‘Being vocal about social concerns has cost me opportunities’

Sona Mohapatra talks about the flip side of being opinionated about prevalent issues; adds that she wiped away her savings to create Shut Up Sona but has no regrets

A while back, Sona Mohapatra took to social media to share that she exhausted her savings in producing the documentary, Shut Up Sona, and added that soon after when the pandemic hit us, she was left with no means of income. But the singer has no regret as she reveals that this isn’t the first time that she has channelled all of her savings into a passion project.

‘Being vocal about social concerns has cost me opportunities’

She explains, “I’ve always invested in myself and my work, for example, in 2006, at the start of my music career, I sold my first car which was on an EMI to fund my Aaja Ve video. Shut Up Sona is obviously at a whole other level of expenditure and while there was always the option to raise money or pursue funding, I chose to wipe out my savings to make this film without external interference and agendas.”

Mohapatra confides that while the pandemic was a difficult situation for all of us, she refuses to play the “victim card because it trivialises real tragedy and pain”. She says, “Just when we were closing in on a sale for the film, the pandemic threw a lot asunder. While this has made things tougher in some ways, I don’t regret even a second of it. I’m still grateful and optimistic.”

The Naina (Khoobsurat; 2014) singer has often been embroiled in controversies for being outspoken about prevalent issues. And now, she only opines on issues she’s “well-versed with and passionate about”. She shares, “Being vocal about my social concerns has cost me a lot of money and opportunities but that’s not money worth having in the first place. What we leave behind is what we stood for in our time besides the beauty we create. I have also been naive and sometimes, I’ve been used by people to further their causes, but you live and learn.”