. If they would have written 'Sonu against loudspeaker' there would have been no controversy. If you play anything on loudspeaker, even a lullaby, I will have a problem with it."
The singer said he objected to singing on the mic during a recent visit to a temple in Rishikesh.
"In a civil society you need to behave in a certain way. You can't be doing anything in the garb of religion. I was right that day and I am right now as well," he said.
It may seem that Nigam, one of the biggest singers in Bollywood during '90s and early 2000s, is in the news more for his comments than his music, but he said he has been here for too long to use gimmicks to further his career.
"I don't want to impress people who are just talking about social issues to be in the news. I am not here to impress anyone. If I believe I make sense I will say what I want... My intent is very important to me. If my intent is wrong then I am wrong. If my intent is right then I do not care at all. I am answerable to myself," he added.
Recently, when Sona Mohapatra drew huge criticism for mispronunciation of certain words in her latest rendition of the popular Odia bhajan ‘Ahe Nila Saila,’ in no time protests started mounting against her on Facebook as well as Twitter.
The actor had initially in a media group stated - "We artistes learn and grow with such things, let this just be a conversation and not a controversy."
However, intolerant with the out pour of vulgar messages and criticism, she soon started responding to tweeple in a way that was nothing less than arrogance.
https://twitter.com/sonamohapatra/status/1009333881861001216
On the alleged vulgar Odia pronunciation, the singer tweeted, "Dear losers who are yet burning up about my foreign accent & mispronunciation of some words in an earnest enough rendition of Nila Saila, please do note that YOUR odiya ‘accent’ while talking or singing English & Hindi, let alone your grammar & spelling skills could offend many."
She added - There is nothing wrong with an accent or any of that. I take pride in my desi accent & it is my uniqueness to flying around the globe. I am no grammar nazi either. Just making a point about the pointlessness of this whole outrage.
https://twitter.com/sonamohapatra/status/1009335351620587520
Sona calling a section of Odias 'losers' was what inflamed many once again. The singer didn't stop there. Before flying off to Paris for a show, she tweeted, "I leave behind the negativity from my state, Odisha and would like to have a broader perspective to represent my country well."
https://twitter.com/sonamohapatra/status/1009520726880202752
Like many, Crime Branch IG Arun Bothra was too hurt with the attitude of Sona. He immediately responded through a tweet -
https://twitter.com/arunbothra/status/1009602444307775488
A few music lovers claimed that it is acceptable to some extent if it was just pronunciation of words but not at all acceptable if the essence or soul of the Bhajan is killed. They further leveled allegations that celebrities like Sona Mohapatra tend to take everything casually while representing the culture of their State.
A police complaint was also lodged against Sona in Puri by an outfit Sachetana Nagarika Mancha which burnt her poster in protest and alleged that her singing was similar to disrespecting Lord Jagannath.
While many think she should not be invited to sing in Odisha again, it remains to be seen if invited, Sona faces the wrath of the people here or she spreads her charms to avoid 'Controversy No. 3'.
Note: Sona Mohapatra's Controversy 1 refers to 'Rangabati' and Controversy 2 'Ahe Nila Saila'.
"You will be happy and relieved to know dear men's rights activists, including Sonu Nigamji, for the third time in the last few months, a show date for me has gotten cancelled and my act has been replaced by Kailash Kher. That yesterday's gig was on Women's Day was the cherry," she tweeted.
Last year, Sona accused Kailash and singer-composer Anu Malik of sexual misconduct and harrasment. After the allegations against Anu, Sonu came out in support of him. Sonu's support for Anu did not go well with Sona.
Sona Mohapatra was sharply critical of Salman Khan after the actor’s conviction in Blackbuck poaching case. She took her resentment to Twitter to lash out at the celebrity who was back then sentenced for five years imprisonment in a Jodhpur court. Similarly, Sona had also attacked Sonu Nigam over twitter for standing in defense of Anu Malik when the music composer was dragged into the #Metoo movement.
This time the singer has picked up a fight with Mallika Dua who instigated a heated argument by posting several tweets over Sona's approach in the recent Arghya Basu suicide case.
