Sona Mohapatra on Shut up Sona and being a woman in the music industry

The 95-minute documentary Shut Up Sona by singer Sona Mohapatra is a tongue-in-cheek take at a feisty female music star’s unrelenting fight for equal space in modern-day India, a country deeply uncomfortable with her emancipation. In the documentary she is seen battling on all fronts: fighting for space in India’s sexist music industry, courting a media circus, sparring with her internet trolls and then a blasphemy lawsuit lands at her door. Directed by Deepti Gupta, Shut Up Sona won the National Award for Best Editing in 2021 and will be available on Zee’s OTT platform ZEE5 from July 1. In an interview with Firstpost, the singer talks about her journey in the music industry, the troublemaker she was called, and if there was a fear of losing work amidst all the controversies. Excerpts from the interview: Woman, singer, and pain in the neck, that’s how you are introduced in Shut Up Sona. Would you like to talk about the trouble maker tag that you have got and is it right to say that opinionated women in India are usually perceived as such? Well, it’s funny to me now that whenever a woman speaks for herself or takes a stand on any issue, it’s referred to as trouble or she is labeled a nuisance creator. I have lived with this tag for many years and honestly, till the time I have a voice and I’m using it to take a stand, I have no issues with being labeled a “troublemaker”. In fact, it’s great as in some way I’m contributing to conversations that hopefully will lead to change. You are using your powerful voice not only to entertain but to speak out against those who refuse to give female performers a fair share. Is this also because you had to go through a lot of struggle in this industry during your start? Yes, definitely, I feel female artists in our industry or any industry for that matter has so much to offer. They just need to be provided with a platform. The era of Asha Bhosle and Lata Mangeshkar needs to be brought back. Our industry has become far more regressive sadly in the last decade and half when it comes to female representation. The feminine voice and presence has become completely secondary and testosterone is celebrated and under the spotlight at all given times. As a female artist, I found myself in a place where I felt I wasn’t getting the kind of songs that I deserved to sing. There weren’t enough songs for women and I know how it feels to not be able to prove one’s worth, which is why I’m a strong champion for a ‘sisterhood’.  Women need to stand up better for each other and own their own narratives too, and not just be pretty faces waiting for an opportunity to come their way from the boys’ clubs. The ‘brotherhood’ too needs to be better allies for it would help their cause to be so in so many ways! Do you think that you have to pay a certain price for being a woman in this industry? Definitely, we all have paid a price at some point in our lives. For me at least, I had stopped relying on the Hindi entertainment industry wholly a long back ago and even boycotted shows that don’t believe in giving female artists center stage. So, now I feel I’m in a better position but yes, of course, we all have paid the price for being a woman. You said that artists who just go beyond entertainment are your kind of artists. But does such an artist exist who would like to go against the system and make a change? You tell me as there are so many across the globe and across the centuries. From Nina Simone, Harry Bellafonte who affected the civil rights movement for inclusivity for blacks in the American mainstream, George Micheal for LGBTQIA rights to our own Lata Mangeshkar who was the only mainstream playback singer amongst men and women who stood for copyrights and royalties in her time, Bant Singh and Teejan Bai in the folk music space, TM Krishna in the Carnatic classical music space who fought against the elitism and caste system in the Chennai Kacheri circuit to be wiped out. From these names in the current times, to Mirabai, Kabeer, Surdas, the Bhakti Poets from decades ago, they all are an inspiration Concerts, controversies, and conflicts with religious fundamentalists, Shut up Sona talks about your most challenging days so as a person were you ever scared now that you look back at your journey? With utmost modesty, I would like to believe that my journey has made me stronger in every single way. All those controversies and threats later, my heart has emboldened to a level wherein I feel proud of having been able to go through all those things that helped me emerge as a better and stronger person and artist. I own my narrative and hustle hard to create my creative opportunities and I believe this will pave the way for a better tomorrow for many other upcoming artists. While battling the system, did you ever think of losing out on the relationship or work? I have lost a lot of work, a lot so now, it doesn’t bother me but at that time, I felt wronged. I felt that anyone who dared to speak was shunned. But my mission was far more important, to support and take a stand. Looking back at it, losing the work and connections was a very small price that I paid. I have on the way made a lot of allies and have well wishers too. You have also given reference to your mother in this documentary. Were you always that rebel and how did your family react when you had to deal with all the trolls and threats? Yes, as my mother Nayantara working enough for three lifetimes has been a big reason and starting point for my fairness warrior spirit. The family is used to be dealing with such energies ever since I entered college for engineering. The sexist environment and bullying I faced there were toxic and pretty extreme and were my training ground for a lot. It made me the person I am today. It’s challenging and exhausting sometimes but the trolling helps me bring up and address many issues which lead to worthy conversations online too. I believe conversations can change the world! Documentaries are not that well understood in India among the masses, so what was the reason it has got a documentary format?  I think on some level I believed that if I didn’t tell my story, no one else would. And if they tried, it wouldn’t be truly mine. ‘Shut Up Sona’ is a completely transparent look at who I am, and that was only possible through a documentary. Nobody can play me better than me! It’s the first time a documentary feature film has been made on an Indian female artist and that in itself justifies my reason to make this film with Deepti. It’s the first of its kind in India and while the west has seen Madonna’s, Beyoncé’s and more recently Taylor Swifts Americana, I believe that the time is right for Shut Up Sona which is a tongue-in-cheek political musical and not some arty serious piece associated with the genre in India. You have also used all your savings in producing this documentary and now it’s traveling places so are you happy with the validation you have received? I am happy that it received its due. It was well worth the investment and hard work required to self-finance such a project. But we are here now and I am getting a chance to showcase a unique film like Shut Up Sona on a mainstream and home-grown platform like ZEE5. And I hope youngsters from my country watch the film as those people matter the most to me and take away something from my journey. It’s something I sincerely hope for. Is Sona not going to shut up now or if the success of this documentary has made you stronger? It definitely has made me stronger. And to answer your first question, No, Sona is not going to shut up anytime soon. I have a voice and you all will keep hearing this voice in song & with my social commentary when required because I hope to be a catalyst for change and an artist with genuine cultural currency. Whether that is through my music, through what I say, or even through a film like Shut Up Sona, I will make sure my voice is always heard for the right things. Did you ever think of producing a feature film where you give a platform to women who are looking for a break? There are a lot more things I want to do in life. A lot more ways in which I can help talent garner its rightful place in the industry and society, at large, breaking all those labels that the conventional people in the industry have made and if an opportunity presents itself where I can help amplify a story that matters, then by all means. What’s next now? A lot more has to be done but for now, I have a few exciting things coming up including a sequel Please Song Sona, and some exciting music videos like Roti Machine and a Mira Series. So, watch out for those. Nivedita Sharma’s work experience includes covering fashion weeks in Milan, Pakistan, Vancouver, Hong Kong, Dubai, and award functions like IIFA, and TOIFA.  Read all the  Latest News_,_  Trending News_,_  Cricket News_,_  Bollywood News_,_  India News and  Entertainment News here. Follow us on  Facebook_,_  Twitter and  Instagram