New Delhi: Singer and music composer Sona Mohapatra Monday said people should be able to express themselves and be vocal about issues.
Speaking at ThePrint’s Democracy Wall, the 43-year-old also stressed on the need to fostering an environment that encourages curiosity and questioning.
Democracy Wall is a free speech initiative, the latest edition of which was held at the Jindal Global University in Sonipat Monday.
Known for being unapologetically outspoken, Mohapatra did not mince words while speaking on the issue of free speech in Bollywood. Asked if celebrities needed to speak up more often, she said: “To each his own. It’s their call to take. But yes, I would definitely like to have more celebrities around with a spine, with an opinion. When people say they can’t get political, I don’t understand it because politics is everywhere.
“People should be vocal and express themselves more clearly. And you don’t have to talk, you can do it through art, music, the way you dress.”
She added, “As a culture, as a country, we grew up being discouraged from asking questions, from protesting. Anybody questioning something is instantly branded as problematic. Children should be taught to question, to be curious.”
When asked how she dealt with criticism, Mohapatra said: “I will not restrict what I will say. If I make a mistake, of course, I will say sorry. The truth is, for every 100 people you piss off, 100 people will become your allies. When people ask me how I take on Salman Khan and Sony TV, I admit it’s scary but it is the same industry that gives me a platform to make my film and screen it.”
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‘Trolling is not free speech’
Mohapatra, however, admitted that she doesn’t always “feel strong and sorted” while battling online trolls.
“But you need to bounce back. There are so many people fighting the good fight, so focus on them. Don’t pay attention to the trolls. Things will always change and get better. You just have to go to sleep and wake up the next day, willing to fight that fight again,” she said, to much cheering from the crowd.
Mohapatra also said trolling cannot be defined as free speech, and people should take responsibility for what they say.
“Calling me names is not free speech. What we’re missing in our discourse is nuance. And for this, both (political) sides are to blame. Because we are more alike than we like to admit. While a lot of times we can brush it off, we do have to engage. I have dealt with so many rape threats, acid attack threats, deep fakes and more…People need to be made to take responsibility for what they say online,” she added.
Mohapatra also pointed out how the music industry has always been a “subset” of Bollywood. “We’ve never had a proper music industry….But things are changing now, thanks to the audience having more say and being more demanding. But what it really needs is infrastructure because we need to develop a culture for live music.”
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Looks like as if Mr Shekhar Gupta has become expert on all issues.
The so called free journalist has a coloured vision and opinion and on all front is wrong.
He should do research and find out root cause of problem then only suggest solution or opinions. But that may not be good for his trp