Filmmaker Arghya Basu reportedly hanged himself, due to depression in Kolkata on March 1, 2019. The 48-year-old documentary maker was accused by Nishtha Jain (Sona's close friend) of sexual assault during the #MeToo movement, an allegation which he denied.
Mallika Dua called out singer Sona Mohapatra with a series of tweets saying that she misses her 'toxic activism' regarding Arghya Basu's suicide.
Sona didn't keep her mum on Mallika's tweets and took to her Facebook account to post a message for Mallika Dua saying that her values and belief systems needed a check as her 'feminism of convenience isn't fooling anyone.'
Journalist and activist Mallika Dua is the daughter of senior journalist Vinod Dua who was was accused of sexual harassment during #Metoo movement.
(With inputs from Republic TV)
In her latest post on Twitter, Sona questioned Sachin whether he was aware of the MeToo allegations against composer Anu Malik, who has been brought back as a judge on "Indian Idol" this season by Sony TV, the channel airing the show.
"Dear Sachin, Are you aware of all the @IndiaMeToo stories of multiple women, some minors who came forward in the public domain about Anu Malik, the judge in this same Indian Idol show last year including their own ex producer? Does their trauma not matter or touch anyone?" tweeted @sonamohapatra.
She added: "Yes, the context is actually missing, for U. A powerful conglomerate like Sony TV is trying to divert the shameful reinstating of a multiple accused sexual offender, Anu Malik as a judge on #IndianIdol by publicising @sachin_rt & @anandmahindra's praise & riding on their goodwill."
Sona's tweet came as a reaction to Sachin's post a few days back, in which he praised several "Indian Idol" contestants of this season, saying he was moved by the performances of Chelsi, Divas, Rahul and Sunny and also their life stories.
"Really touched by the soulful singing & life-stories of these talented youngsters on Indian Idol. Rahul, Chelsi, Diwas and Sunny come from different parts of the country but have the same passion & dedication for music despite all odds. I'm sure they'll go a long way," @sachin_rt had tweeted.
Sona has led protest against Anu Malik's presence on "Indian Idol" almost ever since the lineup of judges for the current season was announced.
Last year, Sona along with singers Shweta Pandit and Neha Bhasin had levelled allegations of sexual harassment against the composer. Soon, a couple of other women had come forward to accuse Malik of improper conduct, following which Sony TV had announced the composer was stepping down as judge from 2018's season 10
However, Malik was reinstated this season, leading to outrage.
On Thursday evening, Malik in his open letter on social media claimed that he feels "cornered" and "suffocated". The composer shared that he is going through a "dark phase", is "traumatised" and wants justice.
Responding to Malik in a long Instagram post, Mohapatra suggested that the composer should go for sex-rehab. Countering Malik's charge that her allegations were "false and unverified", the singer said the only truth in the matter was that "many more women" of the music industry had come out to level harassment charges against Malik.
Mohapatra wrote: "The only 'truths' that have surfaced after I called you out last year is that many more women have told their stories of sexual harassment, assault experiences with you. @shwetapandit7 told of her trauma of how you scarred her at a young age of 15. Danica D'Souza, Ex Indian Idol Producer told of how you harassed crew & contestants alike. Caralisa Monteiro spoke up too. Neha Bhasin spoke up a fortnight ago about her own story with you & many more who aren't known did too & in detail. Alisha Chinai corroborated the pattern & spoke her truth too. None of these women are connected or have anything to gain by speaking up about the predatory behaviour of one powerful, rich, perverted man."
The singer also highlighted the effect of his sexual misconduct on the mental health of the victims. She wrote: 'Unverified' allegations you say? These are multiple testimonies of independent sane women speaking coherently & they have a common story. What about the 'mental health' of all these people who have gone through this traumatic experience because of you? Did you care about them over these years? What about the mental health of the good India & all the victims & their families when they see you flaunting yourself on TV & Encouraging others like you?"
Last year, after Mohapatra's allegations first cropped up, Malik had to step down as judge of Sony TV's singing reality show "Indian Idol" Season 10. The controversy was reignited this year when the channel invited him back and Malik resumed his position as judge on Season 11 of the show.
Sona claimed that the composer is a "predator" and has no right to enjoy such a position on national television.
