Watch: Monica Dogra champions the LGBTQ cause with her latest single, Shiver

Remember how the Internet went into a tizzy last year when Monica Dogra appealed to people to donate money for her music video_?_ [caption id=“attachment_3021728” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Monica Dogra in ‘Shiver’. Photo courtesy Tanya Agarwal[/caption] Well, over 14 months and several Twitter and Facebook jabs later, Dogra released the single on Monday morning (26 September). Titled Shiver, the music video features Reshma Gajjar, a renowned dancer of Indian origin as she performs on stage. The video has been directed by Navzar Eranee and choreographed by Jasmine Albuquerque Croissant, who has previously been a part of the renowned dance troupe Fingered. The song also features an eclectic group of women, including Adhuna Akhtar — all chosen by Dogra herself — as they push the gender binaries prevalent in society. Shiver is Dogra’s appeal to decriminalise all consensual acts of sex regardless of gender identification. With this song, she aims to create a shift in society’s attitude towards the LGBTQ community and wants to encourage conversations around homosexuality. Not only that, Dogra also brings forth the theme of ‘Sisterhood’ in women and asks women to embrace feminism. It is for this video that Dogra had posted a message on her Facebook page, asking netizens to donate money as she required Rs 50 lakh for the production of this video. The singer-actress was subjected to a severe backlash for asking for such a huge amount of money to make a video, instead of utilising it in an act that would probably help the LGBT community more. Reacting to this, Dogra had said in an interview to YouthKiAwaaz, “Why is it okay to spend tens of crores on a Bollywood fantasy song-and-dance, but not okay to have a Rs 50 lakh project for a music video on transgender visibility? Please note, none of the funds are being pocketed by me or the team…The social stigma around the TG community is still too deep and unless we translate the issue into popular culture and conversation, no law can actually become effective.”