All posts tagged: Sona

Sona Mohapatra says all heartbreak songs in Bollywood are ‘reserved for men’, gives example of Arijit Singh’s Zaalima

Sona Mohapatra says all heartbreak songs in Bollywood are ‘reserved for men’, gives example of Arijit Singh’s Zaalima

Sona Mohapatra has been vocal about several issues in the industry, be it sexism or objectification. She recently spoke out on the Peddi controversy, and called out the lack of female agency in mainstream films in India. In a new conversation talking about the state of the music industry that runs in parallel to the film industry, the singer has now shared how the heartbreak songs are ‘reserved’ for the men, with little space for the female voice. Sona Mohapatra spoke about romantic songs being made in Bollywood. What Sona said In a clip that was posted on Sona’s Instagram account, Sona said, “All those heartbreak songs in Bollywood are reserved for the men. Men have heartbreak, men in current times feel love. Because everytime I was called to sing a duet, I somehow have the ending chorus. You must hear this song called Zaalima. It is Arijit [Singh]’s song, and I was called to sing that and I was flabbergasted.” ‘What kind of a duet is this?’ She added, “Because the mukhra, antara, mukhra, …

Sona Mohapatra says backlash for sexualised depiction in Peddi forcing filmmaker to apologise has given her hope

Sona Mohapatra says backlash for sexualised depiction in Peddi forcing filmmaker to apologise has given her hope

Director Buchi Babu Sana’s sports action drama Peddi has come under intense scrutiny over the portrayal of Janhvi Kapoor‘s character, Achiyyamma. Many questioned the hypersexualisation of its female lead and zooming in on her body parts, even as the male lead describes her face’s beauty. Singer Sona Mohapatra has now reacted to the controversy and said how the template of mainstream commercial cinema does not give any agency to female characters and objectifies them. Sona Mohapatra demands better written roles for women in films. What Sona said Taking to her Instagram account, Sona made a video speaking about the issue. She began, “For the last few days, one thing has given me a lot of relief, surprisingly. One of our heavily promoted mainstream film has been called out for its portrayal of the heroine. The backlash has given me some hope and optimism. Seems like it has an impact on the filmmakers and they will now remove some of the sections from the film. I have not watched the latest Peddi or its mothership Pushpa, …

Absconding for 3 months, Sona Pappu arrested after he ‘walks into’ ED office | Kolkata News

Absconding for 3 months, Sona Pappu arrested after he ‘walks into’ ED office | Kolkata News

3 min readKolkataMay 19, 2026 01:43 AM IST On the run for over three months, Biswajit Poddar alias Sona Pappu was finally arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday. A real estate developer from Ballygunge in Kolkata, Sona Pappu has been on the ED radar in an alleged extortion and land-grabbing case. “I am a businessman, not a criminal,” Sona Pappu said as he entered the ED office in Kolkata’s Salt Lake CGO Complex on Monday morning, where he was arrested after being grilled by the agency for over nine hours. Sona Pappu had been absconding for over three months, after the ED raided his residence and multiple locations linked to him, and reportedly seized over Rs 2 crore in cash, property documents and a handgun. He is accused of extortion, land grabbing, and parking illegal funds of influential people. On April 20, the ED had arrested businessman Jay S Kamdar over allegations of illegal transactions worth crores in an alleged land-grabbing case. According to ED sources, Kamdar, the managing director of Sun Enterprise, …

Sona Mohapatra backs Alia Bhatt amid hosting trolls: `Bollywood, learn to laugh`

Sona Mohapatra backs Alia Bhatt amid hosting trolls: `Bollywood, learn to laugh`

Singer Sona Mohapatra has expressed her support for actress Alia Bhatt after she was trolled for her hosting skills during a recently held award ceremony. In her first attempt at hosting, Alia was seen sharing the stage with comedian Zakir Khan and actor-comedian Sunil Grover. Commenting on Alia`s performance as a host, users criticised her stint, terming it overacting and cringe. Singer Sona Mohapatra has now come out in her support and urged Bollywood to laugh a little. Sona Mohapatra on Alia Bhatt getting trolled for hosting She was heard saying in her Instagram post, “I`m weighing in on the Alia Bhatt Screen Awards monologue, which has been all over the place and is being trolled. First things first, guys, it was live. Live means no retake, no edit, no filter, no rethink. And honestly, doing such authentic work in Bollywood is a big stunt. Most desi actors won`t even pick up that mic. She gave it a shot, and that itself is amazing.”           View this post on Instagram   …

Shreya Ghoshal, Sona Mohapatra react to Arijit Singh retiring as playback singer: ‘Why are we treating it like obituary’

Shreya Ghoshal, Sona Mohapatra react to Arijit Singh retiring as playback singer: ‘Why are we treating it like obituary’

Singers Shreya Ghoshal, Shilpa Rao and Sona Mohapatra have penned notes after Arijit Singh announced his decision to step away from playback singing. Taking to Instagram, Sona shared a long post asking why people are treating his decision “like an obituary” as he is “making music, not disappearing”. She also said that his decision will “create space for newer voices.” Shreya Ghoshal and Sona Mohapatra spoke about Arijit Singh on Instagram. Sona Mohapatra lauds Arijit Singh’s decision to step away from playback singing Sona Mohapatra also wrote that none of Arijit’s “predecessors even imagined this path.” She said, “Arijit Singh stepping away from playback singing feels less like an exit and more like an arrival into freedom, authorship and possibility. Not speculating on why. I’m sure the reasons are deeply personal and entirely valid. What matters is the choice.” “None of his predecessors even imagined this path: stepping aside to make space. For himself first, to explore, to create, to sing his own songs on his own terms. And yes, whether intended or not, this …

