Sona Mohapatra’s Shut Up Sona To Represent India At International Film Festival Rotterdam

Sona Mohapatra

Singer Sona Mohapatra’s docu-drama created quite a buzz when it premiered at the MAMI Film Festival and it’s now gearing up to woo the international audiences with its premiere at the International Film Festival Of Rotterdam.

Talking about the movie, Sona said, "Our film is irreverently brave and unapologetically takes on structural misogyny of the industry and society I belong to. This is a film about music, art, social change and a clashing of the ancient and the modern, every civilisation needs to go through these clashes to evolve & become a better place. That it also made everyone laugh during the screenings we’ve had here is an added bonus. I am elated about the film's international premiere. The start of 2020 has been crackling I must add!”

The film revolves around Sona’s journey and she also not only featured in it but also produced it. Talking about how it all happened, the songstress said, "It is my best friend Deepti Gupta who took me on this journey. Even as my stint as a musician were diminishing, I knew I had to further myself as an artiste. The international selection is incredibly gratifying for us. It reiterates my faith in good stories and makes me believe in the power of impactful stories. May the film find its feet in a newer set of audience and inspire them. We are representing India and I will also be performing at the closing ceremony. The film is indicative of the popular culture in the country and it makes me feel validated that I am doing work that speaks to people.”

“Sona’s journey, her voice in her mesmerising songs, and also her unrelenting protest has always inspired me. Through Sona, I tried to explore the prismatic reality of women using their art and everything in their power to ask for equality, and the price they pay for it. The film is made with much love and passion and without any conventional backing, so the fact that we are invited to Premiere at the prestigious IFFR Rotterdam is not only exciting for us, it’s also a validation that the story of Shut Up Sona as a universal narrative. For me the film is in an expression in a cinematic realm what Sona expresses in the aural, so it is doubly exciting that IFFR has invited Sona to perform at the closing ceremony, a first in their history of 28 years," director, Deepti Gupta concluded.