She further wrote on Instagram: "You have no right to be platformed on National TV till you make amends. 1.3 billion people exist in India. Not everyone needs to make crores on TV to survive or be 'judge' to young people whose safety they jeopardise. You aren't a role model. You could always take a break, go to a sex-rehab or counselling or somewhere to reflect on how to behave better. Ask your kids to do a hard days job & earn a salary. They are adults now. I started working at 22. Open a biriyani shop. Stay away from the public eye? Show remorse? Say sorry? If you did, this would not have happened. There you go! You answered your own Q. Show off shamelessly on TV & we be quiet?"
In his open letter, Malik had mentioned that "being a father of two daughters, I can't imagine committing the acts that I am accused of, let alone do it".
To which Sona countered: "Having two daughters has no link to being a predator," responded Sona. For those who had earlier accused her of trying to jeopardise "Indian Idol", a show that promotes bidding musical talent, she said: The show must go on. Without you. Don't jeopardise the hard work of so many & the dreams of so many contestants just for you. STEP DOWN."
Earlier on Thursday, the composer had claimed in his letter that the allegations against him are "false and unverified". He also alleged that these allegations have affected his and his family's mental health.
In the letter that Malik had shared on Twitter, he wrote: "It has been over a year that I have been accused of something that I haven't done. I have been silent all this while as I was waiting for the truth to surface on its own. But I realise that my silence on the matter has been misconstrued as my weakness."
"Ever since the false and unverified allegations were levelled against me, it has not only ruined my reputation, but affected me and my family's mental health, left us traumatised, and tarnished my career. I feel helpless, like I am being cornered and suffocated."
The 59-year-old composer, who is a father of two, also questioned why these allegations were not spoken about earlier.
"It's disgraceful that at this age, at this stage in my life I have to watch the most slanderous words and horrifying incidents being associated with my name."
"Why wasn't this spoken about before? Why do these allegations resurface only when I am back on television, which is currently my only source of livelihood?"
Malik had also threatened that he would take legal action to "safeguard" himself.
"Fighting a battle on social media is an endless process, at the end of which nobody wins. If this keeps on continuing, I will have no option but to knock on the doors of the courts to safeguard myself," he tweeted.
He concluded his open letter saying: "I would like to thank all my well-wishers who have been with me and my family through this dark phase. I don't know how much more slander and dirt my family and I can take.
The show must go on. But behind this happy face, I'm in pain. I'm in a dark space. And justice is all I want."
Anu Malik finally wrote back to all of us last evening. My response to him, next to his letter. ??
In case mine is too long to read, have also attached a shorter, crisper one, one amongst many on my timeline. Thank you @KallolDatta for saying it better #India @IndiaMeToo pic.twitter.com/NNeW59fLPs— ShutUpSona (@sonamohapatra) November 15, 2019
Confirming about the development to IANS, a source at Sony TV, the channel which airs the show, said that Malik ‘is stepping down as a judge from Indian Idol’.
Singer Sona Mohapatra had levelled the sexual harassment charges against Malik last year following which the music composer stepped down from season 10 of the show.
Apart from Sona, singers such as Neha Bhasin and Shweta Pandit also alleged the same against Malik. However when Sony TV reinstated Malik on season 11 this year, Mohapatra restarted her campaign against him and the channel.
Meanwhile, Sona Mohapatara said that she considers music composer Anu Malik's stepping down as ‘Indian Idol’ judge a ‘symbolic victory’ for all women who have faced sexual harassment.
"It's great news. Sony TV took a long time do this but I am happy that he has finally stepped down from the show. It's a battle of the whole country. There are so many people who did not want to see this person (Malik) flaunting himself on national television because it gives a lot of wrong messages to predators that they can also get away with such a thing," IANS reported Sona as saying.
"I was fighting for fairness and justice. Now, after hearing this news, I think it is a victory for everybody -- not just me but also for all other women who were badly treated by him. It is a symbolic victory. Our fight is not over yet, it's just a start. We are not going to sit here and let people to take us for granted," she added.
Reshammiya, who previously a mentor on Sony TV's "Superstar Singer", will join Neha Kakkar and Vishal Dadlani as a judge on "Indian Idol".
