SONA MOHAPATRA HAS A CONSTRUCTIVE MESSAGE ON THE ONGOING DISCUSSION ON THE MUSIC MAFIA

Jyothi Venkatesh

In the midst of all the raging discussions around nepotism and even music mafia in the industry, Sona Mohapatra who is known for her frank, outspoken views, believes that the whole musical eco-system needs to be re-hauled from the ground up. She believes that almost everyone in the entertainment industry, no matter how rich or successful, seems to have a ‘struggler’ mindset, they refuse to feel secure enough to be able to look out for others. The gatekeepers & tastemakers of the industry would only benefit from adopting more inclusive practices that welcome diversity. The gender disparity itself is telling, there are no more than 8 odd songs in female voices for every 100 released in the mainstream.

Elaborating her stance, she said, “The fact that we don’t have a real music industry in a country as big as India should bother all of us. Music sells almost everything in this country including election campaigns, toothpaste, sporting events & bid budget films but is sadly the most undermined commodity in the media landscape. Mainstream musicians are second class citizens in Bollywood & go through a miserable & humiliating ‘rejection’ & ‘ragging’ process while making a soundtrack. The creator of a song doesn’t even have the right to cast a singer & that itself is so disrespectful to the process of creativity. It is the reason why so many people are dubbed for ‘scratches’. My belief is that ultimately, the song suffers.

While it is critical to have a discussion about music label monopolies & the lopsided clique driven power structure in the film industry, it is equally a time for all of us to self reflect. This includes the media which has no space for music or concert reviews or slots that showcase new talent. It is important that even audiences start rejecting such mediocrity & aspire for world-class standards in entertainment which comes from being more demanding of authenticity & integrity from our entertainers.”