The fact that gender disparity still exists in showbiz has been lamented by many artistes. Singer Sona Mohapatra, too, acknowledges the gap in terms of opportunities, pay, and more. “The biggest problem with the Hindi film industry is that the number of female songs has shrunk drastically in the last decade. It’s like they’ve decided the female perspective in songs is irrelevant, and only men’s emotions need musical celebration,” she notes.

The singer adds that even in duets, the woman’s part sounds mostly like an afterthought or chorus. “The female solo songs are only reprise versions, never shot for cinema or promoted. Did you notice how Ambarsariya was the only song in Fukrey (2013) that was just a montage cut from the film rushes (raw footage)? Every other male song was shot like a music video. Despite that, and being the fourth in line during promotions, Ambarsariya continues to fuel the Fukrey franchise,” she elaborates.

“Lesser opportunities ensure that women are the lesser ‘brands’, and they are paid much less even in the concert circuit,” explains the singer, who urges women to “take charge of their careers and collaborate with creative people to make something the world will value”.

Meanwhile, her musical documentary feature film, Shut Up Sona, is set for release in India after winning at international film festivals as well as the National Film Award. “The catalyst to producing the film myself came from wanting to own my narrative and create opportunities when I saw nothing of significance coming my way from the industry,” she ends.