"I was a part of 'Superstar Singer' and now my journey continues on 'Indian Idol 11'. 'Indian Idol' is not only one of India's longest-running singing reality shows but also one of the most iconic one. I am extremely elated to be on the judges panel. From here on the responsibility only increases two-fold," the composer said in a statement.
"I have been following this season and I must say that this year has seen phenomenal singers come forward, who I am sure will create ripples in the Indian music industry," he added.
Allegations against Malik first surfaced last year in October during India's #MeToo movement and he was briefly suspended as a judge but was brought back for the new season, prompting protests from singers Sona Mohapatra, Neha Bhasin and Shweta Pandit, who had accused the music director of sexual misconduct.
Malik, in a statement, had denied the allegations, saying he was being "cornered" for something he did not do. The composer also said that he may be forced to take legal action to defend himself.
He stepped down as a judge on the show last month.
"There is a North Indian touch to it as well as a South Indian touch. There is a rap element, too. So, I have tried to capture all of India. It is a tribute to my country and its people. And it is a party track because I wanted to try out something different. As an artiste I don't want myself to sing only intense and message preaching songs, and as the year is ending, I want people to celebrate good things about their nation in a joy mood ," Sona told IANS.
The music video has been directed by Ram Sampath.
Sona has described "TSONAMI" as R.A.T mashup, R.A.T being an acronym for the three party versions of Sona's hits -- "Rangabati", "Ambarsariya" and "Tere Ishq Nachaya".
https://youtu.be/JJttKB2Z1dg
(IANS)
"Shut Up Sona", which was also screened in Mumbai last year, revolves around her journey as a rock star, her brand of music, love for her country's roots and culture and how she has become a symbol of hope of a larger movement.
Directed by Deepti Gupta, "Shut Up Sona" is a closely observed telling of Sona's uncomfortable relationship with her country.
"Our film is irreverently brave and unapologetically takes on structural misogyny of the industry and society I belong to. This is a film about music, art, social change and clashing of the ancient and the modern, every civilisation needs to go through these clashes to evolve and become a better place," said Sona.
"That it also made everyone laugh during the screenings we've had here is an added bonus. I am elated about the film's international premiere. The start of 2020 has been crackling I must add," she added.
Also shot by Gupta, the 90-minute documentary explores the dichotomy of today's India and the fate of the modern Indian woman. Sona is considered as one of the pioneers of the #MeToo movement in Bollywood.
Gupta said: "Sona's journey, her voice in her mesmerising songs, and also her unrelenting protest has always inspired me. Through Sona, I tried to explore the prismatic reality of women using their art and everything in their power to ask for equality, and the price they pay for it."
"The film is made with much love and passion and without any conventional backing, so the fact that we are invited to Premiere at the prestigious festival is not only exciting for us, it's also a validation that the story of 'Shut Up Sona' as a universal narrative. For me, the film is an expression in a cinematic realm what Sona expresses in the aural, so it is doubly exciting that IFFR has invited Sona to perform at the closing ceremony, a first in their history of 28 years."
Sona has featured in the documentary and has also produced it.
"It is my best friend Deepti Gupta who took me on this journey. Even as my stints as a musician were diminishing, I knew I had to further myself as an artiste. The international selection is incredibly gratifying for us. It reiterates my faith in good stories and makes me believe in the power of impactful stories," said Sona.
"May the film find its feet in a newer set of audience and inspire them. We are representing India and I will also be performing at the closing ceremony. The film is indicative of the popular culture in the country and it makes me feel validated that I am doing work that speaks to people," added the "Ambarsariya" hitmaker.
(IANS)
Also, no two days are the same for her.
"I wake up everyday so excited. I feel like I am a three-year-old. I cannot believe the blessed life that I have," Sona told IANS.
She believes that people are living in very interesting times right now.
"Nobody needs to be restricted as an artiste. I have never seen myself just as a singer and definitely not somebody who wanted to be the biggest playback singer. I always saw myself as an artiste, (as) somebody who will express herself in different ways, be a storyteller," she shared.
She finds films a powerful medium where "so many of my interests came together, be it travelling or love for Indian folk music or exploring more about the kind of artistes across the centuries in India who have inspired me like Kabir, Mirabai, Amir Khusro, at the same time tied in this very contemporary milieu of where I inhabitate".
