Exclusive! Kathal singer Sona Mohapatra: I’ve never seen myself as a playback singer

The artist rendered two songs in the Sanya Malhotra film that is available to stream on Netflix

Sona Mohapatra with the lead cast of Kathal

Sona Mohapatra has an interesting discography, with a fine balance of superhit songs from Bollywood and independent musical projects. After a long gap, her fans got to hear her in a Hindi film, Kathal, as a playback singer with two songs: Nikar Chalo Re and Lalla Lalli.

Sona, who has sung hit Bollywood tracks like Bahara, Bedardi Raja, Jiya Laage Na, Ambarsariya, and Naina, has been occupied with her independent music projects. The last time she sang a song for a film was director Bijoy Nambiar's film Re Bawree.

In an exclusive conversation with OTTplay, Sona revealed why she agreed to sing the two songs for Kathal that are composed by Ram Sampath.

"Kathal is a special film because, while it’s a satirical comedy with madcap humour and a crazy premise, it addresses heavy issues with a light touch, which is hard to do. Director Yashovardhan Mishra and his collaborator, Ashok Mishraji, deserve a lot of credit for the film. We’re all proud of the film and what it has to say. So, singing for a soundtrack composed by a genius like Ram Sampath is something that is so soulful that it gives me an opportunity to tell a story via music. It is meaningful and entertaining, and that is something that really fulfils me as an artist. I’ve never seen myself as a playback singer, but Nikar Chalo and Lalla Lalli are worthy additions to my discography and legacy," said Sona.

She is popular for her independent music and live concerts, where thousands of people gather to watch her sing songs like Bolo Na, Aja Ve, and Mujhe Kya Bechega Rupaiya, among others. So, we asked her how the pandemic affected the live music scene.

Sona said, "The music scene is much more fragmented now. We never really had a ticketed concert culture, but now, thanks to online portals like Book My Show and PayTM, we’re seeing the beginnings of a proper live music concert circuit developing, and that’s very exciting. That we have young and upcoming artists who are building a fan following outside of films is something that I am very excited about."

She added, "I have been doing independent work for over a decade, and I think that this is my tribe, not those who ride on film promotions and give voice to actors alone."

Sona also shared her concern about how the opportunities for female solo artists are shrinking in the Hindi playback and live gig scenes. She said, "Opportunities for women artists have shrunk, be it on mainstream or festival stages. This is a cause for concern, but I am working towards being a part of the solution by creating a more balanced and inclusive artist ecosystem."

Kathal is directed by Yashowardhan Mishra and stars Sanya Malhotra, Anant Vijay Joshi, and Vijay Raz. It is available to stream on Netflix.

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