Sona Mohapatra’s song ‘Rang De’ is a tribute to Meerabai

Sona Mohapatra’s film Shut Up Sona, which was recently released on Zee5, revealed various facets of the singer's personality. The film also gave a glimpse of her passion for Sufi music and poetry soaked in the bhakti (devotion) tradition.

Shut Up Sona review: Unsettling yet inspiring journey of a female artiste trying to effect change

Her new song from the film, ‘Rang De’, which has been composed by Ram Sampath, is a tribute to the 16th-century mystic Meerabai who is known for her devotion to Lord Krishna.

Talking about the song and Meerabai, Mohapatra said, “As a child, I found the imagery of Meerabai to be very docile and therefore depressing. Mostly, we got to see visuals of her wearing white, sitting within four walls with a tamboora, her devotion bordering on servility while her rebellion wasn't really highlighted. It was only in my later teens I started exploring more of her life and times. She wrote about sensuality and desire amongst other taboo topics too. My music video 'Rang De' is a tribute to her and her unrelenting will to spread love, joy, and freedom amidst dogma and orthodoxy."

Mohapatra has also her own interpretation of Meerabai as she calls her a rockstar. "Meerabai was a free-spirited rebel-rockstar but has been institutionalized by society. Despite her royal lineage, she interacted with common people and minstrels, danced and sang in public places, and sought a guru in Ravidas, which in those times was a blasphemy since he was from the ‘untouchables’ class.

"Her rebellion manifested in her refusal to commit Sati and writing songs about it. She wrote about her 'choli', a metaphor for worldly constraints, asking Krishna to open it, and was possibly castigated for it just as I was when I sang a Meera bhajan in a halter neck top in the Mehrangarh fort while headlining the RiFF music festival in Jodhpur. The world reduces women to their gender, attacks them for craving freedom, and makes everything about sexuality. We are not just our bodies," she added.

The singer and producer spoke about Shut Up Sona further and said, "For me, Shut Up Sona is a musical love letter to a country that is sometimes uncomfortable with my voice. It sums up my love and gratitude for everything that has consistently uplifted me and many others around me – music and the unique culture of my land. At the end of the day, I am an artist. And with these songs, I am trying to further amplify a message of inclusivity, rebellion, love and the sheer happiness that my world has to offer."