"I live in fancy five stars (hotels) as a pop star. I get two lakh people showing up at my concerts, I get trolled, I get acid attack threats, I am morphed onto porn sites - all of that exciting stuff alongside the fact that India is such a generous and beautiful country," she added.
Along with her, Deepti Gupta, the director of her documentary "Shut Up Sona", has love for the country's roots.
"We made this journey of three years, 300 hours of footage, and in terms of a genre, I think it's first of its kind," said Sona.
The film's premiere at a Mumbai film festival last year was a significant event for her.
"As an artiste, I wanted to start with my own country. That's where I wanted an impact. This whole idea of going abroad and taking validation 'we have won so many laurels that's why you should watch us', was something like no, we should be celebrated at home," she said.
"People were laughing so much through the film. People in India have this misconception about documentaries that it's very serious, a niche thing and everything is very slow. Mine is a 'masaledar' documentary. It's a total fun ride and it made a lot of people emotional too. So I felt there must be something honest and true in it," she added about the film that the Delhi audience also got to watch at the Asian Women's Film Festival on Thursday.
"Shut Up Sona", which was screened at the International Film Festival Rotterdam, revolves around her journey as a rock star, her brand of music, love for her country's roots and culture and how she has become symbol of hope of a larger movement.
Sona feels glad that she got to express herself in another medium.
"I had no one telling me that 'iska gaana nikaldo' (remove her song) , 'iski awaz bhaari hai' (her voice is heavy). I hope many more artistes, women take charge of the narrative and tell their stories. There should be much more of a feminine perspective in mainstream," said Sona.
"We need to see more of us in the open and not just by being the pretty face or waiting for a break or waiting for somebody else to give us an opportunity. I thought the opportunities for me were drying up. No one was giving me the next opportunity. I said 'okay either I start believing that I am not talented enough and sit down at home or I make my own journey happen'. That's the reason why I said 'let's just make a film'," said the artiste, known for songs such as "Bolo na" and "Ambarsariya".
The music video of "Nilamani" celebrates the resilience of those affected by Amphan, while putting a spotlight on traditional arts and artistes. It's a song she sang in Oriya, which she recorded before lockdown but is releasing it now after editing it during the lockdown period. Sona created and edited the music video along with her husband, composed Ram Sampath.
"We just braved the Amphan cyclone and I feel proud of the manner in which the disaster relief administration managed to evacuate over 3 lakh people in time. Also, the state has not only contained the Covid pandemic well but shown a great humane example by successfully providing state-run free buses to the migrant workers walking to reach the neighbouring states of Bihar and West Bengal," Sona Mohapatra said.
She continued: "My friend, cinematographer Deepti Gupta and director of ‘Shut Up Sona', shot this footage of the beautiful countryside of Odisha during my travels there for a music concert. We decided to edit it during lockdown as a music video and created this song with Ram Sampath at home as an ode to the resilience of people against adversity and also to put a spotlight on the folk artistes of our land who carry the heritage of our civilisational ethos."
The singer feels one "shouldn't forget those who create beauty and give our lives the ethereal quality" during discussions of survival and economy.
"I wanted to celebrate all of this through this video and song. This video showcases the 1200-year-old ancient Gotipua dancers in their Gurukul, the Patachitra painters community of Raghurajpur and also the brilliant, progressive sculptures, carvings and architecture of the temples of Odisha. A testament to a glorious artist legacy and commitment to creating beauty against all odds," she said.
Decoding the meaning of the song, she said: " ‘Nilamani' (name of the song) is ‘the blue jewel, a sapphire', another form to address the beloved of the land, Lord Jagannath. His legend is said to come down from the tribes of Odisha. A wooden log with animalistic eyes is a reminder that trees, animals and nature need to be taken care of it along with human needs for balance and prosperity. This worldwide health crisis is also a reminder of the same for humanity. I felt this love letter in the form of this song and video would do a lot to uplift the spirits of all."
She will launch the song later this week.
(IANS)
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Sona Mohapatra Pays Tribute To India With New Song ‘TSONAMI’; Watch