Sona Mohapatra lauds Arijit Singh`s `brave` decision to quit playback singing

Sona Mohapatra lauds Arijit Singh`s `brave` decision to quit playback singing

The entire music industry is in a state of shock ever since Arijit Singh announced his retirement from playback singing. However, singer and composer Sona Mohapatra called Arijit`s decision to step away from playback `brave`, `generous`, and `disruptive in the best way`. She shared a long note on her Instagram handle with the caption, “To arijitsingh & India with Love, I’ve walked the path of putting music out of my own year after year & it’s a very fulfilling & incomparable road. Exhausting also but exhilarating for sure (sic).” Her note went like this, “Stepping away from playback singing feels less like an exit and more like an arrival into freedom, authorship and possibility.” Sona pointed out that while she does not know the exact reason behind Arijit`s decision, she is sure that this will allow him to get the freedom that is the essence of art. “Not speculating on why. I`m sure the reasons are deeply personal and entirely valid. What matters is the choice. None of his predecessors even imagined this path: stepping …

‘The facts simply don’t support AR Rahman’s communal assertion’: Sona Mohapatra | Music News

‘The facts simply don’t support AR Rahman’s communal assertion’: Sona Mohapatra | Music News

Playback singer and independent musician Sona Mohapatra, known for chart-toppers such as Ambarsariya, Bedardi Raja and Jiya Laage Na, among others, spoke to The Indian Express about Oscar and Grammy-winning composer AR Rahman’s recent BBC interview that sparked intense public debate and said that “the facts simply don’t support AR’s communal assertion“. In his interview, the Chennai-based composer spoke of a “power shift” in the Hindi film industry, besides losing out on work in the last eight years due to the communal environment in India. After much backlash, Rahman came out with a clarification, calling India his inspiration. “I understand that intentions can sometimes be misunderstood. But my purpose has always been to uplift, honour and serve through music,” he said in a video statement. ALSO READ: ‘We need to weigh our words carefully,’ says Manoj Muntashir amid AR Rahman’s ‘communal bias’ remark “He scored Chhaava. He is scoring Ramayana. He continues to be attached to some of the biggest, most high-profile projects in the country, while also being globally active and constantly travelling and …

‘Akshay Kumar says jaldi sona…’: Tabu on reuniting with the actor in Bhooth Bangla, how he’s changed over the years

‘Akshay Kumar says jaldi sona…’: Tabu on reuniting with the actor in Bhooth Bangla, how he’s changed over the years

Back in 1996, Tabu and Akshay Kumar blew fans away with their natural onscreen chemistry in the action comedy Tu Chor Main Sipahi. But sadly that was the first and only time they were paired together. In 2000, the two came together for Hera Pheri, but Tabu was paired opposite Suniel Shetty. Well, 25 years later, Akshay and Tabu are finally reuniting in Bhooth Bangla. Helmed by ace filmmaker Priyadarshan, the horror comedy is set to release next year in 2026. Ahead of the same, Tabu has now opened up about her director, co-star and how Akshay has changed, if at all, over the years. Akshay Kumar and Tabu In a chat with ETimes, talking about her first day on the Bhooth Bangla set, Tabu shared, “I didn’t know what to expect. I hadn’t worked with Akshay after Hera Pheri, and we hadn’t even met socially very often over the years. I had stayed in touch with Priyan, so I knew he would be exactly the same person.” To her delight, Priyadarshan is still as …

Still the same boy from ‘Aaja Ve’: Rajkummar Rao on his journey since Sona Mohapatra’s 2006 song | Bollywood

Still the same boy from ‘Aaja Ve’: Rajkummar Rao on his journey since Sona Mohapatra’s 2006 song | Bollywood

New Delhi, Rajkummar Rao has fond memories of featuring in Sona Mohapatra’s “Aaja Ve” music video when he was a first-year FTII student. And though he has made a name for himself as a versatile star, the actor says he is still the same boy who was thrilled to be in front of the camera for the first time. Still the same boy from ‘Aaja Ve’: Rajkummar Rao on his journey since Sona Mohapatra’s 2006 song The song, released in 2006 as part of Mohapatra’s album “Sona”, saw Rao making an appearance as a strict school master in a vibrant rural setting only to later shake a leg with his students and fellow villagers. “I’m still the same boy who was in that ‘Aaja Ve’ song… I made him up like a pansy school teacher. He’s a school teacher but I thought kuch to alag karte hain,” Rao, 40, told PTI in an interview. And it wasn’t just him in the video. Vijay Varma and Jaideep Ahlawat, Rao’s batchmates from Pune’s Film and Television Institute …

Anurag Kashyap left flabbergasted as Sona Mohapatra unleashes tirade against male gaze in his films, accuses him of not promoting her song | Bollywood News

Anurag Kashyap left flabbergasted as Sona Mohapatra unleashes tirade against male gaze in his films, accuses him of not promoting her song | Bollywood News

Director Anurag Kashyap and singer Sona Mohapatra, who’ve collaborated on a song for his film Raman Raghav 2.0 in the past, had a tense exchange at an event recently. Attending the Synapse Conclave on artificial intelligence, Sona took several digs at Anurag, accusing him of not promoting her song “Qatl-e-Aam,” and critising his movies. She said that she appreciates Anurag’s writing, but can’t abide by his filmmaking, which, she said, is marked by a ‘male gaze’. Also present at the panel were filmmakers Nikkhil Advani and Vikramaditya Motwane, who had brief exchanges with the singer as well. At one point, she reminded Nikkhil of an argument they had, that she claimed to have won. “You win them all,” he said in response. “I want to say something to Anurag,” she began, speaking over everyone else. She continued, “I have observed your journey, and been a huge fan of you as a writer. Not too fond of your films, and the gali-galoch and the male gaze… But I’m a fan, nevertheless. You’re an artist. You’re one …