Sona Mohapatra doubles down on her statement on Daler Mehndi amid outpouring of support for singer; says empathy cannot replace accountability

Daler Mehndi was recently reprimanded by Uttarakhand Cabinet minister Subodh Uniyal over his performance. Sona Mohapatra responded to it.

Singer Daler Mehndi was recently reprimanded by Uttarakhand Cabinet minister Subodh Uniyal over his performance at the Siddhpeeth Maa Kunjapuri Tourism and Development Fair in New Tehri on Sunday. After allegations surfaced that he was under the influence of alcohol and unable to sing, there was an outpouring of support for him from the film and music fraternity. Sona Mohapatra, who also previously described her experience of watching Daler perform as less than ideal, doubled down on her statement.

Sona Mohapatra described her experience at a Daler Mehndi show previously.

Sona Mohapatra doubles down on statement about Daler Mehndi

Sona acknowledged in a long note on her Instagram that she feels something is ‘wrong with (her) wiring’ as she sees support pour in for Daler, even though she had claimed otherwise. “There was my perspective on the Daler Mehndi incident, and then there seemed to be almost an entire fraternity of artists speaking in the opposite direction. The contrast was impossible to miss,” she wrote, stating that it was exhausting not to go with the flow.

Pointing out that performing artists are privileged to enjoy love, applause, beautiful hotels, good pay, and more, she questioned, “And yet, when did gratitude towards everything that makes all this possible become less important than protecting our own? When did empathy become a reason to abandon accountability?” Sona also added, “And why are we, especially in India, so easily swept away by sentimentality? We seem to place such a premium on being moved that we sometimes forget to think.”

Deep Dive

What did Sona Mohapatra say about the Daler Mehndi controversy?

Why did Sona Mohapatra double down on her statement about Daler Mehndi?

What had Sona Mohapatra previously said about watching Daler Mehndi perform?

Powered ByAsk HT

Sona also mentioned that one can feel compassion for someone without suspending judgment, adding that she’s happy for the people who took the time to understand the nuance of what she had written.

What Sona Mohapatra said about Daler Mehndi in the past

When the controversy reached a boiling point on Wednesday, Sona recalled watching Daler perform at the second edition of the Sufi Heritage Festival. “From where we watched, Daler ji appeared disoriented, struggled to hold a note and kept repeating the same musical phrase. The overall production was also deeply disappointing. We watched audience members gradually leave, people who had paid good money and come with great expectations,” she wrote.

This came amid contrasting support from Daler’s brother, Mika Singh, and others in the film and music fraternity. Denying that he drinks alcohol, it was claimed that he was unwell on the day. Speaking to PTI, Minister Uniyal said, “Such a big artiste, he should have informed us about this. This fact was revealed only when he was interrupted. If he was unwell, he should not have come to perform. We were asked to make full payment of ₹35 lakh in advance to the artiste; hotels were also booked in advance. I have nothing personal against Mehndi nor any intention to hurt him, but such a big artiste, knowing his condition, should have refused to perform.”