‘Musicians are second class citizens’
In the midst of the raging discussions around nepotism and the role of music labels in the industry, singer Sona Mohapatra feels the whole musical eco-system needs to be re-hauled from the ground up. Known for her frank, outspoken views, the singer shares that the industry can grow only by nurturing “new and genuine talent” of many hues and investing in them. Elaborating on her views, the singer says,
“The fact that we don’t have a real music industry in a country as big as India, should bother all of us. It’s a subset of the film industry with a few interconnected families calling the shots. Music sells almost everything in this country including election campaigns, toothpaste, sporting events and big budget films, but is sadly the most undermined commodity.”
Mohapatra feels it is disrespectful to the process of creativity when the creator of a song doesn’t even have the right to choose a singer. “It is the reason why so many people are dubbed for ‘scratches’. Ultimately, the song suffers. Mainstream musicians are second class citizens in Bollywood and go through a humiliating ‘rejection’ and ‘ragging’ process while making a soundtrack. Sonu [Nigam; singer] started a conversation, let’s take it forward,” she says, adding, “It is important that audiences start aspiring for world class standards in entertainment, which comes from being more demanding of authenticity and integrity from entertainers.”