Shut Up Sona

SHUT UP SONA is a film about today’s India at odds with the modern Indian woman. It is an intimate journey with Sona Mohapatra – famous singer, performer, and troublemaker by choice! Being on the receiving end of blasphemy lawsuits, internet trolling, and death threats are all in a day’s work for Indian singer and leading #MeToo activist. Over three years, filmmaker Deepti Gupta follows Sona as she battles with music execs and India’s patriarchal traditions in her fight for equal space in the music industry and beyond.

The film covers Sona’s life as a performer and as a woman, and exposes the controversy around her that turns into a televised circus, when a legal notice arrives at Sona’s doorstep, accusing her of blasphemy. Her crime was singing an 800-year-old song with devotional lyrics, while being dressed “obscenely”. But, despite the police intervention and the wrath of the internet, nothing stops her from dissenting every day, in order to do what she loves – sing her songs and speak her mind, while managing her public and high-pressure retaliation to her critics.

Sona’s voice in the #MeToo movement also called for leading Indian Idol judge Anu Malik to be removed from his position, as it prompted other female singers to come forward. Plus, she publicly calls out India’s premiere educational institution for not having had a female headliner on their performance stage for 30 years, she is shunned from university festivals for a whole year.

We witness Sona in all lights: performing to enraptured crowds, rehearsing the music she loves, and in quiet candid moments at home, considering her next moves. Although India is a country deeply uncomfortable with Sona’s empowerment, Shut Up Sona is ultimately a love letter to India, as we discover the rich roots of the country’s stunning music, poetry and culture.

The film follows Sona during this crazy year of her life, sparking controversies with everything she says and does. Laced with sarcasm, wit, and a bite of craziness, SHUT UP SONA is a musical about art, gender, and our right to exist with a voice.