Odia Singer Sona Mohapatra Tweets Mumbai Police Over Threatening Mails

Mumbai: The Santacruz Police have begun an investigation in response to the tweets by well-known Odia singer Sona Mohapatra, alleging that she had been receiving threatening mails from Madiyar Sufi Foundation over her latest music video.

In the threat notice, the Foundation has reportedly asked the singer to remove her latest music video ‘Tori Surat’ from all social platforms, on the grounds that it did not comply with the Sufi format.

Sources said Sona has given a written application to the police and is yet to file an FIR.

In her tweets, Sona said the Foundation termed her video ‘Tori Surat’ obscene and objectionable. She said after giving the notice, the Foundation did not wait for her response and instead sent her threats through email.

She further said that the Foundation called her a ‘regular offender’ and also raised objections to another video ‘Piya Se Naina,’ which she performed on Coke Studio, five years ago.

As informed by Paramjit Singh Dahiya, deputy commissioner of police, Zone 9, the singer has submitted an application at Santacruz police station stating that the contention in the email sent by the Foundation and received by her is incorrect as she has a certificate from the CBFC Board for the content of her music video. The application is on record with the police.

Sona, singer of ‘Ambarsariya’ from the movie Fukrey, had recently compiled an album that includes songs from Sufiana Kalam by Baba Bulleh Shah in Raag Bhairavi. Her song ‘Tori Surat’ has been inspired by poet Amir Khusrow.

In his reaction, president of the Madariya Sufi Foundation, Sameer Boghani, said while there is a certain format to represent Sufi culture and music, Sona went ahead with the video without taking permission from it.

Replying to a question on whether the Foundation has given any threats to the singer, he said, “We will reply to Mumbai police when they approach us”.

This is not the first time that the singer has got threatening messages. She had attracted the ire of Salman Khan’s fans for tweeting on the blackbuck case.